NEW DELHI: In a groundbreaking development, OTV, a private satellite news channel, has entered the regional television broadcasting landscape in Odisha with the introduction of Lisa, the state’s first virtual news presenter created using artificial intelligence (AI).
The unveiling ceremony for this AI-powered news anchor took place in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant milestone for television journalism in the region.
Draped in an elegant Odisha handloom saree, Lisa will deliver news content in both Odia and English across OTV Network’s television and digital platforms.
Jagi Mangat Panda, the Managing Director of OTV, expressed her excitement about this technological achievement and its potential impact on television journalism.
She stated that the introduction of Odisha’s first AI news anchor sets another milestone and emphasised that AI will assist in performing repetitive tasks and analysing vast amounts of data.
Meet Lisa, OTV and Odisha’s first AI news anchor set to revolutionize TV Broadcasting & Journalism#AIAnchorLisa #Lisa #Odisha #OTVNews #OTVAnchorLisa pic.twitter.com/NDm9ZAz8YW
— OTV (@otvnews) July 9, 2023
Litisha Mangat Panda, the Head of Digital Business at OTV, acknowledged the extensive collaborative effort involved in developing this cutting-edge technology. While recognising that the AI news anchor may not be as fluent as a human presenter, she highlighted that it surpasses the capabilities of platforms like Google Translate.
Panda explained that Lisa leverages the power of AI and LLM (lifelong machine learning) to deliver news accurately and efficiently. “The aim is to create the perfect fusion of technology and journalistic excellence,” she said.
The introduction of AI news anchors has been a topic of discussion in India in recent months. In March, Sana, the first AI anchor for Aaj Tak, was launched, sparking curiosity and debates about the emergence of computer-generated avatars in news broadcasting. Following suit, Kuwait News introduced ‘Fedha’ on its Twitter handle affiliated with the Kuwait Times the following month.
It is noteworthy that China’s Xinhua news agency pioneered the world’s first AI-powered male news anchor in 2018. By blending AI technology with the images and voices of human anchors, they created a seamless virtual presenter.
Ren Xiaorong, an AI-powered host, further demonstrated the capabilities of this technology by interacting with users and answering questions related to important political events.