During the annual traditional press conference and question period with President Vladimir Putin, many critical messages were shown on Russian state television. Striking, since the media in Russia is under strict control by the Kremlin. Putin was also briefly in conversation with a doppelgänger, made with AI.
Russian President Putin spoke for just over four hours on Thursday. He gave his annual traditional press conference and answered questions from citizens. And that barrage of questions – almost two million were submitted – also included several critical submissions. Striking because the Russian media is strictly controlled by the Kremlin and mainstream TV normally does not carry any news that could portray the Russian president in a negative light.
For example, the message “Don’t run for another term – let the young people try” was displayed. Referring to the fact that Putin is running again for the 2024 presidential elections. Someone also asked: “When does the life of ordinary people become better not in words, but in deeds?” While others referred even more explicitly to the war in Ukraine. “A bad peace is better than a good quarrel. We have to go this way. Human lives are an unacceptable price.”
Piece of theater
“Why do civilian volunteers usually take care of the soldiers in the special military operation? Isn’t the Ministry of Defense capable of doing that?” or “When will the special military operation end?” were questions asked. Such questions were of course not asked directly to Putin himself, but they were nevertheless broadcast live on television.
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The room also included pre-selected journalists from all over the world. — © EPA-EFE
Mark Galeotti, professor at University College London and author of several books on Russian history, notes on X (formerly Twitter) that too many such critical questions were shown for it to be a mistake. “Presumably it’s to make the event seem more genuine and not the self-serving, state-directed piece of (bad) theater that it actually is?” he wrote.
(Read more under the X-post)
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Doppelgänger
Another striking moment during the TV event was when the Russian president was confronted with himself at one point. A citizen was allowed to ask a question via video connection, but suddenly Putin could be seen again on the other end of the line. The ‘double’ was created using artificial intelligence (AI) and took the opportunity to ask the president a question about the technology. “Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello, I am a student at Saint Petersburg State University. I want to ask if it is true that you have many lookalikes?” the man asked, causing the crowd in the Moscow audience to laugh. There has been regular speculation in the past that Putin has several lookalikes to replace him at events due to alleged health problems.
“And also,” the student asked. “How do you view the dangers that artificial intelligence and neural networks bring to our lives?” Putin hesitated briefly, then said: “I see that you look like me and speak with my voice. But I thought about it and decided that only one person should look like me and speak with my voice, and that will be me,” he said. “By the way, this is my first doppelgänger.”
“I have decided that only one person should look like me and speak with my voice, and that will be me. By the way, this is my first doppelgänger”
Vladimir Putin
Against AI doppelgänger
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