Radio Station Replaces Journalists With AI 'Presenters'

A Polish radio station, OFF Radio Krakow, has sparked controversy by replacing its journalists with artificial intelligence generated "presenters."

The station, based in Krakow, recently relaunched with three AI avatars, in hopes of attracting younger listeners to talk about cultural, art and social topics like LGBTQ+ issues.

Dubbed "the first [AI] experiment in Poland," the move has sparked a public backlash, with many sides arguing the pros and cons of AI's role in the workforce, the Associated Press reported.

Mateusz Demski, a journalist and film critic who hosted a show on OFF Radio Krakow, protested the experiment in an open letter published Tuesday.

"It is a dangerous precedent that hits us all," he said. Demski, who was let go by the radio station in August, said replacing journalists with AI presenters could create "a world in which experienced employees associated with the media sector for years and people employed in creative industries will be replaced by machines."

The open letter has gained over 15,000 signatures by Wednesday.

Marcin Pulit, the head of the station, sees replacing journalists with AI presenters as a test to explore the impact of AI on journalism.

He said in a letter on the station's website that despite widespread coverage that the journalists were fired, that isn't the case.

He says they were external contractors and the contract with them ended in August.

Krzysztof Gawkowski, the digital affairs minister of Poland, weighed in on the matter, calling for regulation that ensures that AI benefits society without replacing people.

While the debate lingers, the station has released AI-driven content that features an interview with a simulated version of Wisława Szymborska, a Nobel Prize-winning poet, who passed away in 2012.