Korean politician is everywhere – thanks to his personal avatar

One of the leading candidates to become South Korea’s next president is canvassing using a ‘deep fake’ avatar of himself.

Baik Kyeong-hoon, director of the ‘AI Yoon’ team, with the avatar on the screen behind. Picture: AFP

One of the leading candidates to become South Korea’s next president is canvassing using a “deep fake” avatar of himself in what he claims is the first use of artificial intelligence in an election campaign.

Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party is supplementing traditional speeches and rallies with the use of “AI Yoon Suk-yeol”, created by manipulating audio and video samples of his speech and movement to create a convincing digitalised image of the 61-year-old former prosecutor.

“Hello. I am AI Yoon Suk-yeol,” the avatar said when it met the South Korean media. “Are you surprised because we look alike? AI Yoon Suk-yeol is the beginning of innovation in elections and I will visit every corner of the country. AI Yoon Suk-yeol is a first in the political arena and it symbolises Korea’s new future that Yoon will create.”

The avatar has been created by a South Korean company, DeepBrain AI, based on 20 hours of recordings of the candidate, including 3000 individual sentences. It captures his voice and way of speaking but avoids physical mannerisms for which he has been mocked, such as shaking his head too much and standing with his legs excessively wide.

There is a great deal to play for in the time remaining until the election on March 9. Polls suggest that Mr Yoon is more or less neck and neck with Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.

The digital candidate will speak from screens mounted on vehicles in places that his human master is unable to visit. He can also take questions from voters, giving answers scripted by aides.

Being unreal, AI Yoon evidently feels free to be ruder, wittier and more direct than the solemn human candidate. Asked whom he would save from drowning, Mr Lee or the outgoing DPK president Moon Jae-in, he replies: “I’d wish them both good luck.”

Referring to a minor scandal in which Mr Lee was accused of inappropriately accepting gifts of fruit from a large business, AI Yoon said: “I am not beholden to persimmons and melons. I am only beholden to the people.”

Another candidate, Kim Dong-yeon, has also created two digital helpers. He has no realistic chance of winning and his avatars use animation.

“Korean politics has been a burden to the people for a long time, costing an astronomical amount of money,” Mr Kim said. “Adopting an AI spokesman is an attempt to cut down on the cost of campaigning.”

AI Yoon has received the compliment of being denounced by his opponents. “I think the People Power Party has gone too far,” said Ko Sam-seog, a former member at the Korean communications commission nominated by the ruling Democratic Party. “It is obvious why PPP adopted Yoon Suk-yeol’s avatar. They wanted a makeover of the candidate’s bad image, with his head-shaking, wide-legged standing and poor speaking ability.”

Mr Yoon’s former career as a brilliant lawyer contrasts with rumours that he takes advice from shamans and has associated with an “anal acupuncturist”. In a debate last year he had a mystical symbol on his hand and was accused of resorting to magic.

The Times