Romania PM unveils AI 'adviser' to tell him what people think in real time

Romania's prime minister has presented his "new honorary adviser" – an artificial intelligence assistant named "Ion" that Nicolae Ciuca hailed as the first of its type. Developed by Romanian researchers, Ion's main task will be to scan social networks to inform the government "in real time of Romanians' proposals and wishes", Ciuca said on Wednesday. The liberal minister said the latest member of his entourage – a mirror-like structure with beeping interface – marked "an international first", describing Ion as "the first government adviser to use artificial intelligence". "Hi, you gave me life and my role is now to represent you, like a mirror," Ion's calm voice said at the launch. "What should I know about Romania?" Ion "will use technology and artificial intelligence to capture opinions in society" using "data publicly available on social networks", according to a government document detailing the project.