Odisha TV AI newscaster seen to threaten jobs

The launch of an AI virtual news anchor in India triggered a heated debate about the potential loss of media jobs caused by automation.

Powered by machine learning, Odisha TV's 'Lisa' news anchor's job is to deliver news bulletins in Oriya and English on digital platforms, read horoscopes and provide weather and sports updates. According to Odisha TV managing director Jagi Mandat Panda, Lisa is intended to do repetitive work and free up staff to 'focus on doing more creative work to bring better quality news.'

However, media professionals and commentators expressed concerns that the use of Lisa and news presenter robots at other broadcasters would likely lead to job losses amongst journalists and should only be used to augment rather than replace human roles.

Per Nikkei Asia, a benefit of news robots is less time spent managing egos. But some media professionals expressed concerns about their impact on media credibility and trust, whilst others described Lisa as 'robotic', 'monotonous', and 'emotionless.'