Named Xin Xiaomeng, the perfectly-coiffed broadcaster is the newest addition to Xinhua's team of existing male AI anchors
In news that journalists around the world are perhaps loathe to report, China has just unveiled another non-human that is set to steal all our jobs.
China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, today unveiled "the world's first female AI news anchor"; a gender-balancing counterpart for the existing male AI news presenters.
Dystopian - maybe not, but unsettling for those who are reporting it, perhaps.
Named Xin Xiaomeng, the perfectly-coiffed broadcaster is the newest addition to Xinhua's team of existing male AI anchors.
Xiaomeng was developed jointly by Xinhua and search engine company Sogou, and was shown off in a video sent out on social media on Thursday. Aside from a few seemingly stiff facial muscles, Xiaomeng is remarkably life-like, complete with hand adjustments during piece-to-cameras, and just enough on-cue blinking.
The computer-generated journalist was modelled after real-life Xinhua news anchor Qu Meng, whose voice and image provided inspiration for developers.
Xinhua unveils world's first female #AInews anchor pic.twitter.com/Faj3Mk69y1
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 20, 2019
In a video on Twitter, Xiaomeng addresses the world in Chinese with English subtitles, saying "hello to everybody who's watching", and announcing her role as broadcaster for China's upcoming Two Sessions political conferences in March.
Xiaomeng will join Xinhua's existing roster of two male AI reporters, who were revealed last November, in covering the conference.
In fact, as Xiaomeng was being unveiled to the world, Xinhua announced that her one of her male counterparts also got an upgrade.
Xinhua's male #AI anchor can now broadcast news in a standing position, with more body language pic.twitter.com/2YZLouhYnN
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 20, 2019
In an accompanying tweet, Xinhua extolled the virtues of its new and improved male AI journalist, who now has a name: Xin Xiaohao.
Xiaohao has not only gained a new register of body languages, but he has also been promoted from a seating position to standing during his broadcasts, and he's pretty pleased about it:
"Henceforth, rather than working behind the desk, I'll be broadcasting the news in front of the desk. Instead, I'll be broadcasting from a standing position. I can make more hand gestures and facial expressions, " he tells the world.
"Now I have my own name, Xin Xiaohao. Thanks to this upgrade, I'll be able to conduct better broadcasts."
The two carry off their (admittedly short) broadcasts seamlessly, with not a stutter or forgotten cue in sight.
However, in a sign-off line that will be unlikely to win her any friends in the newsroom of the flesh-and-blood variety, Xiaomeng promises to "present you with a better news broadcast".
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