AI at play: 'Bal Thackeray' addresses Shiv Sena (UBT) event; targets BJP, Shinde

The Shiv Sena UBT on Wednesday used Artificial Intelligence AI to recreate a voice resembling that of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray in an effort to shore up the partys prospects after the assembly polls debacle reported news agency PTIWhile the speech attacked the BJP and the present Shiv Sena under Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule called it a childish stunt reported PTIThe nearly 13minute speech with a booming voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray began with his trademark opening line Jamlelya majhya tamam Hindu bandhavanu baghinino ani matano greetings to my Hindu brothers sisters and mothers who have gathered hereIt was relayed at a Sena UBT gathering in Nashik in north MaharashtraThe speech tried to recreate according to the Sena UBT what Bal Thackeray would have said had he been aliveIt sounded more like Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackerays attacks on the BJP and Shindes party during the Lok Sabha and state assembly pollsThe AI speech also tried to capture the mannerisms and tone of Bal Thackeray who was a powerful orator reported PTIThis is the first time the Sena founders speech was used by his sons party to train guns on its opponents The party could use this strategy in future rallies as Uddhav Thackeray faces the most challenging phase of his political career so far reported PTIThe Sena UBT is also gearing up for the highstakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC elections which might be held this yearThe AI move comes when the Sena UBT is being mocked by its opponents with old videos of Bal Thackeray castigating the Congress reported PTISena UBT Congress and Sharad Pawarled NCP SP are constituents of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA which performed disastrously in last years assembly polls by bagging only 46 of the 288 seats Sena UBT got only 20 seats compared to the rival Shiv Senas 57State BJP chief Bawankule condemned AI play by Sena UBTIn a post on X Bawankule called it a childish stuntDisgrace When no one is listening to their voice only a group like UBT could resort to the childish act of making their points heard in the voice of revered Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray Bawankule saidHe listed a series of actions by Sena UBT that in his view ran counter to Bal Thackerays ideologyI am certain that today those who called Balasaheb Janab named gardens after Tipu Sultan embraced Rahul Gandhi who insults Veer V D Savarkar voted against the Waqf board sat beside those who opposed Ram Mandir supported Article 370 sympathisers extorted money through the likes of Waze made deals even in dead body bags committed scams during COVID and filled their coffers by looting Marathi households Balasaheb would have kicked them out Bawankule said in his postHe added The ideals Balasaheb spent his life fighting for at the very least do not use his voice against those ideals You have betrayed his thoughts At least do not misuse his voice after his deathWith inputs from PTIatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params