Boris Johnson - Winston Churchill conversation pioneers live AI interaction
The conversation was recorded at the 'Creator's HQ' during the 'Future of Government Communication Forum', organized by the UAE Government Media Office as part of the World Government Summit 2025, hosted by Dubai from 11 to 13 February 2025. The event was held in collaboration with the Emirati company "AI Media Lab," a subsidiary of Visioneers, which specializes in developing artificial intelligence solutions for key sectors, particularly the media.
The conversation was enabled by a proprietary Large Language Model, an AI trained on Churchill's collected works, speeches and biographies of the former leader, including Johnson's celebrated biography of Churchill, The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History.
'The model is capable of spine-tingling fidelity, it was a truly uncanny conversation,' said Johnson after the recording. 'Having closely followed and researched Churchill's life, his views and his work, I was amazed to find myself literally face to face with a talking facsimile of Winston who was capable of holding a conversation that one would have said was truly with the man himself. Models like this have a real role in education, in helping people appreciate history in new ways.'
The conversation was the first live demonstration of the first fully interactive meta-human avatar driven by a Large Language Model. It was conducted as a 'Video call with the past', using speech to text to LLM to text to speech technology and a 'meta-human' an emotionally contextual avatar of Churchill, whose synthesised voice was based on samples of Churchill's public speeches. The demonstration paves the way for the development of fully interactive capabilities for artificial intelligence
Over the past 12 years, WGS has become one of the world's largest and most influential forum for governments. The 2025 summit's agenda featured 21 forums covering six key themes including health transformation, governance, and crisis mitigation.
Held under the theme Shaping Future Governments, WGS brought together thought leaders to foster international cooperation and identify innovative solutions for future challenges, ultimately inspiring and empowering the next generation of governments.
In addition to entrepreneurs, several heads of states including the president of Indonesia, Prabhowo Subianto, Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Disanayake and Kuwaiti prime minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah attended the event.
The summit also saw the launch of 30 strategic reports across various sectors. These reports, developed in collaboration with leading think tanks and research institutions, offer key indicators, models, and innovative solutions to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, enhance government preparedness and resilience, and foster greater international cooperation.
The summit also presented several prestigious global awards including the Best Minister in the World Award, the Creative Government Innovations Award, the Global Award for Best Government Applications, the Global Government Excellence Award, and the Best Teacher in the World Award.
The summit launched the Global Ministers Survey, inviting ministers worldwide to share their insights on critical global issues and contribute to collaborative solutions. Additionally, it hosted the annual gathering of TIME100's most influential people in AI.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
12 hours ago
- Gulf Today
UAE cementing its leadership in maritime sector through high-impact local projects
The UAE continues to solidify its position as a leading maritime power and a global model in the maritime sector through pioneering initiatives and projects that place sustainability at the core of its development policies. It was among the first countries to adopt integrated policies for marine waste management and ship recycling, as part of its forward-looking vision to build a sustainable economy based on innovation and the protection of environmental resources. In this context, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure recently launched the Green Recycling Yards project as part of the third package of transformational initiatives. This project is the first of its kind in the region to regulate offshore ship recycling operations in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner. It reflects the UAE's commitment to advancing the green economy by providing infrastructure that aligns with the highest global environmental standards. In support of this direction, the Ministry issued a comprehensive regulatory framework for the safe dismantling of ships, ensuring environmental protection and worker safety—positioning the UAE among the few countries implementing such advanced legislation. Driven by its belief in the importance of developing national capabilities in the maritime sector, the UAE has established advanced maritime academies such as the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy and the Sharjah Maritime Academy. These institutions train and qualify national talents in accordance with the standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). These efforts have contributed to enhancing the efficiency of the workforce and ensuring the readiness of Emirati professionals to lead the sector. Eng Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said: 'In line with its vision to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of maritime transport, the UAE has adopted advanced technologies in ship design and operation, including smart shipping models and automated navigation systems. These are supported by research and development programs carried out by universities and specialized centers, reflecting the country's commitment to embedding innovation at the heart of its maritime advancement.' She added: 'In the field of environmental sustainability, the UAE has made significant strides—starting with its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, followed by the launch of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. The country has also developed green infrastructure to supply ships with low-sulfur fuel and natural gas, while national ports have invested in emission reduction projects.' Al Malek continued: 'In this context, the UAE has launched several pioneering initiatives that reflect its proactive vision and commitment to building a more resilient and sustainable maritime sector. Among the most notable is its joining of the Green Shipping Corridor initiative, launched by the United Kingdom during COP26, which aims to accelerate the transition to low-emission maritime transport.' The UAE also established the UAE Logistics Integration Council as a national platform to coordinate efforts and ensure the continuity and efficiency of maritime supply chains. She noted that believing in the importance of innovation in service development, the country created the National Center for Maritime Navigation and the Maritime Services Window to unify maritime operations and streamline procedures. These efforts strengthen the integration of the federal maritime system and enhance the global competitiveness of the nation's ports. In terms of digital transformation, the UAE has launched a series of technological initiatives, including Blue Pass, a unified digital platform that connects ship operators, ports, and service providers. The country's ports have undergone a significant transformation through the automation of loading and unloading services and the integration of digital systems across various modes of transport. This has helped accelerate operations and reduce emissions. Additionally, the Zero Bureaucracy Programme has played a key role in reducing transaction processing times—from one working day to less than an hour—and cutting the number of required form fields from 55 to just 3 in some services. As a result, customer satisfaction has reached 95.5%. These achievements reflect the UAE's distinguished standing within the IMO, where it has ratified 35 international instruments and contributed to the development of standards for autonomous ships and the fight against fraudulent ship registration. The UAE currently operates 106 ports across 78 countries, with annual container throughput exceeding 21 million units and a maritime sector contribution of over Dhs 135 billion to the national GDP. Its maritime academies have graduated 497 officers and engineers, including 100 women, highlighting the nation's commitment to gender equality. The UAE was among the first to establish a maritime equality award and has led the Arab Women in Maritime Association. Crowning its leadership journey, the UAE will host the World Maritime Day Parallel Event in September 2025 under the theme: 'Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.' The event will feature pioneering initiatives to support the decarbonization of maritime shipping and promote innovation and sustainable technologies. This comprehensive ecosystem of projects reflects the UAE's commitment to a bold and sustainable maritime vision—driving the shift toward a green economy and smart ports, and reinforcing its status as a global maritime hub at the heart of international trade. WAM
Al Etihad
12 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE cementing its leadership in maritime sector through high-impact local projects
2 Aug 2025 15:02 ABU DHABI (WAM)The UAE continues to solidify its position as a leading maritime power and a global model in the maritime sector through pioneering initiatives and projects that place sustainability at the core of its development was among the first countries to adopt integrated policies for marine waste management and ship recycling, as part of its forward-looking vision to build a sustainable economy based on innovation and the protection of environmental this context, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure recently launched the Green Recycling Yards project as part of the third package of transformational initiatives. This project is the first of its kind in the region to regulate offshore ship recycling operations in a safe and environmentally-friendly reflects the UAE's commitment to advancing the green economy by providing infrastructure that aligns with the highest global environmental standards. In support of this direction, the Ministry issued a comprehensive regulatory framework for the safe dismantling of ships, ensuring environmental protection and worker safety—positioning the UAE among the few countries implementing such advanced by its belief in the importance of developing national capabilities in the maritime sector, the UAE has established advanced maritime academies such as the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy and the Sharjah Maritime Academy. The institutions train and qualify national talents in accordance with the standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).These efforts have contributed to enhancing the efficiency of the workforce, and ensuring the readiness of Emirati professionals to lead the Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said: 'In line with its vision to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of maritime transport, the UAE has adopted advanced technologies in ship design and operation, including smart shipping models and automated navigation systems. These are supported by research and development programs carried out by universities and specialised centres, reflecting the country's commitment to embedding innovation at the heart of its maritime advancement.'She added: 'In the field of environmental sustainability, the UAE has made significant strides—starting with its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, followed by the launch of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. The country has also developed green infrastructure to supply ships with low-sulphur fuel and natural gas, while national ports have invested in emission reduction projects.'Al Malek continued: 'In this context, the UAE has launched several pioneering initiatives that reflect its proactive vision and commitment to building a more resilient and sustainable maritime sector. Among the most notable is its joining of the Green Shipping Corridor initiative, launched by the United Kingdom during COP26, which aims to accelerate the transition to low-emission maritime transport.'The UAE also established the UAE Logistics Integration Council as a national platform to coordinate efforts, and ensure the continuity and efficiency of maritime supply noted that believing in the importance of innovation in service development, the country created the National Centre for Maritime Navigation and the Maritime Services Window to unify maritime operations and streamline procedures. The efforts strengthen the integration of the federal maritime system, and enhance the global competitiveness of the nation's terms of digital transformation, the UAE has launched a series of technological initiatives, including Blue Pass, a unified digital platform that connects ship operators, ports, and service providers. The country's ports have undergone a significant transformation through the automation of loading and unloading services, and the integration of digital systems across various modes of transport, which has helped accelerate operations and reduce the Zero Bureaucracy Programme has played a key role in reducing transaction processing times—from one working day to less than an hour—and cutting the number of required form fields from 55 to just 3 in some services. As a result, customer satisfaction has reached 95.5%.The achievements reflect the UAE's distinguished standing within the IMO, where it has ratified 35 international instruments and contributed to the development of standards for autonomous ships and the fight against fraudulent ship UAE currently operates 106 ports across 78 countries, with annual container throughput exceeding 21 million units and a maritime sector contribution of over Dh135 billion to the national maritime academies have graduated 497 officers and engineers, including 100 women, highlighting the nation's commitment to gender equality. The UAE was among the first to establish a maritime equality award, and has led the Arab Women in Maritime its leadership journey, the UAE will host the World Maritime Day Parallel Event in September 2025 under the theme: 'Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.' The event will feature pioneering initiatives to support the decarbonisation of maritime shipping, and promote innovation and sustainable technologies. This comprehensive ecosystem of projects reflects the UAE's commitment to a bold and sustainable maritime vision—driving the shift toward a green economy and smart ports, and reinforcing its status as a global maritime hub at the heart of international trade.
TECHx
a day ago
- TECHx
NETSCOUT Enhances DDoS Defense with AI-Powered Features
Home » Emerging technologies » Cyber Security » NETSCOUT Enhances DDoS Defense with AI-Powered Features NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) observability, AIOps, and cybersecurity solutions, has announced new AI-driven enhancements to its NETSCOUT Arbor Edge Defense and Arbor Enterprise Manager platforms. These updates aim to help customers automate operations, improve reporting, and strengthen defenses against evolving Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) threats. The enhancements leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate detection and response, offering stronger protection for critical applications and services. The solutions are powered by the ATLAS Intelligence Feed. This feed monitors over 700 Tbps of global internet traffic across more than 500 ISPs and 2,000 enterprise sites in over 100 countries. It provides real-time threat intelligence, enabling NETSCOUT products to mitigate up to 80% of DDoS attacks without the need for additional analysis. According to IDC, 41% of organizations report online attacks, including DDoS incidents, cost them over $100,000. About 5% have reported losses exceeding $1 million. The increasing use of AI/ML in launching attacks underscores the need for automated, intelligent defense systems. New capabilities include: Scoped user access for better data segmentation and team visibility. Automated IP protocol flooding detection and mitigation. Enhanced DDoS dashboards for improved operational insights. On-demand reporting for streamlined communication across security teams. Scott Iekel-Johnson, area vice president of DDoS and threat intelligence at NETSCOUT, said these innovations reflect the company's commitment to helping enterprises stay ahead of complex threats while simplifying management. The company reiterated its Adaptive DDoS Protection strategy as critical to tackling the growing scale and sophistication of cyberattacks.
