Vladimir Putin was caught off guard during his year-end press conference today when he looked at the big screen expecting to see a Russian citizen making a phone call – and instead came face to face with a digital twin.
A student from St. Petersburg State University had constructed a 'deepfake' visual and audio likeness of the Russian president and took the opportunity to ask the real Putin to give his opinion on the dangers of AI.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello… I want to ask: is it true that you have many twins?” the doppelgänger asked, prompting laughter from the audience in the room with Putin in Moscow.
The question comes amid speculation in Western media, as well as from independent Russian sources, that the Kremlin chief may use body doubles.
'How do you view the dangers that artificial intelligence and neural networks bring into our lives?' the student added.
The question caused a rare hesitation from Putin, whose eyes visibly widened as he saw the digital body flash double on the screen.
“I see that you may look like me and speak with my voice. But I thought about it and decided that only one person should be like me and speak with my voice… and that will be me!' Putin replied, before adding, “By the way, this is my first doppelgänger,” perhaps conscious of dispelling rumors about doppelgängers.
The comment, delivered in a jovial tone with a grin, drew even more laughter from the audience.
A student from St. Petersburg State University constructed a 'deepfake' visual and audio likeness of the Russian president and took the opportunity to ask the real Putin to give his opinion on the dangers of AI
Putin was wide-eyed when he met his digital likeness
“I see that you may look like me and speak with my voice. But I thought about it and decided that only one person should be like me and speak with my voice… and that will be me!' Putin replied
The question caused laughter among the audience in the room with Putin in Moscow
Putin's back-and-forth with his digital likeness stood out as a lighthearted moment amid what was otherwise a serious matter, in which he raised questions about the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, relations with the West and China , Russian economic policy and all those other things. way of domestic issues.
Putin, who has been in power for almost 24 years as president or prime minister and announced last week that he is running for re-election, was greeted with applause as he arrived at the hall in central Moscow.
This year, ordinary citizens had the chance to ask questions along with those of journalists, and Russian state media said at least two million questions had been submitted to Putin in advance.
Early in the proceedings, he declared that there would be no peace in Ukraine until the Kremlin achieves its goals, which remain unchanged after nearly two years of fighting, which have soared tensions between Moscow and the West.
He rejected the need for a second wave of mobilization of reservists to fight in Ukraine – a move that has been deeply unpopular.
He said there are about 617,000 Russian soldiers, including about 244,000 troops called up to fight alongside professional forces, and said about 500,000 volunteers would have signed contracts to fight for Russia by the end of the year.
“There will be peace if we achieve our goals,” Putin said, repeating a common Kremlin statement. “Victory will be ours.”
“1,500 men sign up every day – why do we need another round of mobilization?” he asked rhetorically.
He reiterated that Moscow's objectives in Ukraine – “de-Nazification, de-militarization and a neutral status” of Ukraine – remain unchanged. He had laid out these loosely defined objectives on the day he sent troops into his neighboring country in February 2022.
Putin has also demanded that Ukraine remain neutral and refrain from joining NATO. When asked a question about the West's support for Ukraine, Putin became visibly irritated.
“Speaking of normalizing relations… they (the West) have always pushed us back.
“We have done our best to build normal relations with Ukraine… we have always said that Russians and Ukrainians are one people and what we are seeing now is a tragedy, a war between brothers. The entire southeastern part of Ukraine has always been pro-Russia,” Putin declared.
“(The West) would not allow us to build normal relations with Ukraine,” he continued.
“We will not forget their efforts to sneak into our borders and bring Ukraine into NATO. They forced us.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he answers questions during his annual press conference
Relations between Russia and the US have sunk to a new low as the conflict continues and after Moscow arrested Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich during a reporting trip to Russia in March.
Shortly before Putin spoke, a Russian court ruled that 32-year-old Gershkovich should remain behind bars until at least January 30.
U.S. citizen Paul Whelan, a corporate security manager from Michigan, has also been jailed in Russia on espionage-related charges since his arrest in 2018.
“We are not refusing to give them back,” Putin told a New York Times journalist at the press conference, adding that he wanted to reach an agreement but “it is not easy.”
He declined to discuss details of any exchange but said Washington must “hear us” and make an offer that satisfies Russia.
On Israel and Palestine, Putin said no comparisons could be made with the situation in Ukraine and that he was determined to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
“Everything that is happening (in Gaza) is catastrophic. But that's not what's going on in Ukraine. The UN said today that the Gaza Strip is the largest children's cemetery in the world. This is objective.
“First, we must provide large-scale humanitarian support. They have asked us to provide more medical equipment and we will do so without any doubt,” he said, before adding that Russia had set up a field hospital near Rafah and was planning a second one, despite Israeli disapproval.
Speaking about Russian-Chinese ties, Putin praised the cooperation between him and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, stating that relations between the two countries were good. at an unprecedented high level.
He also spoke about the growth of the Russian economy despite Western sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) answers questions during his annual press conference with Russian federal, regional and foreign media at the Gostiny Dvor Forum Hall in Moscow, Russia, December 14, 2023
Putin's conference covers a wide range of topics, from conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza to the economy, Russian-Chinese relations, the freezing of ties between Russia and the West and domestic issues
Putin appeared calm and relaxed during the press conference, although he frequently cleared his throat and blamed the air conditioning.
His appearance is aimed primarily at a domestic audience and offers him an opportunity to appear personally committed to solving the problems of ordinary Russians and to strengthen his authority in the run-up to the March 17 elections.
Although the press conference was heavily choreographed, some questions – which Putin did not answer – seemed to slip through the net and appear on screens in the room.
'Mr. President, when will the real Russia be the same as the one on television?' said one text message, apparently referring to the Kremlin's control over the media, portraying Putin in a positive light, glossing over the country's problems and highlighting its achievements.
Another read: 'I would like to know: when will our president pay attention to his own country? We have no education, no health care. The abyss lies ahead.'
