Vladimir Putin hesitates when questioned by AI doppelgänger

RYAN ROBERTSON, REPORTER:

THIS STORY MAY HAVE YOU DOING A DOUBLE-TAKE.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS FOUR HOURS INTO A NEWS CONFERENCE ON THURSDAY WHEN HE WAS CONFRONTED BY — VLADIMIR PUTIN – WELL, WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE VERSION OF HIMSELF.

IT HAPPENED DURING AN ANNUAL EVENT IN MOSCOW WHERE CALLERS CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF THE RUSSIAN LEADER VIA VIDEO LINK.

PUTIN, AI VERSION:

IS IT TRUE YOU HAVE A LOT OF DOUBLES?

RYAN ROBERTSON, REPORTER

PUTIN’S SYNTHETIC DOPPELGANGER OPENED HIS QUESTIONING ON THE DANGERS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BY SAYING HE’S A STUDENT AT SAINT PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY.

THE AI CALLER THEN ASKED PUTIN – IF IT’S TRUE HE HAS A LOT OF REAL-LIFE BODY DOUBLES?

THE QUESTION PROMPTED LAUGHTER FROM THE AUDIENCE.

BUT THERE HAS BEEN SPECULATION OVER THE YEARS PUTIN USES BODY DOUBLES FOR PUBLIC APPEARANCES DUE TO HEALTH AND SECURITY REASONS.

JUST LAST MONTH – JAPANESE RESEARCHERS CLAIMED THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF PUTIN AFTER ANALYZING BODY MOVEMENTS, FACIAL RECOGNITION AND VOICE COMPARISONS.

THE KREMLIN, OF COURSE, DENIES SUCH ACCUSATIONS AT EVERY TURN

PUTIN TOLD HIS AI DOUBLE “I SEE YOU MAY RESEMBLE ME AND SPEAK WITH MY VOICE — BUT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND DECIDED THAT ONLY ONE PERSON MUST BE LIKE ME AND SPEAK WITH MY VOICE, AND THAT WILL BE ME.”

THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT ADDED “THAT IS MY FIRST DOUBLE, BY THE WAY.”

PUTIN ADMITTED HE’S BEEN OFFERED THE USE OF BODY DOUBLES FOR SECURITY REASONS IN THE PAST.

IN A 2020 INTERVIEW WITH A RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY, PUTIN SAID HE WAS PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE A BODY DOUBLE DURING RUSSIA’S SECOND WAR AGAINST CHECHNYA IN THE EARLY 2000S – BUT HE DECLINED IT.