China Trains 24/7 AI Avatars to Anchor News Channels

PC Magazine reports that China's state-run Xinhua News Agency has announced that it will be using "composite anchors" to read the news, which combines artificial intelligence with synthesized voices to create puppet-like newsreaders. The artificial newsreaders are based on real-life reporters, and could help with 24-hour news cycles.

The machine-learning program makes it possible for the artificial newsreader to copy lip movements and facial expressions in time with the story it's reading, according to the South China Morning Post. News reports are fed into the system uninterrupted, meaning these newsreaders could theoretically operate 24-7.