A Polish radio station has caused widespread controversy to replace human journalists with artificial intelligence. This move is the first time Poland has tried to use virtual anchors to broadcast news, raising public concerns about whether AI will replace more media workers, and has also sparked ethical and employment discussions. AI anchors focus on cultural, artistic and social issues, especially LGBTQ+ related topics, but the open letter from former reporters and petitions from more than 15,000 people expressed concerns about AI replacing human work, believing that this move may lead to a lot of experience. Media practitioners are unemployed. The incident also prompted the Polish Minister of Digital Affairs to call for legislation to regulate the application of artificial intelligence in the media.
Recently, OFF Radio Krakow, a radio station in Krakow, Poland, shook people's eyes and actually cut off human journalists and changed to "anchor" generated by using artificial intelligence.
This decision quickly sparked heated discussion and dissatisfaction among the public, and many people began to worry whether artificial intelligence will replace more media workers?
The radio said it was the first time Poland has tried to have virtual characters in the news broadcast. Their three AI anchors focus on cultural, artistic and social issues, especially related issues for the LGBTQ+ group. "We hope to explore the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in the media and in the news," said radio director Marcin Plitt.
However, this change is not acceptable to everyone. Former radio reporter and film critic Matt Ush Demsky strongly objected to this. He sent an open letter on social media expressing concerns about “replacing human journalists with AI”, believing it is a dangerous precedent that could lead to the unemployment of many experienced media practitioners. Demsky's voice resonated widely, and in just a few days, more than 15,000 people signed his petition to express their support.
Demsky was shocked by the layoffs, who had worked on radio and recorded many stories about Ukrainian refugees during his time. He mentioned that such a decision is difficult to understand as a public radio station supported by taxpayers. In response, Pritt responded that the layoffs were not because of the introduction of AI, but because the radio's listening rate was almost zero.
Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs Krzishtov Gowokov also expressed his views on the incident, and he believed legislation needed to regulate the use of artificial intelligence. He said on social media that despite supporting the development of AI, the application of this technology should be to serve humans, not to replace them.
In the premiere of the new show, the radio also played an "interview" conducted by an AI anchor, and the interviewee was the late Nobel Prize winner Viswava Simborska. Mihau Russinek, the manager of Simbolska's estate, expressed support for this, believing Simbolska would appreciate the way of humor.
Key points:
Polish radio stations have used AI anchors to replace journalists and try to attract young listeners.
Former journalists initiated a petition against replacing human work with AI.
The Minister of Digital Affairs called for legislation to regulate the application of artificial intelligence in the media.
In short, the incident of Polish radio using AI anchors has triggered profound discussions on technological progress, employment and ethics, and also highlighted the need to regulate and supervise the development of artificial intelligence technology. This incident will continue to affect the media industry and the wider range of artificial intelligence applications.