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Chinese News Agency Adds AI Anchors To Its Broadcast Team (engadget.com)
Two AI anchors are joining China's state-run news agency Xinhua. "The two anchors, one that speaks in English and another in Chinese, have the likeness of some of Xinhua's human anchors, but their voices, facial expressions and mouth movements are synthesized and animated using deep learning techniques," reports Engadget. From the report: "AI anchors have officially become members of the Xinhua News Agency reporting team," the agency said. "They will work with other anchors to bring you authoritative, timely and accurate news information in both Chinese and English." China's South China Morning Post reports that the AI anchors are available through Xinhua's English and Chinese apps, its TV webpage and its WeChat public account. The technology behind the anchors is being provided by search engine company Sogou.
Xinhua says its AI anchors can deliver the news with the "same effect" as that of human reporters. But if you watch the video, that isn't exactly true. It's pretty clear you're watching a non-human anchor as the mouth movements and facial expressions aren't quite human-like, and the voice can come off as a little robotic.
Xinhua says its AI anchors can deliver the news with the "same effect" as that of human reporters. But if you watch the video, that isn't exactly true. It's pretty clear you're watching a non-human anchor as the mouth movements and facial expressions aren't quite human-like, and the voice can come off as a little robotic.
At first I was against this. But then I realized it wouldn't change anything. It's not like the news can become less honest. I contemplated the matter for a little longer, and I realized that shills will soon be out of jobs. Also anything that reduces the amount of emotional labor in the world is a good thing. So now I'm in favor of this.
MSNBC is also thinking about suing they did this on "The Site" back in the 90s with their animated anchor Dev Null
When we communicate, we pick up a lot of information about the other person through body language, including, to some extent, whether they're comfortable with what they're saying. Not today or tomorrow, but in the not-too-distant future, I suspect it will be possible to analyze video of a person (like a news reader) and determine with a reasonable degree of accuracy whether they actually believe what they're telling you.
Of course, if your only source of information is a glorified cartoon whose every word, gesture and twitch is controlled by its owner, you can be lied to on a level that surely has totalitarians drooling like a hungry dog at a barbecue.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
If it's Kizuna AI, I don't care, I'm watching it.
If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
You know what they say, practice makes perfect and it is not about a couple of pure propaganda news readers but hundreds of pure propaganda news readers all telling you the government is right and you are wrong but you know what, I don't believe the shit coming out of people reading the news, even what were reliable sources like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which has taken a decided propagandistic slant that favours off all things the bullshit US establishment, obviously eaves dropping on politicians and their shady deals paid off (in the short term) for the US deep state but there will be a deep price to pay (killing Australians for US greed games will have long term repercussions, closest ally is now lip service, allies do not betray each other). So AI or human quisling, the people have stopped listening and are talking to each other, directly.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
You vastly overestimate your abilities to tell if someone is telling the truth or not, in-fact the most consistent factor in whether to believe someone is if you agree with their message. This is why it is so much easier to convince people of conspiracy theories than to get them to change their minds using facts
...humans.
It sounds like a joke, but it's very representative of Chinese mentality.
I suspect it will be possible to analyze video of a person (like a news reader) and determine with a reasonable degree of accuracy whether they actually believe what they're telling you.
If the "tell" can be detected, then it can be eliminated. Just feed it back into a GAN until it looks truthful.
GAN = Generative Adversarial Network
You should learn to read more carefully. I specifically did not say "telling the truth", and that's for a reason. Israeli intelligence already has a voice stress analyzer that's pretty good at picking up on lies. I mentioned something quite different: whether or not a news reader is comfortable with what they're telling you. And I can stand by that with plenty of evidence on my side to back me up.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
As a Canadian, I certainly see where you're coming from on this.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Heres some feedback to help penetrate the American market:
FTFY. Please don't confuse these two things. You shouldn't confuse my mind might hold, as an individual American, with whatever by GOP/Democrat overlords might pronounce. At least I have two sets of corrupt overlords I can refuse to vote for. And, what's more, I can publicly proclaim a pox on both their houses, at least until they stop aiding and abetting the starvation of Yemeni women and children. Vastly more so you shouldn't confuse Chinese with CCP.
Here's a screen shot from today's broadcast on Twitter Images:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr...
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Let me guess: you only listen to reputable sources like some guy on YouTube
... in that it doesn't really matter what the method of delivery is.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
Does no one recall Max Headroom?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
I don't think they would get human news readers that were noticeably uncomfortable, so shouldn't make a difference anyway.
+1 for Miku and Mitchie M.
#DeleteFacebook
Riiiiiidge Raceeeeer!
Wait, what are we doing again?
#DeleteFacebook
Stupid slashdot interface scrolled the page up and made me reply to my own post...
I was replying to #57615484
#DeleteFacebook
Easier to program a machine to spread your propaganda and outright lies than it is for untrustworthy and unreliable humans to do it.
They betray what their fondest wish is: for all human subjects to be like robots.
...and this poses an interesting question. Was the piece of news written by AI or by a human ?
Groovy funky channel 27
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
Boy, that came out of nowhere. A rant against ABC. That moment when you realize you're so far left that they look like Nazis to you. Yikes.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
Not sure if you are talking about these Chinese ones or the current US news readers.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Google must have a big boner over this. They love bringing communist tyranny to America:
I'm sure it will be abused, but a benign use of this is for visual avatars for Alexa, Google assistant, Cortana, Siri, etc. You will probably be able to choose between visual likenesses to suit your personal tastes. It may not be this year, or the next, but someone is going to do it eventually. The tech seems "good enough" to deploy at this point. The only problem remaining to solve is that the big companies will want to keep the rendering cloud-based to keep the most valuable IP off consumer devices. 5G may make it more viable, at least in places where mobile data is unlimited.
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
A classic for the ages from Ananova's Quirkies section:
Zoo keeper mauled to death 'after defecating on tiger'
A young Chinese tiger keeper has been mauled to death after apparently trying to defecate on one of his big cats.
The 19-year-old appears to have climbed the railings of the Bengal tiger cage and pulled his trousers down.
Evidence at the scene of the death at the Jinan animal park included toilet paper, excrement and a trouser belt.
Zoo officials think Xu Xiaodong either slipped into the cage or was pulled in by one of the four angry tigers.
According to the South China Morning Post, the man told a co-worker he needed to go to the toilet but police were called when he failed to return.
They found his body lying on the ground surrounded by tigers. The teenager had reportedly been bitten in the neck and was covered in blood.
Police believe Xu climbed the wall of a partially constructed building used to raise the tigers to relieve himself. They said the smell probably caused the tigers to pounce.
You can see more stories about tigers and zoos on Ananova, or read our Animal attacks file. (emphasis mine)
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The next step is either:
Allowing me to choose my own preferred newsbot, or selecting the most reliable-seeming newsbot for my specific psychology using all the aggregated data from social media, web browsing, purchase history, and so on. Then this carefully crafted, targeted avatar can pay for itself by inserting ads right into the newscast.
This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
That's why organizations lie to the press secretary.
AI doing the news? This brings on a whole new meaning of Fake News.
And within the past several days the government of China has cancelled numerous reporters' access to Hong Kong, including the appearance of an author there, all to bring Hong Kong more closely into China's totalitarian sphere of absolute censorship!
And so the "arms race" begins.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.