Isaac Herzog shocked hi-tech professionals at a cybersecurity convention in Tel Aviv when he revealed that the opening part of his speech was written by artificial intelligence software
February 2, 2023 16:35
By Tash Mosheim
Israeli president Isaac Herzog has become gwat the first world leader to deliver a speech written by Artificial Intelligence.
During a cybersecurity convention in Tel Aviv, Isaac Herzog, President since July 2021, revealed that the opening part of his speech was written by artificial intelligence software.
In a recorded video greeting for Cybertech Global Tel Aviv 2023, Herzog said: "I am truly proud to be the President of a country that is home to such a vibrant and innovative hi-tech industry. Over the past few decades, Israel has consistently been at the forefront of technological advancement, and our achievements in the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and big data are truly impressive.
"From the development of cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies to the establishment of successful startups, Israeli hi-tech companies have made a significant impact on the global stage."
The President then disclosed to a stunned audience of hi-tech entrepreneurs that the opening section was written by a "special helper": OpenAI's ChatGPT artificial intelligence bot.
Israel has a growing reputation as a cybersecurity and hi-tech power, and the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv is known as a global tech hub producing a disproportionate number of start-ups and unicorns—so it's no surprise that Israel's president is the first world leader, as far as can be established, to admit to using artificial intelligence to help write a speech.
Herzog's speech was recorded two days before U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Democratic Congressman read a two-paragraph speech generated by the ChatGPT AI bot on the floor of the House of Representatives—a first for the U.S. Congress.
The rapid introduction of artificial intelligence has reignited concerns worldwide about robots taking people's jobs, but President Herzog, emphasised that artificial intelligence will not replace human beings any time soon.
"Lines of code will never replace sequences of DNA; hardware and software can never replace human-ware," Herzog said, urging the estimated 20,000 attendees at the cyber conference that the "ultimate challenge" was to "set our sights on the horizon, but on our fellow humans as well."
President Herzog ended his speech by declaring he had asked the ChatGPT bot to come up with its own inspirational quote, which the Office of the President of Israel confirmed was generated with a prompt to write an "inspirational quote about the role of humanity in a world of superhuman technology."
"Let us not forget that our humanity is what makes us truly special," President Herzog told the cyber tech event. "It is not the machines that will shape our destiny, but rather our hearts, minds, and determination to create a brighter tomorrow for all of humanity."