Meet Jimmy: The AI Buddy Making The Open Golf Tourney a Breeze!

This summer, visitors to the Open golf championship in Southport will be greeted by a new digital assistant named Jimmy. Jimmy is an AI-powered avatar who can speak 99 different languages, making him a helpful guide for people from all over the world. He will be stationed at the Southport train station, ready to provide information about transportation, local events, and attractions. If you prefer, you can also access Jimmy on your smartphone by scanning a QR code, so you can get help wherever you are in the city.

Jimmy was created by a Liverpool-based technology company called Sum Vivas. Rob Sims, the chief executive of Sum Vivas, said that Jimmy is a great example of how local innovation can improve tourism and make the region more welcoming for visitors. He believes that by using technology like Jimmy, Southport can become a more accessible and enjoyable place for everyone. Last year, the Open golf championship was held in Northern Ireland, where famous golfer Rory McIlroy played in front of a record crowd of 278,000 fans. This year, even more people are expected to attend the tournament at Royal Birkdale, which will take place from July 12 to July 19.

The development of Jimmy was supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Lorna Rogers, who is the director of transformation and digital at the organization, said that using responsible and human-centered AI like Jimmy sets a new standard for how regions can use technology to be more inclusive and responsive. She hopes that other cities will see the benefits of Jimmy and consider using similar technology to help their own visitors. The news team in Merseyside is always looking for interesting stories, so if you have an idea or something you want to share, you can contact them through their website or social media. There are also other stories about local life, like a Bengal cat who keeps watch at a train station and a chef who serves delicious Italian food in Liverpool.