world mirror
Whether for local broadcasters or foreign propaganda, whether on television, on YouTube or in its own apps – China’s state party is increasingly using artificial intelligence in the media.
A huge high-rise towers into the sky in the suburbs of Chongqing, a city of 32 million people. It is the headquarters of the state party newspaper. One might think that this is about information for the residents of the mega-metropolis.
But the ground floor is dedicated solely to foreign propaganda. Articles and videos about Chongqing and China are produced here in English. What’s special: The moderator of many news reports is not a real person, but an avatar created by artificial intelligence (AI). The content of his posts: Chinese propaganda.
Propaganda for the world
A total of 20 state media companies in China are now producing propaganda in several languages that is intended to be distributed internationally. They have developed their own apps – the one in Chongqing, for example, is called “Bridging News” – and have their own websites or channels on YouTube.
David Bandurski from the independent research group China Media Project was the first to make the systematics of this propaganda initiative public. “For years, people in China have been talking about how to make AI more usable,” he says. In the area of propaganda, China is already a leader in planning and using this technology.
Dozens of channels with AI presenters
Global communication and the fight for international sovereignty of interpretation are a high priority for state and party leader Xi Jinping. In his media policy speech in February 2016, Xi called on party media to “strengthen international communication capacity and do more to shape international discourse.”
At the same time, the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television pushed forward the development of AI presenters. The committee already prescribed the “promotion of virtual moderators” in its five-year plan from 2021. A few dozen TV stations in China now have artificial presenters.
Should create closeness to the audience
For example, at the regional party broadcaster in Shandong Province in eastern China, an interactive AI presenter is the flagship. She greets visitors on a large flat screen in the entrance hall of the media house. At the push of a button, those interested can change their outfit and ask questions. It is intended to create closeness to the audience, explains Nan Zhipeng, the program’s director.
The television station uses Hai Lan, as the digital presenter is called, primarily on social networks. In the television program she translates contributions into sign language. Hai Lan definitely looks like a computer-animated character. It should be clear that the presenter is not a real person.
AI doubles of real moderators
But Hai Lan is not the only AI presenter at the regional party station. The innovation department also creates digital clones of real moderators. Su Xiaomei, for example, who primarily moderates cultural programs, should not disappear from the program during her pregnancy. Therefore, the television station produced a digital double of her. As with most Chinese TV channels, it is also identified as an AI clone.
Bandurski from China Media Project does not yet want to evaluate the success of international communication through the newly established propaganda departments. So far, many of the YouTube channels only have a few subscribers. It is unclear how often the apps with English information about China are downloaded. But Bandurski sees the trend as worrying, because a lot of output will ultimately leave something stuck. Digital moderators should be used more often in the future.