They ‘Do Not Need Rest Like Humans’: RT Debuts AI-Generated ‘Journalists’

In late 2023, RT unveiled artificial “journalists” or “digital creators” who mimic the role of journalists or news broadcasters. Anastasia and Alexander, two AI-generated figures, are described as RT Español’s “first journalist(s) created with artificial intelligence.”

You can click on the images in the margin to zoom in on them.

Figure 1: Profile pictures for Alexander and Anastasia on the outlet’s Team Pages

These artificial “journalists” blend seamlessly into existing news segments. Alexander (added in February 2024) and Anastasia appear on the RT Español Team page and are visually indistinguishable from human journalists, except for the absence of a last name.

Figure 2: AI-generated “digital presenters” are displayed alongside the RT staff.

They are used in a way that makes them seem to participate in news reports with their human counterparts.

“Anastasia prepared a report on the trade routes and all the noise around the subject,” reads the announcement. “Although this virtual journalist represents an advanced technological integration, human efforts are at the core of its operation.”

Anastasia and Alexander sometimes cover neutral topics but also present topics that align with the Russian government’s preferred narrative. Anastasia has reported on how democratic nations, generally called “Western,” actions impact Russian diamond sales.

She has also presented on U.S. hegemony and covered the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Alexander’s reports delve into historical and contemporary political events, including a segment informing viewers that the United States is “the biggest threat in space” and will “transform it into a battlefield.” Several videos feature rosy depictions of history. One video gives Lenin an adoring review, before Anastasia asserts that other countries have “tried to erase him.”

Ethical Disclosures and Pronouncing Bots

In two-thirds of the videos reviewed, broadcasts failed to specify that these presenters were not real. AI disclosures tended to occur more frequently in segments discussing controversial or historical topics.¹

Figure 3: 30% of segments explicitly disclosed the use of AI, highlighted, while the remaining 70% referred to them as “digital presenters.”

Table 1: AI Disclosures in RT Español Videos

Table 1: Data were collected in June 2024 from RT Español. All videos listed on Anastasia and Alexander’s profile pages were evaluated.

Title	Explicit	Introduction
Travels by certain leaders generate controversy for mixing national interest with personal interest	No	Our digital presenter Alexander tells us about this controversy.
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko breaks a world record by spending 1,000 days in space	No	Our digital correspondent Alexander tells us more.
Blessing or threat? Synthetic meat generates anxiety among the leaders of livestock production in Latin America	No	Our digital presenter, Alexander, tells us more about this controversial product.
China: The US is the biggest threat in space and tries to transform it into a battlefield	No	Our digital presenter, Alexander, explains how this controversy already has similarities with the rhetoric used in the Cold War.
Sport: a vital part of the pre-Columbian era in Latin America	No	No introduction
World Day Against Child Labour: What is the situation of children in Latin America?	No	Our digital correspondent, Anastasia, has the details.
Differences in science spending between Latin American countries impact productive development	No	Our digital presenter Anastasia tells us more.
Sovereignty and freedom are recurring concepts in national symbols in Latin America	No	Our virtual presenter Anastasia explains the subject to us.
Partners or instrument of hegemony?: What is the current role of Latin America for the US?	No	The crisis with Beijing, which has prompted the United States to seek new partners, raises doubts about whether this is a cooperation of good faith or just another attempt by the United States to reinforce its hegemony, our digital presenter Anastasia tells us.
It is 90 years since the birth of Yuri Gagarin, the world’s first cosmonaut	No	No introduction
Artists from around the world join the protest campaign against Israel’s crimes in Gaza	No	To expose the crimes of Tel Aviv and its leaders, dozens of groups of artists joined the protest campaign, our digital presenter Anastasia explains.
Mass protests in Haiti call for the dismissal of the interim government amid political crisis	No	Our digital correspondent, Anastasia, tells us the story of the serious political and social crisis that Haiti is going through.
Red alert: Environment in Latin America affected by ‘El Niño’ phenomenon and citizen negligence	No	No introduction
Chile brings together the Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean in the face of the biggest crisis in the activity in 100 years	No	Our digital presenter, Anastasia, will expand on this.
Lenin’s memory lives on in the world despite attempts to erase his history	No	Our digital presenter, Anastasia, will tell you about it.
What inventions did we inherit from America that became everyday objects around the world?	No	With our digital presenter, Anastasia, we are going to find out what legacy they inherited.
Unusual taxes defy conventional logic and create disruption around the world	Yes	Our digital presenter, Alexander Avatar, created with artificial intelligence, brings us some examples.
1964 coup in Brazil: how it was created, the role of the US and a parallel with the current situation	Yes	Let’s review with our digital presenter, Alexander, an avatar created with artificial intelligence, the chronology of events, and the hand of Washington that started 21 years of dictatorship in Brazil.
New technology?: The development of AI over time	Yes	Our digital correspondent, Alexander, also a product of artificial intelligence, tells the story of this technology.
The West is harming everyone by preventing the sale of Russian diamonds	Yes	Our digital representative, Anastasia, an avatar created with artificial intelligence, brings us closer to the details.
What measures protect minority languages ​​in Latin America and from what dangers?	Yes	Our digital and avatar presenter, developed by artificial intelligence, Anastasia, will explain the topic.
Brazil vetoes parts of the law that regulates pesticides due to uncertainty over their use	Yes	Our presenter, created by the artificial intelligence Anastasia, has a full analysis
RT in Spanish introduces its first journalist created with artificial intelligence	Yes	RT in Spanish introduces its first journalist created with artificial intelligence

Alexander was described before one segment as “an avatar created with artificial intelligence,” but a “digital presenter” in other videos. The online pages generally disclosed that these were artificial. Examples of their introductions have been included below with citations at the bottom.²

“To expand its chip production in the context of its competition with China, Washington has already signed agreements with several nations, including Latin American ones. The crisis with Beijing, which has caused the search for new partners by the United States, raises doubts whether this time it is a cooperation of good faith or just another US attempt to reinforce its hegemony. Our digital presenter, Anastasia, tells us more.”

“While in many countries citizens go through serious economic difficulties, foreign travel by their presidents draws attention. In some cases, leaders seek to cut expenses on these trips, even rejecting the use of private planes. However, in others, politicians do not hesitate to take advantage of their positions and public money for difficult-to-explain routes. Our digital presenter Alexander tells us about this controversy.”

“President Vladimir Putin refuted these affirmations in his speech before the Federal Assembly. He assured that Washington’s goal was to force Moscow to negotiate new arms control treaties that would benefit only the North American side. Our digital presenter, Alexander, explains how this controversy already has similarities with the rhetoric used in the Cold War. Russian threat, Russian weapons in space, nuclear weapons aimed at Earth. The alarmism that has recently taken over politicians and the American media reminds us of the rhetoric of the Cold War.”

“While the world’s indignation for the atrocities committed by Israel in the Palestinian territory is growing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates that he will not change his stance in the face of what he calls international dictatorships. He also assures that he will continue to oppose the recognition of a Palestinian state. To expose the crimes of Tel Aviv and its leaders, dozens of groups of artists joined the protest campaign. Our digital presenter Anastasia explains.”

What Did Journalists Think?

Two journalists—one investigative and one from local news—who reviewed videos of Anastasia and Alexander were stunned at how realistic they were. One admitted they would never have suspected anything had we not told them.

They were less concerned with being replaced and more concerned with how this technology might be exploited, especially by authoritarian regimes. One voiced concerns about RT having created an attractive blonde woman to “report” in a region where dark hair and deep skin tones are most common.

Ethical Concerns

The use of AI presenters like Anastasia and Alexander raises several ethical concerns.

Whether the individuals behind Anastasia are journalists and their identities are not shared. While identities may need to be concealed in journalism, there is no justification for obscuring someone’s identity to present “a report on trade routes” for their employer.

Although Anastasia and Alexander do not have to worry about things like reputation, shame, or rapport with the public, RT Español discusses them as human. It describes Anastasia as “delivering(ing) highly relevant content, such as important news and emotionally engaging stories, working closely with her colleagues.”

Cutaway segments in authentic media typically contain on-site reporting, eye-witness accounts, or interviews. The segments exist to provide viewers with information closer to the source, offering more information and context about a situation. In this case, the information is presented as investigative while delivering biased or misleading information.

As the Journalist Goes, So Goes Democracy

AI can undoubtedly speed up writing processes, but there are ethical reasons why it should not replace human journalists, even if its capabilities become comparable. The crux of the issue lies not in what AI can do but rather in what it can never be.

A journalist’s role extends beyond mere writing; it involves holding powerful individuals accountable, asking challenging questions, and conducting on-the-ground investigations. The focus on AI replacing writers often centers around its ability to write but that should be a lesser concern.

Professionals gain credibility through years of establishing a reputation, rapport, acting on a conscience that guides him or her, and accumulating lived experiences. Even if AI generates content, it cannot replace the essential role that human journalists play in upholding democracy.

Newsrooms must be transparent about AI’s role in their processes, especially when it produces finished content. Ethical practice should involve telling readers how the AI models are developed, akin to how journalists list their education and experience in their profiles. This transparency helps maintain trust with the audience and clarifies the origins of the information presented.

As we consider the harsh conditions under which journalists practice today—overworked, under-appreciated, threatened, harassed, and even killed—RT Español’s description of its new “team members” comes across as dystopian indeed: AI presenters like Anastasia “do not need to rest like humans.”

See the Appendix for tables and images:

Li, E. Rosalie. 2024. “APPENDIX: They ‘Do Not Need Rest Like Humans’: RT Debuts AI-Generated ‘Journalists’.” InfoEpi Lab, June. https://infoepi.com/2024/05/posts/2024/06/29-RT-debuts-ai-journalists-appendix

Footnotes

1. Titles of videos that received explicit AI disclosures: Unusual taxes defy conventional logic and create disruption around the world, 1964 coup in Brazil: how it was created, the role of the US and a parallel with the current situation, New technology?: The development of AI over time, The West is harming everyone by preventing the sale of Russian diamonds, What measures protect minority languages in Latin America and from what dangers?, and Brazil vetoes parts of the law that regulates pesticides due to uncertainty over their use, RT in Spanish introduces its first journalist created with artificial intelligence.
   

2. RT Español. (2023a). Anastasía. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240612115547/https://actualidad.rt.com/equipo/view/492980-anastasia

   RT Español. (2023b, December 19). RT en Español presents its first journalist created with artificial intelligence. RT En Español. https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/492972-rt-presenta-primera-periodista-inteligencia-artificial

   RT Español. (2024a). Alexánder. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240315194602mp_/https://actualidad.rt.com/equipo/view/499279-alexander

   RT Español. (2024b, February 16). Artistas por todo el mundo se suman a la campaña de protesta contra crímenes de Israel en Gaza. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240222080045/https://actualidad.rt.com/video/499390-artistas-mundo-protesta-crimenes-israel-gaza

   RT Español. (2024c, March 1). China: EE.UU. es la mayor amenaza en el espacio e intenta transformarlo en un campo de batalla. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240307155035/https://actualidad.rt.com/video/500851-china-eeuu-mayor-amenaza-espacio-campo-batalla

   RT Español. (2024d, April 9). ¿Socios o instrumento de hegemonía?: cuál es el actual papel de Latinoamerica para EE.UU. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627141007/https://actualidad.rt.com/video/505307-socios-instrumento-hegemonia-papel-latinoamerica-eeuu

   RT Español. (2024e, April 27). Impuestos inusuales desafían la lógica convencional y generan molestias en todo el mundo. RT en Español. https://web.archive.org/web/20240508142038/https://actualidad.rt.com/video/507530-inusuales-impuestos-mundo-logica-convencional-molestias