How have AI anchors changed the TV news industry

AI anchors are already being experimented with and used in the TV news industry. However, their impact is not very widespread or transformative as of now. Here are some of the potential changes that AI anchors can have on the TV news industry going forward:

Cost Efficiency – Unlike human anchors, AI anchors do not need salaries or benefits. They are indefatigable. They can anchor the news round the clock without rest.

24/7 News Coverage – To expand the last point, AI anchors could bring news to the audience 24/7, ensuring that the audience can access the latest news at any given time of the day or night.

Multilingual capabilities – AI anchors can be deployed to deliver the news in different languages without the need to recruit human anchors who are proficient in different languages. This multilingual capability will ensure that the news can reach a diverse and geographically disparate audience.

Reducing Human Errors – Human errors and mispronunciation can be eliminated by deploying AI anchors.

Fast Creation of Content – AI anchors can work on the production of the news as well. They can generate news reports by processing inputs like press releases, research findings, raw data and other sources. News channels will be in the position to break stories faster by deploying AI anchors.

Personalised news – AI anchors can be integrated with the systems of news delivery and the browsing choices of viewers to create personalised news content. This will be based on the interests and preferences of individual viewers and will create a more customised and engaging news experience.

Visual engagement – The AI anchors can be developed to possess realistic appearances and gestures. This will make the presentation of the news more visually appealing and engaging.

The challenged and concerns that AI anchors might face would stem from the following factors:

Lack of Human Emotion – There might be a fine line between the best visual expressions that AI anchors can deliver and the natural human emotions and expressions that human anchors can deliver. The lack of an adequate human touch may hamper the connection of the anchor – and thereby the news channel – with the audience.

Limited adaptability – AI anchors might find it challenging to handle unexpected situations or breaking news that require quick improvisation and emotional responses.

Limited efficacy in anchoring debates on national issues – A large part of the job of human TV anchors is to anchor panel discussions and debates. Related to the last point, AI news anchors may not be able to comprehend the nuances of a freely flowing debate or discussion and guide it towards some sort of denouement in the given amount of time.

Public Acceptance – Some viewers may have reservations about accepting AI anchors as credible and objective sources of news. Concerns can be raised by the audience as well as by regulatory agencies and industry watchdogs about the authenticity and trustworthiness of the news delivered by AI anchors.

Ethical Concerns – People can raise questions about journalistic integrity, ethics, the role of human journalists as well as any potential bias in the AI algorithms that are being used. Some rights activists had alleged that leading social media algorithms were also biased in favour of the powers that be and discriminated against opposition forces and the forces of change in society and politics.

Technical Limitations – AI anchors may continue to face limitations in terms of natural language processing, understanding issues in their socio political and economic context and realistic facial expressions.

In conclusion, AI technology is a work in progress. The extent of the impact of AI anchors on the TV news industry will depend on these advancements in technology, the acceptance by the viewers and the stance taken by governments and other regulatory agencies.