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China's AI news anchors

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Re: China's AI news anchors

#14

Post by stuxnet79 »

otoburb wrote: post #9

>> The English-speaking anchor, complete with a suit and tie, is modeled on a real-life Xinhua anchor called Zhang Zhao. I hope that Zhang Zhao is getting a licensing stream for the use of his likeness. William Gibson was really ahead of his time when he popularized "synthetic personality constructs" as a mainstream literary trope[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idoru

Now looking back, I'd say the entire Bridge Trilogy was remarkably prescient. Especially so when you consider how SF / society has been transformed over the past couple of years. Worth a re-read.

Re: China's AI news anchors

#15

Post by PakG1 »

bananatron wrote: post #6

China's track record with free speech makes the implications of completely bypassing any human 'journalist' kind of scary. I guess it's always been possible, but damn.

I'm not confident that's an issue. The press usually takes the party line anyway. In any case where the press feels compelled to not take the party line (it's happened now and then), they've spoken out. I think if the press felt it necessary, they could do a "special" presentation when they feel necessary.

Honestly, I don't see a lot of difference between them and the way Sean Hannity blatantly takes the Trump line. The difference is that in the US, there's diversity of press and so diversity of opinions. I'm not confident there was ever diversity of press in China in the first place, so I'm not sure how much this changes. Maybe if the entire press cycle gets completely automated with no human oversight at all, OK. But I imagine there will always be human oversight, just because they don't want things to go off the rails. That's what happens right now.

And if we reach the singularity, I'm sure an AI would have more guts to stand up and say what's on their mind than a human would.

Re: China's AI news anchors

#16

Post by PakG1 »

lawlessone wrote: post #5
scj wrote: post #4

My first thought was towards Max Headroom. My second thought was on the Max Headroom incident. If it went live, how long before a copy lands in the hands of pranksters?

Thinking on that... someone could use it to declare a revolution, or say claim a disaster has happened.

How's that different from AI-generated fake news videos, ala Jordan Peele invoking Obama?

Re: China's AI news anchors

#18

Post by NotAmazin »

I like the idea, this is very economically sane since it will allow the news company to deliver news all day without errors from human anchors. Although people would still have to write the script, I know the state will always put their best people to write 24/7.
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