The Rise of AI News Presenters: What They Mean for the Future of Journalism?

The world of journalism is undergoing a radical transformation with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered news presenters are becoming a reality, offering round-the-clock news coverage with realistic speech and facial expressions. But who are these AI anchors and what do they mean for the future of news?

AI news presenters are computer-generated models that use natural language processing and deep learning to synthesise realistic speech and facial expressions. They can read any text input and deliver it in a natural and engaging way, with appropriate gestures, eye contact, and emotions. They can also adapt to different languages, accents, and styles.

Some of the advantages of AI news presenters are obvious: they don't need salaries, vacations, or sick leaves. They can work 24/7 and cover any topic without bias (that is, if they’re programmed that way) or fatigue. They can also be customized to suit different audiences and preferences.

The first AI news presenter was unveiled by China's state-run Xinhua media group in 2018. The presenter's voice and appearance were modeled on an actual presenter, and the AI presenter was called Qiu Hao. A few months later, the agency introduced a female news anchor named Xin Xiaomeng. Both of them claimed to provide objective and unbiased news coverage, as well as cater to the diverse linguistic and cultural needs of their audiences.

India's first AI Anchor Sana

However, China was not the only country to experiment with AI news presenters. In 2023, India's leading news group India Today launched its own AI anchor named Sana on Aaj Tak news channel. Sana was designed to be a "woman" who could deliver news 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Sana's creators claimed that she had the professional skills of a "thousand presenters" and could speak about any topic.

Fedha - AI News Anchor by Kuwait News

The most recent addition to the AI news presenter family is Fedha, who was revealed by Kuwait News, the Gulf region's first English-language daily, in April 2023. Fedha is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and has a Kuwaiti accent and facial features that represent the country's diverse population. Fedha's developers said that they wanted to create an AI presenter that could reflect Kuwait's culture and identity.

AI news presenters are undoubtedly impressive feats of technology, but they also raise some ethical and social questions. For instance, how can we ensure that AI news presenters are not used to spread misinformation or propaganda? How can we verify the sources and credibility of the information they provide? How can we protect the rights and dignity of human journalists who may be replaced by AI? How can we foster critical thinking and media literacy among the viewers who may not be able to distinguish between real and artificial news presenters?

These are some of the challenges that we need to address as we enter a new era of journalism powered by AI. AI news presenters may offer convenience and efficiency, but they also pose risks and responsibilities. As viewers, we need to be aware of these issues and demand transparency and accountability from the media outlets that use AI news presenters. As journalists, we need to uphold our professional standards and ethics and embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat. 

Even though this sounds exciting but AI news presenters are not real people, but simulations that cannot replace the human touch and emotion that make journalism meaningful.