The boy named "Shibuya Mirai" does not exist physically, but he can have text conversations with humans on the widely used LINE messaging app. Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, an area popular with fashion-conscious young people, has given the character his own special residence certificate. This makes him Japan's first, and maybe the world's first, artificial intelligence bot to be granted a place on a real-life local registry. Shibuya said the project aimed to make the district's local government more familiar to residents and allow officials to hear their opinions. Please talk to him about anything," the ward said in a statement with Microsoft, the joint developer of the AI character.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 04, 2017 06:33 UTC