A New Zealand tech company has come up with a new way to convince people to stop smoking, and it has the name Florence.
Florence is the creation of Kiwi tech company 'Soul Machines', who say artificial intelligence (AI) technology could go a long way in solving a problem that kills 8 million people worldwide each year - and she has an important message for smokers across the world.
Built in Auckland, she not only busts myths about smoking but also offers tips and tricks to quit.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is using her in its campaign to help people ditch tobacco.
It says it's more important now than ever, given the serious health impacts COVID-19 can have on smokers.
Erica Lloyd from Soul Machines says Florence will ask how she can help you - and if you say you want to quit, she'll give you some guidance.
The idea is that anyone can log onto the WHO website and ask Florence to help you quit smoking.
It's estimated 1.3 billion people across the globe use cigarettes - and in New Zealand, 500,000 Kiwis still smoke.
But despite new tools like Florence, not everyone is convinced AI is the answer. Dr Robert Beaglehole is one of them.
"It's very formulaic, it's very static and it's not using the best evidence. WHO, for instance, doesn't promote vaping."
Florence's development is still on-going and while Newshub used her, she did glitch. But her creators say she will make a difference
"It's 100 percent the future," says Lloyd. "We believe the way humans interact with machines now is asymmetrical."
