Japan-backed AI avatar to promote climate action at expo

Artificial intelligence avatar Una will appear at the U.N. pavilion at Osaka Expo later this month as part of initiatives to combat climate change. An artificial intelligence avatar will appear at the U.N. Pavilion of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka in late September, sharing stories from Pacific island nations under threat from rising sea levels caused by climate change. The anime-inspired female character, Una, developed as part of climate initiatives supported by the Japanese government, will be showcased with the use of 3D hologram technology from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4. Launched online in May, Una can automatically respond to questions in English, Japanese and other languages. She will be like a strong voice to raise awareness on environment and climate, what is happening in the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja, U.N. assistant secretary-general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific at the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), said in an interview in Tokyo. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.