Polish broadcasting entity switches human news anchors with synthetic AI personalities.
weeks following their employees' departure, OFF Radio Krakow reemerged, claiming to introduce "Poland's initial exploration where journalists manifest as synthetic personas shaped by AI."
The radio station situated in Krakow expressed that their trio of virtual personas are engineered to resonate with younger listeners, discussing motifs related to culture, art, and societal concerns, such as the plight of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Posting a statement, the station's head, Marcin Pulit, posed a question: "Is artificial intelligence more of a chance or a peril to media, radio, and journalism? We'll aim to find answers."
The station's novelty ignited widespread discourse following Mateusz Demski, a journalist and film critic who formerly hosted a show on the station, publishing a critique on Tuesday decrying "the substitution of human workers with artificial intelligence."
He argued that it represented a hazardous trend which could potentially lead to "a world where seasoned media professionals, along with those linked to the artistic industries for years, are replaced by machines."
By Wednesday morning, more than 15,000 individuals had signed Demski's petition, he informed The Associated Press. Additionally, he shared that he had been contacted by hundreds of individuals, many of whom were younger listeners who opposed the theory of an AI experiment.
Demski was an OFF Radio Krakow employee, handling interviews with Ukrainians displaced by war from February 2022 until August, when he was among around twelve journalists who were let go. He emphasized that the move was shocking given the broadcaster's status as a tax-funded public station.
Pulit maintained that no journalists had been dismissed due to AI, but rather due to the station's audience reporting "close to zero" listenership.
Krzysztof Gawkowski, the minister of digital affairs and a deputy prime minister, became involved on Tuesday, expressing that he had read Demski's letter and that legislation was necessary to control AI.
"Although I am an advocate of AI development, I firmly believe that boundary violations are becoming increasingly frequent," he wrote on X. "The extensive use of AI should serve people, not pose a threat to them!"
On Tuesday, the station aired an "interview" facilitated by an AI-generated presenter mimicking the voice of Wisława Szymborska, a Polish poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature and passed away in 2012. Michał Rusinek, the president of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation, which manages the poet's legacy, agreed to the station using Szymborska's name in the broadcast, stating that the poet possessed a humorous disposition and would have enjoyed the event.
The media coverage of OFF Radio Krakow's AI experiment attracted various opinions, with some business analysts discussing its potential impact on the broader radio industry.
In a panel discussion, a marketing strategist argued that AI could offer cost-effectiveness and efficiency, but it might also strain the human-machine relationship in the business world.
