China's AI News Anchor Equipped With Skills of Thousands of Presenters, Only Answers Preset Queries With Propaganda-driven Replies

China's state-controlled newspaper has now recruited its newest broadcast journalist, who is AI-powered.

China's AI News Anchor Offers Propaganda-driven Replies

The Daily Mail reports that this AI news anchor has been named Ren Xiaorong. The virtual young woman believes that she is capable of catering to various questions and relaying broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

However, there seems to be a catch with the AI news anchor. The virtual young woman can only answer preset queries. Moreover, the AI's replies gravely endorse the line and ideologies of the Central Committee of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

The virtual young woman was developed by People's Daily, the official news outlet of the CCP, and was equipped with the skills of thousands of presenters.

Business Insider reports that, so far, the AI news anchor does not rival ChatGPT. Business Insider noticed that the virtual young woman's function is to offer previously programmed responses to queries pertaining to the "Two Sessions" political conference of China.

According to the Sun, creators of the AI news anchor claim that the virtual young woman is there to answer queries about health, education, employment, housing, and environmental protection. However, this is something that the AI news anchor falls short of.

Users of the AI can choose from four preset queries relating to the Two Sessions. The virtual young woman will then offer a generic answer that aligns with the ideologies of the CCP. One may explore various questions but cannot construct and send their own messages to the AI news anchor.

Sun reports that, through these virtual Q&A sessions, the virtual young woman answers queries pertaining to government protocols while educating its users about propaganda. While the AI news anchor lacks elements of interactivity, the bot reflects the country's intentions to advance virtual idol usage.

The virtual young woman was first unveiled through Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, in a video. Ren was dressed in a black blazer and had an overlooking view at the background.

Other AI News Anchors

While this virtual young woman may come as a surprise and shock to many, it is actually not the first AI presenter in China. These AI news anchors have been showing up on TV and online since 2018.

Another AI news anchor from China, Xin Xiaomeng, also hit the screens in 2019.

Artificial Intelligence Endeavors

As per Business Insider, China is now working on answering ChatGPT, the AI bot that has been disrupting various industries.

Baidu, which is one of the most-used search engines in China, mentioned that it has come up with its own AI bot, dubbed Ernie. As per Reuters, though promises indicated that Ernie is a close rival, the presentation of Baidu only relayed pre-recorded features of Ernie. The lacking presentation also led Baidu's shares to plummet.

Check out more news and information on Artificial Intelligence in Science Times.