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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent

I spoke to the AI avatar of a Leeds MP. How did it cope with my Yorkshire accent?

An avatar of Mark Sewards alongside a photograph of the MP
Mark Sewards has launched an AI version of himself to help constituents access information easily. Composite: UK Parliament

As anyone with even a trace of a regional dialect who has had to pay a parking fine can attest, voice recognition services struggle with accents. Now, people in Mark Sewards’ constituency in Leeds are likely to find the same problem with his AI variant.

A chatbot billed as the first AI version of an MP responds in Sewards’ voice with advice, support or by offering to pass on a message to his team – but only if it understands you.

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