NEWS | AI Revolution: The Beginning of an End

For the forthcoming National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99, the GMA Network News revealed last September 23, 2023, that it would be using two Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated sportscasters named Marco and Maia. A variety of viewpoints were expressed on social media following the program's introduction about the usage of AI technology.

---

Many have voiced misgivings about the technology, specifically regarding the capacity of AI to interact with watchers as well as the possibility that it could displace employees in the workforce. Other netizens, however, have applauded the venture as a move toward a brighter future and an opener for debates on how technology breakthroughs like AI could affect businesses like the press.

Even so, while GMA News executives may have considered hiring AI sportscasters went off great on paper, it came out to be an awful indicator of an alternate reality in which AI creates literature, poetry, and other works of art—all while directing ordinary people to work in mind-numbing mundane occupations in order to survive.

Given the range of characters that the broadcasting industry is dominated by it is astounding that anyone at GMA would have believed this was an excellent concept. The majority also doubt artificial, AI-driven journalists like Maia and Marco can offer the same level of emotion and enthusiasm to the game as courtside reporters like Dyan Castillejo, TJ Manotoc, and many more.

Is this the initial phase of an all-AI-based broadcast community? Another point of discussion relates to why a billion-peso company like GMA prefers to hire detached, algorithm-generated news outlets rather than paying great Filipinos to make announcements or commentate on sports—which, as stated above, there’s a lot to discover.

Yet with cutting-edge generative AI, Marco and Maia will, in the words of GMA, "help sports fans keep up with the latest sports news and updates." The two "sportscasters," who can also speak fluent English and Filipino, were developed using AI technology that included picture production, text-to-speech vocal synthesis/generation, plus powerful deep-learning facial animations. They do, however, speak in an extremely flat tone.

Not to mention how around the world, artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent. As a result, the public are wondering where GMA is going to draw the line. Sportscasters came first, then what? A.I. newscasters? AI journalists? Who are all consenting to receive fictitious salaries?

Without a doubt, the GMA ruling lays an alarming paradigm since an unsettling pattern for job stability is set by the deployment of AI sportscasters. The action by GMA Network conveys a troubling message that human beings can be taken over by impersonal, robotic labor in an era where artificial intelligence and automation are currently transforming numerous industries.

True enough, being a well-known media organization, it has a big impact on the market. Adopting AI sportscasters runs the danger of inspiring other entities to do the same, which might result in the demise of human engagement in journalism, communication, and athletics. Thus, if GMA truly wants to promote inclusion in reporting, its top priority should be focusing on hiring and fairly compensating qualified journalists and media workers. It is a cruel act on the part of the "Kapuso" network to choose artificial intelligence over actual human skill.

Conclusively, this not only reduces the variety of viewpoints and views but also creates the path for a time when the automation of machines replaces human competence. Hence, it is crucial to solve the challenges encountered by employees in the media, including problems like contract job opportunities, unjust labor standards, low pay, and a lack of perks, prior to adopting technology with industry-changing powers.

---

Sources:

Nieves, J. (2023). GMA’s New AI Sportscasters Are A Horrible Idea.Retrieved from https://unbox.ph/news/gmas-new-ai-sportscasters-are-a-horrible-idea/