The Chinese state media People’s Daily showcased an AI-powered news anchor named Ren Xiaorong, a female humanoid which answered questions about topics covered during China’s Two Sessions*, from education to epidemic prevention, environmental protection, and more.
The internauts’ feedback was a mix of pros and cons:
“If it wasn’t for the synthetic dubbing, you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a virtual person at first glance.”
“I’ve never really understood this, is there a shortage of broadcasting talent, or are AI anchors better at it? Why would you use a robot to broadcast the news? Are you spending so much money on an AI presenter just to show technological progress?”
Source: DAO
* The Two Sessions (Chinese: 两会) is the collective term for the annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress (the national legislature) and of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (the national political advisory body), which are both held every spring at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing around the same time. (Wikipedia)
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