The unstoppable expansion of Artificial Intelligence is leaving its mark on multiple facets of our daily lives, and Asia stands as the vanguard in the media integration of these technologies.
In this emerging trend, four figures that challenge the limits of television presentation stand out: Sana, Lisa, Aparajita and Fatma. These virtual presenters, with the appearance of women and able to express themselves in multiple languages on a wide range of topics, are revolutionizing the news in South Asian nations such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
This phenomenon is a glimpse of the future of television and raises questions about the intersection between technology and creativity.
At the heart of this innovation is India Today, a medium that last March presented Sana, the new face of the Aaj Tak channel. Kalli Purie, vice president of the organization, defines Sana as "brilliant, beautiful, forever young, tireless, she speaks several languages and is completely under my control." The incorporation of virtual presenters like Sana and her counterparts responds to the intrinsic advantage of AI: its immune resistance to fatigue and the need for sleep, which makes them ideal for repetitive and high-demand tasks.
This inspiring model was followed by Odisha TV, a regional news channel, which introduced Lisa four months later. Both are chatbots, AIs that can hold human conversations. Lisa and Sana were fashioned after the prevailing Indian beauty stereotypes: thin and fair skin.
Aparajita, meanwhile, represents the new face of news in Bangladesh. Young, polyglot and tireless, Aparajita embodies the desire for technological adaptation at Channel 24, according to its executive director, Talat Mamun. This approach arises as a response to a changing technological landscape in the transmission of news.
On the other hand, Pakistan also makes its foray into the AI realm with Fatma, the host of the GNN channel. However, the scope of this innovation transcends the simple presentation of news. Discover Pakistan channel launched "AI Talk", the first talk show featuring AI-generated characters. In the inaugural edition, Kaiser Rafiq, director of the channel, interacted with a virtual presenter who was an AI recreation of himself.
This phenomenon is not unique to South Asia. Countries like Kuwait, Russia, Honduras, South Korea, and China have already given way to artificial presenters on their screens. The precursor of this trend was Zhang Zao, a Chinese software presented in 2018 by the Xinhua information agency, owned by the Chinese government. Zhang Zao is based on the combination of AI and machine learning, an essential formula for this new technological era.
However, the adoption of virtual presenters also raises concerns, especially regarding the loss of human employment. Fears about the replaceability of jobs by these technologies are notable.
Despite this, experts agree that creative works will resist full automation. According to India Today's Kalli Purie, "Sana doesn't replace the brilliance of royal presenters, but rather is complemented by her guidance and supervision. She will have a human co-editor and hopefully companionship."
This transformation is not new in the history of technology. As in the past with other tools, technological evolution is a determining factor in multiple fields, including television.
According to Rejwanul Haq, vice president of the Bangladesh Press Club, "News presentation or reporting is creative work that cannot be done by something artificial." Despite advances in AI, creativity and human depth remain intrinsic qualities of the journalistic profession.
Thus, the presenters created with AI are a reflection of the convergence between technology and communication. Although these virtual presenters mark a milestone in media evolution, human labor and creativity remain irreplaceable pillars in the field of journalism and television.
