The House of Commons has started trials of a system which the Speaker, John Bercow, believes will help him more easily resolve claims of MPs silently mouthing insults across the chamber.
VAS (Video Assistant Speaker) will provide him with instant, slow motion TV replay from any of the eight remotely-controlled cameras.
The procedure will be that when a member cries ‘I spy lips’, the Speaker will yell ‘VAS!’ and debating must cease immediately while he reviews the footage. If he decides that an insult had been mouthed he will show a yellow card to the guilty party and demand an immediate apology.
Behind VAS lies a powerful AI system, programmed with the lip shapes of over 60,000 English words and phrases.
Spoofflé’s Technology Correspondent Crispin Grundwald was given exclusive access during commissioning last week and was able to test the system for himself. He concluded that it was ‘absolutely brilliant’ and that it promised to bring a ‘new level of honesty’ to the chamber.’