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Business Improvement Effort Gone Wrong?

Recently, a Polish radio station, OFF Radio Krakow, ignited controversy by replacing its human hosts with AI-generated avatars in a bold move aimed at attracting younger audiences. This initiative, described as "the first experiment in Poland" using virtual personas as journalists, features three AI avatars that discuss cultural, artistic, and social topics, including LGBTQ+ issues. The station head Marcin Pulit posed the question of whether AI represents an opportunity or a threat to media and journalism, emphasizing the need for exploration in this area. However, the transition has faced significant backlash, particularly from former host Mateusz Demski, who condemned the decision in an open letter. He argued that replacing human journalists with AI sets a "dangerous precedent" that threatens jobs in the media sector. His petition against the changes quickly garnered over 15,000 signatures. Despite the uproar, Pulit defended the decision by stating that the layoffs were due to dwindling audience numbers rather than the introduction of AI. The controversy escalated further when the station aired an AI-conducted interview mimicking the voice of Nobel Prize-winning poet Wisława Szymborska, which raised ethical questions about using deceased figures in AI broadcasts. Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's minister of digital affairs, has called for regulations on AI to ensure its development serves (rather than undermining) humanity. The station's experiment is set to last three months, after which it aims to transition back to human hosts with a new generation of journalists. This situation highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the role of AI in media and its impact on employment within and outside the creative industries.