Dubai: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson engaged in a groundbreaking two-way conversation with an AI-driven avatar of Winston Churchill during the Future of Government Communication Forum at the 2025 World Governments Summit in Dubai. The summit took place from February 11 to 13, 2025.
According to Emirates News Agency, the conversation was recorded at the ‘Creator’s HQ’ during the forum, which was organized by the UAE Government Media Office. This event was part of the World Governments Summit 2025, hosted by Dubai, in collaboration with the Emirati company AI Media Lab, a subsidiary of Visioneers specializing in artificial intelligence solutions for media and other key sectors.
The interaction was made possible through a proprietary Large Language Model, trained on Churchill’s collected works, speeches, and biographies, including Boris Johnson’s own biography of Churchill. Johnson remarked on the uncanny realism of the conversation, expressing his amazement at the AI’s fidelity in replicating Churchill’s persona and its potential educational applications.
This demonstration marked the first live presentation of a fully interactive meta-human avatar driven by a Large Language Model. The technology utilized speech-to-text and text-to-speech processes to create a ‘Video call with the past’, featuring a meta-human avatar of Churchill with a synthesised voice derived from his public speeches.
The event highlights the potential for developing interactive capabilities in artificial intelligence, paving the way for new educational tools and historical appreciation. The World Governments Summit, now in its twelfth year, is recognized as a leading forum for governments worldwide. The 2025 summit included 21 forums addressing themes such as health transformation, governance, and crisis mitigation.