In the midst of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in India, a potential voter receives a phone call. On the line is a local political figure, inquiring about the challenges the voter is facing and what improvements they would like to see if the leader were to attain power. The voter expresses frustration over frequent electricity cuts. In response, the leader immediately extends apologies for the power outage predicament and pledges to rectify the situation.
However, the seemingly ordinary exchange harbors a twist: the leader initiating the call isn’t human at all. Instead, it’s an artificial intelligence (AI) program generating the voice of the leader. Moreover, the response given to the voter’s concerns is also crafted by AI, which processes the voter’s input to formulate a fitting reply. This technology is actively deployed in the Indian political landscape, shaping interactions during the election season.
He explained that the technology was utilized on behalf of a local leader who isn’t running in the current election but wishes to reach out to constituents in preparation for the next term. However, he didn’t disclose the politician’s identity. He mentioned that the technology isn’t yet fully reliable for languages like Marathi and Marwari, but they’re gathering data during the pilot phase to improve its performance through further training.
In a demonstration video shared with this publication, a synthesized voice resembling Barack Obama addresses the individual by name and expresses interest in discussing local issues they may be facing. When the person mentions frequent electricity cuts, the manipulated voice of Obama responds almost instantly, expressing sympathy for the problem and asking for more details to offer assistance.