Xinhua is China’s state-run news agency. It has recently unveiled the latest news anchor, Xin Xiaomeng. Wait a minute, why are we featuring the news of a news anchor joining Xinhua? That is because Xin Xiaomeng is not a real person. Xin Xiaomeng is an ultra-realistic computer-generated model that makes use of highly-advanced AI technology.
Xin Xiaomeng introduced herself to the viewers of Xinhua in a small clip where she announced that she would be making her professional debut in March. She has been developed by Xinhua in collaboration with the search engine Sogou. The appearance and voice of Xin Xiaomeng have been inspired by a real-life Xinhua broadcaster by the name of Qu Meng. The AI-powered news anchor spoke in Chinese during her introduction video. However, we believe that she will be able to tackle English news as well!
This announcement of Xinhua’s very first AI female news anchor has been made only after three months of the agency revealed its two male AI-powered news anchors. During these three months, the anchors have presented over 3,400 news reports amounting to 10,000 minutes in length. Ever since their introduction in November, they have also been undergoing updates. When they were introduced, the anchors could only read news while sitting at a desk and made use of minimal body language. However, a recent video of Xin Xiahao showcases him standing and telling the viewers about the amazing updates that he has received.
He says, ‘Henceforth, rather than working behind the desk, I’ll be broadcasting the news in front of the desk and I’ll be broadcasting from a standing position. I can make more hand gestures and facial expressions. Now I have my own name, Xin Xiaohao. Thanks to this upgrade, I’ll be able to conduct better broadcasts.’
As of now, the lip movements are the biggest give away when you compare these AI news anchors to real news anchors. However, apart from that; they do look quite impressively real and never miss a cue or stutter. What do you think? Do let us know!
