If you want to know how it really feels to be replaced by AI, consider reaching out to Mateusz Demski and his fellow journalists, who were recently fired from Off Radio Kraków, a government-owned radio station serving Poland’s second-largest city. 

Recently, Off Radio Kraków was relaunched as the first-ever radio channel entirely run by AI. Three AI-generated characters are now hosting programs on the channel, but this move has ignited a nationwide controversy. 

Soon after the relaunch, Demski released an open letter against the channel’s decision to replace human journalists with AI presenters. Within the next 24 hours, 15,000 people signed a petition in his support. 

“It is a dangerous precedent that hits us all. It could open the way to a world in which experienced employees associated with the media sector for years and people employed in creative industries will be replaced by machines,” Demski wrote.

However, the representatives from Off Radio claim that the channel was previously closed and Demski and his colleagues were fired because of diminishing listenership. This has nothing to do with the AI presenters, which is an experiment to relaunch the radio station, they claim.

Meet the three AI radio hosts

Despite facing heavy criticism from Demski and his supporters, Off Radio Kraków has decided to continue with their experiment. Recently, they released the photos and character descriptions of their three AI presenters. 

The first AI host is an acoustic engineering student named Jakub Zieliński (Kuba, 22 years). He will inform the audience about the latest trends in technology and music production. 

The second host, Emi (Emilia Nowak, 20 years old) will discuss the happenings in the world of fashion, cinema, and music. She is a journalism student and a pop culture enthusiast. Alex Szulc, the third host will talk about culture, society, and issues concerning the LGBTQ+ community.

“This is the first experiment in Poland in which journalists – Emi, Kuba, and Alex – are virtual characters created by AI, and still, they cover topics that affect us all: music, culture, technology, and everyday life,” Off Radio Kraków said on Facebook.

Not the first AI on the radio

In recent years, many radio channels across the globe have tried and tested AI presenters. For instance, in 2020, a company called Futuri Media introduced RadioGPT in the UK, an AI-based radio DJ powered by ChatGPT. Last year in October, Radio City, one of India’s most popular radio stations also launched a new show featuring an AI presenter named SIA.

However, none of these AI presenters stirred controversy. This is probably because they weren’t launched right after the termination of human staff. 

What makes this move even more shocking is that Off Radio Kraków is not a private channel. It’s a state-owned station run by taxpayers’ money, according to Demski. His open letter has also caught the attention of ministers in the Polish government. 

“Although I am a fan of AI development, I believe that certain boundaries are being crossed more and more. The widespread use of AI must be done for people, not against them,” Krzysztof Gawkowski, deputy prime minister of Poland.

At present, both Demski and Off Radio Kraków remain firm in their positions on the matter. However, this controversy has raised serious questions about how AI can suddenly disrupt the livelihood of people even in the most creative fields.