The DMK cadres who attended the party’s diamond jubilee function at Chennai on Tuesday (September 17) were in for a visual treat when augmented reality and artificial intelligence brought back late DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi to life on stage.

The one-minute augmented reality video that was displayed on screen to the audience showed Karunandhi seated next to DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in a big chair in the front row.

Cadres and functionaries cheered when they heard the late leader’s AI-generated voice greet them saying, “En uyirinum melaena anbu udanpirappugale.. (Dear brethren who are valued above my life..).

In the video, the former Chief Minister was heard praising Mr. Stalin for running the party successfully.

He addressed: “I am proud of Stalin who made the party come to power by following the ideology of ‘Periyar’, the path laid down by Anna and the feeling of Tamil pride nurtured by me. The word Stalin is synonymous with hard work. He is involved in the party work for 55 years. He shines as India’s role-model Chief Minister. He leads the party well, adopting the principles of secularism, brotherhood, social justice. I wish and appreciate him for upholding the Dravidian values of self-respect, language and ethnic honour.”