AI in practice

NYC Mayor Eric Adams uses AI voice for multilingual robocalls

Matthias Bastian

DALL-E 3 prompted by THE DECODER

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is using an AI voice clone to send multilingual robocalls to city residents. The robocalls are designed to encourage people to apply for city jobs and attend community events. The move is part of the city's recent rollout of AI technology, including a new chatbot that can answer basic questions on the city's 311 hotline. The city is using Eleven Labs' Voice Lab program to clone the voice. The price tag is about $32,000, according to city officials, while the chatbot cost about $600,000 to develop. The use of AI has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, who argue that the technology could be used to spread misinformation.

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