The minister said the latest member of his entourage – a mirror-like structure with beeping interface – marked “an international first”, describing Ion as “the first government adviser to use artificial intelligence”.

Ion uses "technology and artificial intelligence to capture opinions in society” using “data publicly available on social networks”, according to a government document detailing the project.

People in Romania will also be able to chat with Ion on the project’s website and we assume will tell the Prime Minister their views.

“I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better informed decisions,” Ciuca said.

Romania is one of the EU’s poorest nations but is the “Silicon Valley” of Eastern Europe with a flourishing start-up scene.