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Putin Extends One-Man Rule in Russia After Stage-Managed Election Devoid of Credible Opposition; CDC Urges Vaccination Amid Rise in Measles Cases in the U.S. and Globally; Are "Digital Humans" the Wave of the Future With AI? Aired 4-4:10a ET

Aired March 20, 2024 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What`s up, sunshine? It`s time to shine. I`m Coy Wire. This is CNN 10, and it`s your CNN 10, especially on a

#YourWordWednesday. Remember to keep an ear out to see if your vocab word made it into today`s show.

We begin in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin will continue his reign over the country after easily winning Russia`s election this past weekend.

According to the Central Election Commission, Putin received about 87% of the vote, but U.S. and European countries are dismissing these results

because serious opposition candidates were banned, exiled, or even jailed.

Since 1999, Putin has served as either Russia`s president or its prime minister, and will now continue to rule the nation until at least the year

2030.

Let`s turn now to our Senior International Correspondent, Frederik Pleitgen, who has more on Putin`s dominant victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A landslide victory for Vladimir Putin that was never in doubt, securing the Russian

president a fifth term in office and solidifying his grip on power with a record 87% of the vote.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There are a lot of tasks ahead of us, but when we are consolidated, and I think now it is

understood to everyone, no matter how hard anyone tries to frighten us, whoever tries to suppress us, our will, our consciousness, no one has ever

managed to have done such a thing in history.

PLEITGEN: Both the U.S. and European countries are condemning the election. Any serious opposition candidates were banned in advance, and dissent

effectively outlawed. And yet, a surprising show of defiance, with protesters targeting dozens of polling stations across the country, setting

fire to ballot boxes, pouring dye into others.

While in Berlin, Germany, thousands turned up at the Russian embassy following calls from the opposition to swarm polling stations, including

Yuliya Navalnaya, widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly in an Arctic Penal Colony last month.

Navalnaya said she wrote her husband`s name on the election ballot and has vowed to continue his work.

And in his post-election address, Putin uttered Navalny`s name for the first time, claiming he would have agreed to release him in a prisoner

swap.

Backlash not just from the U.S. and its allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the election as, quote, "a sham."

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): These days, the Russian dictator is simulating another election. There is no evil he

will not commit to prolong his personal power. And there is no one in the world who is safe from this.

PLEITGEN: Russia`s ally China, though, was quick to congratulate Putin`s reelection, saying it, quote, "fully reflects the support of the Russian

people."

With no one standing in his way, Putin is now on course to rule for as long as Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Next up, health news. Measles, the incredibly contagious disease, is on the rise in the U.S. Measles can lead to very serious complications like

pneumonia or swelling in the brain. The good news is that the measles vaccine is considered one of the most protective. But in other news,

vaccination rates in the U.S. have been declining.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, issued a health alert about the increased risk and how best to protect

yourself. CNN`s Meg Tirrell explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There have been measles cases in 17 states in the United States so far this year, Illinois being one of those.

Measles is an incredibly contagious virus if people haven`t been vaccinated. It`s an airborne virus and it can linger in the air for two

hours after somebody infected has left the room.

And it`s so contagious that if people aren`t vaccinated, nine out of 10 susceptible people will get infected with the virus if they are exposed.

Vaccination works incredibly well, 93% effectiveness with one dose of the vaccine, 97% with two doses of the vaccine.

Unfortunately, the vaccination rate in the United States among kindergartners has been going down over the past few years. So health

officials are worried that more people are susceptible to measles and are emphasizing that vaccination is the safest and best way to be protected

from this virus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Pop quiz, hot shot. In which decade was the term artificial intelligence used for the first time?

The 1950s, the 60s, the 70s or the 80s?

If you said 1950s, ding, ding, ding. Dartmouth Professor John McCarthy is credited with coining the term with three other researchers at a summer

workshop in 1956.

Some 68 years after the term "artificial intelligence" was not much more than a vague concept, AI, as we know, is popping up in our daily lives,

everything from schools to the workplace, to the freaking, freaking, freaking -- to the club. That`s right, virtual DJs.

And CNN spent the day with a British startup that makes what they call AI integrated digital humans, including a DJ that performs at shows around the

world. And we wanted to show you all this new idea because we want to hear from you.

Let us know what you think. Are these advancements a good thing, simply fun and harmless? Or as some believe, are they hurting us in the long run and

taking away jobs from real life humans?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Combining 3D technology from the world of gaming with voice cloning and motion capture, Liverpool-based startup Sum Vivas are now

creating digital human avatars integrated with artificial intelligence.

DEX, DJ AND INFLUENCER, SUM VIVAS: Hi. Hello, everyone. I am Dex, the UK`s first AI integrated digital human.

DENISE HARRIS, CO-FOUNDER AND CCO, SUM VIVAS: In the performance space, it`s game changing. The DJ that I manage, Dex, last -- in the last two

weeks has performed in New York, Paris and Milan. We`re creating new music. So we`re actually working with record labels. We are working with promoters

on shows. We`re working with brands now to do influencer type brand collaborations.

ROB SIMS, CO-FOUNDER AND CCO, SUM VIVAS: Utilizing digital humans integrated with AI helps to bridge the gap between technology and people.

They`re available 24-7, 365. They don`t take holidays. They have the ability to be multilingual and they learn and remember every conversation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But should we be worried about AI`s integration into the world of work?

JENNIFER DING, SENIOR RESEARCHER, THE ALAN TURING INSTITUTE: We do see the dreams that have taken over the headlines the past year. The generative

AIs, the chatbots, the LLMs, all kinds of applications are emerging. But alongside, I think there is this fear of skills replacement. So when we

rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?

SIMS: AI is absolutely not scary. It is part of our future. We`re moving to a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of

the team with added benefits for that team and obviously the customers they serve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10. Did you know that today is the International Day of Happiness? Back in 2012, the U.N. General Assembly

marked this day to recognize the importance of happiness and well-being.

Meditation can be a key to being happy. According to the Center for Healthy Minds, a study showed that two weeks of daily meditation for 30 minutes a

day can help bring more positivity to the brain.

Now, maybe this sounds impossible to you, but Dan Harris, who`s the author of the book, "10% Happier," explains why anyone can embrace meditation,

even if their mind at times seems like a cacophony of thoughts and sounds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN HARRIS, AUTHOR AND HOST OF THE "TEN PERCENT HAPPIER" PODCAST: The whole goal of meditation is just to pick one thing to focus on. Usually it`s the

feeling of your breath coming in and going out. And then every time you get distracted, which will happen a million times, you just start again and

again and again.

And this noticing the distraction and starting again, this is like a bicep curl for your brain. And it`s what shows up on the brain scans of people

who meditate.

And so getting distracted is not proof that you`re failing. It`s proof that you`re doing it correctly. Why? Because the whole goal of this practice is

to get more familiar with the wildness of your mind so that it doesn`t own you as much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: What`s that? Oh, yeah. Congrats to Mrs. Miller`s World History class at St. John`s School in Ashtabula, Ohio, for their #YourWordWednesday

winner. Cacophony, a harsh mixture of sounds. Thanks for making us smarter today.

Now to the best part of our show. Shout out time. We`re showing some love to Mrs. Kerry Sloan`s classes at Oakley Middle School in Oakley, Kansas.

Rise up.

And this shout out goes to Comstock High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Go Colts.

That`s all we have time for today. I`ll see you right back here tomorrow, lovely people. I`m Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.

END