A Polish radio station’s decision to replace its journalists with Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated “presenters” has caused a debate.
OFF Radio Krakow, a public station based in Krakow, recently re-launched with AI avatars, marking what it calls “the first experiment in Poland in which journalists… are virtual characters created by AI.”
AI avatars designed to attract youth
The radio station aims to attract younger audiences by featuring AI avatars that discuss cultural, artistic and social topics, including LGBTQ+ issues.
Marcin Pulit, head of OFF Radio Krakow, described this new direction as a chance to explore AI’s potential in media, stating, “Is artificial intelligence more of an opportunity or a threat to media, radio and journalism? We will seek answers to this question.”
Pulit noted that declining listenership was a key factor in the change, not the introduction of AI itself.
AI presenters face backlash
This shift, however, faced backlash after former journalist and film critic Mateusz Demski published an open letter on Tuesday criticising the decision. Demski, who had been with the station since early 2022, argued that AI replacing human staff is “a dangerous precedent that hits us all,” cautioning that such changes could lead to a future where “experienced employees associated with the media sector for years … will be replaced by machines.”
The letter has gained significant attention, with over 15,000 signatures on a petition as of Wednesday, according to a report by CNN.
Poland‘s Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, responded on X, “Although I am a fan of AI development, I believe that certain boundaries are being crossed more and more. The widespread use of AI must be done for people, not against them!”
OFF Radio Krakow’s AI “Interview” with deceased poet
OFF Radio Krakow aired an “interview” conducted by one of its AI presenters with a voice modelled on Wisława Szymborska, a Polish poet and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature who died in 2012. While the interview raised eyebrows, Michał Rusinek, head of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation, defended the broadcast, saying Szymborska “had a sense of humour and would have liked it.”
Can AI truly serve the needs of radio audiences, or does it risk undermining the value of human presenting and journalism?
