China’s Xinhua News has recently unveiled its new AI news anchor. The technology utilises a 3D model of a real-life person and artificial intelligence to read out news using synthetic voices.
The new AI anchor was launched by Xinhua and Beijing-based search engine operator Sogou during the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen. With the help of machine learning, the technology is able to synthesise speech, lip movements, and facial expressions. An English option also exists.
These AI anchors have already launched on Xinhua’s internet platforms such as its official Chinese and English apps, WeChat, and online TV webpage.
Xinhua AI anchor, launched on Wednesday, starts presenting news reports from Thursday. In this program, he takes you to have a look at what a Panama official and the Chinese businessman Jack Ma say about the ongoing #CIIE. pic.twitter.com/OZkRQtv1sQ
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 8, 2018
One of the key benefits of this AI news anchor becomes clear when it jokingly claims that it can work for 24 hours on end. With this technology, humans can input text from behind the scenes and let the AI do the rest. While this may put the jobs of real human anchors at risk, it does also streamline a lot of the work.
At the moment, however, this example still shows some limitations. For one, digital news anchor can only employ a small range of movement and expressions. The voice itself is also clearly artificial. However, the model itself is indistinguishable from the real thing, setting an example for how far technology could take us.
(Source: South China Morning Post)
