In a world-first end-to-end online election, the Oman government revealed its Shura election results to citizens in real-time using generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The Ministry of Interior partnered with UK-based generative AI startup Yepic AI to bring the election results to citizens in a more visual and engaging way. Yepic’s API enables the creation of videos at scale within minutes and in multiple languages, all made from a single photo. Its technology was used to create custom avatars reflective of the Omani community, who then delivered the election results in real-time to citizens over the course of the day.
The elections reporting process is an AI-driven workflow that starts with online voting verified by AI-powered facial recognition technology. The results were then compiled and announced via scripts created by a large language model (LLM) specifically developed for the elections by AiCubes and then read out by Yepic’s AI presenters. The hope is that by serving information to citizens in a more visual, personalised and engaging way, civic participation in the election process will increase.
On an hourly basis, 400 unique videos were generated, accessible via an app, and disseminated to each province. In total, Yepic AI produced more than 10,000 videos over throughout the day in six languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.
Aaron Jones, co-founder and CEO of Yepic AI, said: “Harnessing the power of generative AI to revolutionise the way election results are communicated is a momentous stride for Yepic AI and for Oman as a nation. We’re deeply honored to collaborate with the Oman government on this pioneering venture. Our mission at Yepic AI is to transform the way we communicate through video. To see our technology being harnessed in this way is a testament to the fact we’re realising it. We’re thrilled to be a part of this historical moment and look forward to continued collaboration with Oman as it looks to integrate AI into public services to enhance citizens’ lives.”
Ioannis Kazantzidis, co-founder and CTO of Yepic AI, added: “Our collaboration with the Oman government highlights the ocean of opportunities for real-time, personalised video content creation, ushering in a new era of innovation and engagement in the digital landscape. Real-time video generation integrated into workflows and at scale is the future of how we will interact with AI, and receive and deliver information. It has been great to work with Oman to be at the forefront of this work.”
Following the Oman government’s Vision 2040, a strategy that prioritizes a diversified, dynamic and globalized economy, Yepic will continue to collaborate with Oman to enhance AI-driven digital experiences for its citizens.
Jim Cornall is editor of Deeptech Digest and publisher at Ayr Coastal Media. He is an award-winning writer, editor, photographer, broadcaster, designer and author. Contact Jim here.