Polish radio station replaces journalists with AI-generated presenters
OFF Radio Cracovia in Poland dismissed all its journalists and replaced them with three AI-generated avatars named Emi, Kuba, and Alex. The station claimed the dismissals were due to low audience ratings, but the move drew criticism from dismissed journalists and Poland's Digital Affairs Minister for displacing human workers in media.
What happened
OFF Radio Cracovia dismissed all its journalists and replaced them with three AI-generated avatars named Emi, Kuba, and Alex, described as the station's first experiment in Poland with virtual AI presenters.
The station stated that the dismissals were due to audience ratings that were close to zero, and said the avatars were designed to reach younger audiences by covering cultural, artistic, social topics and LGBTQ+ concerns.
Reported impact
Dismissed journalist Mateusz Demski, who had worked at the station since 2022, published a protest letter calling the move a dangerous precedent that would replace experienced media workers with machines.
Poland's Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski expressed concern about the impact on human employment in the media industry.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.