New Los Angeles-based station Channel 1 is set to launch AI-generated anchors at the beginning of next year with the ultimate goal of providing every viewer with a personalized broadcast.
To demonstrate the potential of virtual reporters, Channel 1 posted a demo episode on X and their official website.
See the highest quality AI footage in the world.
🤯 – Our generated anchors deliver stories that are informative, heartfelt and entertaining.
Watch the showcase episode of our upcoming news network now. pic.twitter.com/61TaG6Kix3
— Channel 1 (@channel1_ai) December 12, 2023
The video features lifelike avatars that look much like real human anchors on the news. The content includes a mix of real and generated clips aligned with the anchor’s narration.
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Channel 1 founder Adam Mosam told the U.K. Daily Mail that this is his chance to “get out in front of” the wave of artificial intelligence innovation and “create a responsible use of the technology.”
According to Daily Mail, the news has deeply alarmed journalists across the United States, who warned it could potentially result in devastating consequences for an already depleted news industry.
The Channel 1 debut, implementing artificial intelligence in the news, will happen amid the election year and follows a report by The Hill on the unprecedented media personnel cuts in 2023.
So far this year, 2,681 jobs have been cut across broadcast, digital, and print platforms. This surpasses the 1,808 cuts reported in 2022 and the 1,511 cuts in the preceding year.
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With the implementation of new technologies such as AI-generated news anchors, the public envisions a dystopian future dominated by the proliferation of “fake news” and fueled by the algorithmic generation of content, the Daily Mail reported.
Kristen Ruby, CEO of Ruby Media Group, expressed on X: “If you believe in the concept of ‘fake news,’ you have seen nothing. At least your news is presented by humans. When AI news anchors replace human news anchors — the concept of fake news will have a totally different meaning.”
If you believe in the concept of “fake news,” you have seen nothing.
At least your news is presented by humans.
When AI news anchors replace human news anchors – the concept of fake news will have a totally different meaning.
— Kristen Ruby (@sparklingruby) December 9, 2023
Apart from using AI to replace human anchors, some are concerned over how the content will be curated to the audience. According to Mosam, AI will generate and display stories designed for each individual, the Daily Mail reported.
“The average person watches 25 minutes of news a night on cable, so that might be 9 or 10 stories,” Mosam said. “If we can generate 500 stories and choose the right 9 or 10 for you, then we’re going to do a better job of informing you, showing you what you’re looking for in your allotted time.”
He continued by saying that the algorithm would adapt over time to learn a “viewer’s preferences and habits.”
In an interview with Deadline, Mosam stated that Channel 1 is committed to transparency, ensuring that the audience is fully aware of any AI modifications during the production
There will be an icon in the corner of the screen that indicates instances of AI modification, including the use of translation algorithms on real people, according to the outlet.
Mosam emphasized that humans would play a pivotal role in every aspect of the editorial process.
“We do have people in the loop. They just end up being more efficient,” he said, according to Fox Business.
According to Tomsguide, Channel 1 producer Scott Zabielski clarified in the interview that the goal is to replace anchors who merely read from teleprompters, not the journalists involved in researching and writing stories.
Channel 1’s upcoming launch is also making headlines alongside the recent termination of Sports Illustrated’s executive team, according to Business Wire.
The Arena Group, which runs Sports Illustrated, fired four top executives in less than a week for having AI write stories under fake journalist bylines and headshots.
