Will AI make news reporters a thing of the past?

Last year, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua announced the latest addition to its team of news reporters.

Qiu Hao, dressed in a pinstripe suit and red tie, made his first broadcast in November.

However, unlike his colleagues, the news reporter is not real.

“I am the Chinese AI anchor who just joined Xinhua news agency today,” he said, “my appearance and voice are based on Xinhua news reporter Qiu Hao. But I never need to rest. I offer more than non-stop service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Developed in collaboration with Chinese search engine Sogou, the news anchor uses machine learning to simulate the voice, gestures and movements of human broadcasters. 

The artificial intelligence reporter revealed in a broadcast that he was created by “face recognition, face modelling, speech synthesis, deep learning and other intelligence techniques.”

The real Qiu Hao, on which the digital news reporter is modelled, said that he has mixed feelings upon learning about it. He said that he was curious and intrigued, yet still wondered if he could be replaced. 

“I admit its accuracy and efficiency are way better than me,” he said at the time. However, he believes he has the edge over his digital counterpart, due to his own “richer emotions” and “a more realistic human voice”.


Not content with just one digital news anchor, Xinhua then revealed that they were working on more.

At the World Internet Conference in the city of Wuzhen, Xinhua debuted Zhang Zhow, who broadcasts in English.

This February, the news agency then announced the world’s first female AI news reporter, Xin Xiaomeng.

To date, the AI-powered news reporters have delivered thousands of broadcasts, clocking tens of thousands of minutes behind the desk, all of which the AI news anchors use to improve through deep learning models, developed by some of China’s most innovative AI researchers.


READ MORE: China begins 6G research and development 



China is home to some of the largest tech companies in the world, consistently demonstrating fast growth in artificial intelligence, big data, 5G, Internet of Things and robotics.

However, some industry commentators are concerned by the use of some of the technologies being deployed by state-owned enterprises. Facial and gait recognition is being used nation-wide to monitor citizens, and these SOEs also benefit from preferential government treatment, affording them access to over 1 billion consumers, with untold caches of data.

By leveraging these advantages, the nation’s SOEs are cementing China’s position as a world leader in science and technology research and development, following government roadmaps such as ‘New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Development Plan’ and ‘Made in China 2025’.


Could China claim a global monopoly on technological standards, should their innovation continue to outpace the west? And will their artificial intelligence-powered news reporters one day render their human colleagues obsolete?

Luke Conrad

Technology & Marketing Enthusiast

Birmingham Unveils the UK’s Best Emerging HealthTech Advances

Kosta Mavroulakis • 03rd April 2025

The National HealthTech Series hosted its latest event in Birmingham this month, showcasing innovative startups driving advanced health technology, including AI-assisted diagnostics, wearable devices and revolutionary educational tools for healthcare professionals. Health stakeholders drawn from the NHS, universities, industry and front-line patient care met with new and emerging businesses to define the future trajectory of...

Why DEIB is Imperative to Tech’s Future

Hadas Almog from AppsFlyer • 17th March 2025

We’ve been seeing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives being cut time and time again throughout the tech industry. DEIB dedicated roles have been eliminated, employee resource groups have lost funding, and initiatives once considered crucial have been deprioritised in favour of “more immediate business needs.” The justification for these cuts is often the...

The need to eradicate platform dependence

Sue Azari • 10th March 2025

The advertising industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Connected TV (CTV), Retail Media Networks (RMNs), and omnichannel strategies are rapidly redefining how brands engage with consumers. As digital privacy regulations evolve and platform dynamics shift, advertisers must recognise a fundamental truth. You cannot build a sustainable business on borrowed ground. The recent uncertainty surrounding TikTok...

The need to clean data for effective insight

David Sheldrake • 05th March 2025

There is more data today than ever before. In fact, the total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally has now reached an incredible 149 zettabytes. The growth of the big mountain is not expected to slow down, either, with it expected to reach almost 400 zettabytes within the next three years. Whilst...

What can be done to democratize VDI?

Dennis Damen • 05th March 2025

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offers businesses enhanced security, scalability, and compliance, yet it remains a niche technology. One of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption is a severe talent gap. Many IT professionals lack hands-on VDI experience, as their careers begin with physical machines and increasingly shift toward cloud-based services. This shortage has created a...

Tech and Business Outlook: US Confident, European Sentiment Mixed

Viva Technology • 11th February 2025

The VivaTech Confidence Barometer, now in its second edition, reveals strong confidence among tech executives regarding the impact of emerging technologies on business competitiveness, particularly AI, which is expected to have the most significant impact in the near future. Surveying tech leaders from Europe and North America, 81% recognize their companies as competitive internationally, with...