Its not everyday that Google is late to a party. Interestingly, it is here in this case when last week The New York Times reported that Google is testing a product which uses artificial intelligence technology to produce news stories. Well! The Indian news channels are one step ahead of the tech giant, with their very own AI anchors. From Lisa on OTV to Sana on Aaj Tak, AI Kaur on News18 Punjab Haryana, and Soundrya on Power TV, a Kannada news channel, Hindi and regional news channels seems to have taken the entire concept of Artificial Intelligence much more seriously. “It is an attempt of the channel to take the space, try project one ahead of time, tech savy and one to be associated with. It is also associated with cutting-edge, fast, and updated brand associations the channels want. Of course it is marketing. The use of AI as in artificial intelligence is zero, it’s a Barbie doll fed with news that is crafted and written. Think why there is no AI male anchor! Do you think AI anchor has any freedom to pick news and visuals to use? Till then it’s just a marketing act to boost eyeballs.” Sanjeev kotnala, brand and marketing consultant, Intradia world told BrandWagon Online.
How it all began!
It all started this year when India Today group-owned Hindi news channel Aaj Tak introduced its AI-powered news anchor, Sana, during a special event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sana delivers news bulletins multiple times each day on Aaj Tak. “We see AI news anchors as a natural next step towards the newsroom transformation. It is not merely of novelty value but efficiency and creativity enhancer for our newsrooms”, the Official Spokesperson, India Today Group told BrandWagon Online.
Typically, an AI news anchor works via a text input much like a news script. Natural Language Processing (NLP) and deep learning capabilities then come into play to process the input and synthesise speech and expressions. Multiple technical, content and design inputs and capabilities then are put to use to create and curate a realistic, lifelike experience in real-time.
News18 Punjab Haryana too has its very own AI Kaur which was launched at its event in Chandigarh, last month. On July 13, another AI news presenter, Lisa debuted on Odisha Television Network, presenting bulletins in English and Odia. “Lisa is a virtual avatar that uses machine-learning algorithms to sort through vast amounts of data and present news simulating life-like representations of human news anchors. Large Language Model (LLM) along with voice recognition capabilities are some of the technologies that go into creating and enabling Lisa to deliver news and content with utmost precision,” Litisha Panda, head of business – digital, Odisha Television Network stated.
As per the NYT report, Google is testing a product that uses artificial intelligence technology to produce news stories, pitching it to news organisations including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal’s owner, News Corp. The news reports that the tool, known internally by the working title Genesis, is able to in information — details of current events, for example — and generate news content. Meanwhile, the India Today Group claims that its AI anchor Sana – the first collaborative generation AI anchor, was initiated well in advance of the launch of ChatGPT last year. “The current workflow for our AI anchors is fully intelligent and human-free for mundane and repeated tasks like delivering top headlines, weather updates, market updates and more, and she is also supported by a human-surrogate team for more in-depth, production-rich and ‘long shelf-life’ content,”India Today Group’s official spokesperson explained.
However, not everyone has warmed to the idea of AI robots taking over our lives, in some or other form. According to a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Global Advisor, Australians expressed the highest level of concern about AI among the 31 countries surveyed. The Global Views on AI 2023 survey disclosed that 69% of Australian participants admitted feeling anxious about the technology. But that hasn’t been a deterrent for news channels in India.
Reel versus Real: The Impact
While AI news anchors can work 24/7 in multiple languages, without fatigue, providing continuous coverage of breaking news and events worldwide, this certainly has raises several questions. This includes replacement of journalists, ethical considerations, human-AI collaborations besides audience acceptance, among others. Experts opine that audiences have the right to know if they are receiving news from an AI entity as opposed to a human. Newsrooms must prioritise transparency and disclose the use of AI technology in their presentations. “While Generative AI may be able to cull the news – without human intervention – a channel who puts out an AI anchor will still need to own and curate the content and be responsible for news it puts out. I don’t think an AI anchor will in any way absolve a channel of editorial responsibility,” Lloyd Mathias, business strategist and investor opined.
Moreover, industry experts believe that AI news anchors will never replace human journalists. This is further highlighted in the NYT report, which states that tech giant Google believes that its new AI tools could serve as a kind of personal assistant for journalists, automating some tasks to free up time for others, and that the company saw it as responsible technology that could help steer the publishing industry away from the pitfalls of generative AI. Hence, journalists can focus on complex, investigative reporting, and storytelling, while AI anchors handle the routine news delivery.“There is already a lot of debate about ensuring authenticity of output, plagiarism, ensuring stringent fact checking. As with any new technological tool a robust system of checks and balances will invariably come into place to ensure proper usage,”Aditya Tandon, vice president (Head) – Brand Marketing, News18, said
Foy naysayers AI despite an increase in the cost in short term, in the long run newsrooms see this as a value multiplier where all speed, quality and efficiency gains will significantly outweigh the initial hurdles. However, ethical reporting still remains an area of concern. “Ownership and ethics are real issues. One good way, currently, to solve it is to be openly and publicly transparent about the use of AI. We also need to review the process and outcome of using AI continually,” India Today spokesperson stated.
For the time being, it is safe to say that the success of AI news anchors largely depends on audience acceptance. While some viewers may embrace the convenience and consistency offered by AI, others may prefer the human touch and emotional connection provided by traditional anchors. “We are only just beginning to understand the boundaries of what can and cannot be done, and more importantly what should and should not be done. A great deal of experimentation is currently afoot – there is a huge opportunity to optimise all transactional processes across all business workflows thereby generating tremendous efficiencies,” Tandon from News18 added.
Future of AI news anchors
As AI continues to advance, it is essential for newsrooms to address ethical concerns and foster a collaborative environment between human journalists and bots counterpart. “With time, we can expect further improvements in AI’s ability to mimic human behaviour and that’ll augment news processes by bringing unmatched levels of efficiency, but human journalists or anchors are capable of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, critical thinking and empathy, and that unique human perspective or capability is something that AI can only serve to complement, and not entirely replace,” Panda said.
Ultimately, the successful integration of AI news anchors can revolutionise newsrooms, allowing them to provide accurate, up-to-date, and engaging news content to audiences worldwide. “AI will also reshape the business of news media, which includes revenue generation, audience management and personalisation,” India Today spokesperson concluded.