A radio station in Poland has ignited debate after replacing its journalists with AI-generated presenters.
OFF Radio Krakow, located in the southern city of Krakow, relaunched this week as what it described as “the first experiment in Poland where journalists are virtual characters created by AI.”
The station said its new AI avatars are designed to engage younger audiences by discussing cultural, artistic, and social topics, including issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Marcin Pulit, the head of the station, explained that the move aims to explore the role of artificial intelligence in media.
“Is AI an opportunity or a threat to media, radio, and journalism? We will seek answers to this question,” he said in a statement.
The relaunch has drawn significant attention, particularly after former host Mateusz Demski, a journalist and film critic, expressed his opposition in an open letter. Demski, who was dismissed along with about a dozen other journalists in August, argued that replacing employees with AI sets a dangerous precedent.
“It is a threat to all of us,” he wrote, warning that it could lead to experienced professionals in media and creative industries being replaced by machines.
The controversy has resonated with the public. By Wednesday morning, more than 15,000 people had signed a petition supporting Demski’s stance. Many, including young listeners, have voiced concerns about being part of such an experiment, according to Demski.
OFF Radio Krakow defended its decision, with Pulit stating that the layoffs were not due to AI but to a lack of listeners. “The station’s audience was close to zero,” he said.
Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s minister of digital affairs and deputy prime minister, also weighed in, calling for regulations on the use of AI. While he supports the development of AI, Gawkowski said, “The widespread use of AI must benefit people, not work against them.”
In one of its new AI-generated broadcasts, the station aired an “interview” between an AI presenter and the late Polish poet and Nobel Prize winner Wisława Szymborska, who passed away in 2012. Michał Rusinek, president of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation, allowed the station to use Szymborska’s name, noting that the poet had a sense of humor and would likely have enjoyed the idea.
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