The UK Channel 4 news feature ‘Will AI take my job?’ explored how automation is reshaping the workplace and pitting humans against machines. At the end of the hour-long show, the big twist was revealed. The anchors, who narrated and appeared in the TV broadcast reports from various locations, were completely generated by AI.
In the final moments of the special, the host said, “AI will impact everyone’s lives in the coming years. And it will take some people out of a job. Call center workers? Customer service representatives? Maybe even TV hosts like me?” Eh, because I’m not real. First of all, I’m an AI presenter, as some may have guessed. I wasn’t there to report this story. My images and audio were generated using AI.”
The hour will be broadcast at 8pm on Monday as part of the documentary Dispatches, and Channel 4 says it will be the first British TV show to feature an AI presenter. The “anchor” was created by AI fashion brand Seraphne Vallora for Kalel Productions, following prompts to create a realistic performance on camera.
“The use of AI presenters is not something we will make a habit of at Channel 4. Instead, our focus in news and current affairs is on premium, fact-checked, legitimately fair and trustworthy journalism – something that AI cannot do,” said Louisa Compton, Channel 4’s head of news and current affairs. “However, this stunt serves as a useful reminder of how disruptive AI can be and how easy it is to fool audiences with content that there is no way to verify.”
The state-run network said the stunt complied with Channel 4’s editorial guidelines governing the ethical use of AI, and the final reveal was intended to make viewers think about issues of trust and trustworthiness in the digital age.
‘Will AI take my job?’ Channel 4 survey of 1,000 UK business leaders found that 76% of bosses have already introduced AI to tasks previously performed by humans, and 66% are ‘excited’ about using technology in the workplace. 41% said AI has already led to fewer jobs at their companies, and nearly half said they expected further layoffs over the next five years.
The Channel 4 stunt sparked a backlash from actors, agencies and Hollywood unions following a media firestorm over AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood.
“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor; she is a character generated without permission or compensation by a computer program trained on the work of countless professional performers,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “There’s no real life experience or emotion to draw from. And from what we’ve seen, audiences have no interest in watching computer-generated content divorced from human experience. It doesn’t solve any ‘problems’; it creates the problems of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, endangering performers’ livelihoods, and devaluing human artistry.”
