AN EMERGING TREND
Source: Reuters Institute Newsletter
Young, female and attractive: here come the AI news avatars
What are they? AI-generated ‘avatars’ are three-dimensional human likenesses whose features and voices have been selected and honed, and whose ‘personalities’ and careers are designed for them. In the news sector, AI avatars are often newsreaders or presenters, often for the entertainment beat, and typically resemble attractive young women with side gigs as Instagram influencers, models or in one case, K-pop stars. Their impact. As is often the case with audio digital assistants, AI avatars often resemble women. They also tend to be young-looking and conventionally attractive. Some think these choices about AI avatars' appearance can negatively impact women by reinforcing stereotypes and beauty standards. On the other hand, some in the business argue they're trying to create successful products and not making broader statements. In this piece, our colleague Marina Adami explores the nascent world of AI news avatars, as well as the possibilities for their future.
