Who said robots and artificial intelligence (AI) would steal jobs from hard-working humans?
Quite a few people actually, and they weren’t wrong.
A new AI bot has taken over the desk at China’s state-run Xinhua news network, with footage circulating of a nameless robotic anchor introducing itself and touting its ability to “work tirelessly” for its viewers.
Copying human voices and facial expressions, the bot began its bulletin with: “Hello everyone I’m an English artificial intelligence anchor this is my first day in Xinhua News Agency.
“My voice and appearance are modelled on Zhang Zhao, a real anchor with Xinhua,” it adds.
Speaking about how it came to be, the bot said: “The development of the media industry calls for continuous innovation and deep integration with the international advanced technologies.”
It added: “I will work tirelessly to keep you informed as texts will be typed into my system uninterrupted”.
“I look forward to bringing you the brand new news experiences.”
The Xinhua News Agency has said the bot will “[learn] from live broadcasting videos” on its own.
The agency added that the bot “can read texts as naturally as a professional newsreader”.
The bot was created in partnership with Chinese search engine company Sogou.
Check out the footage below:
