On Wednesday, May 14, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introduced Ankita, an AI virtual anchor. CM shared a video where seen Ankita presenting the latest decisions from a recent Assam Cabinet meeting.
She looked and sounded like a real person—speaking fluent Assamese and explaining key updates of Assam Cabinet meeting in a professional tone.
CM Sarma wrote:
“Meet Ankita, our AI anchor who brings to you the latest updates on the recent #AssamCabinet meeting. From approving change of Dibrugarh Airport’s name after Bhupen Hazarika to one time grant for tea garden workers, we took a host of decisions for the public. Drop in your views!”
What Ankita Ai Anchor Reported
In the video shared by the Chief Minister, Ankita spoke about:
- The renaming of Dibrugarh Airport after Bhupen Hazarika
- A time grant for tea garden workers
- Other important public-focused decisions taken during the cabinet meeting
Public Reactions Assam AI Anchor
The video quickly went viral and received mixed reactions:
- Some people praised the innovation, saying, “Amazing! You are transforming Assam, the state I love and where I grew up. I want Assam to be the benchmark state in service deliver to the poor, top the table in economic development and compete with Kerala/Rajasthan for tourism. As an IPS officers son, I am very happy to see you invest in improving local police stations and building trust between the public and the police.”
- Others worried about jobs being lost, with one saying, ” Should have hired a real person at least this would have create a job opportunity:).”
- Another user said, “Ankita is a cool concept – making governance updates more accessible.”
- Another user said, “This will be an innovation in developed Assam, not only in the roads and streets but also in the field of science and AI.”
AI Anchors: A Global Trend
AI anchors like Ankita are powered by natural language processing and text-to-speech technology. They speak fluently, express emotions, and can work 24/7 without needing breaks or salaries.
This trend began in countries like China, where the first AI anchor “Xin Xiaowei” appeared in 2018.
AI anchors are not replacing human journalists yet, but they are changing the way news is shared. These digital anchors make news more efficient, affordable and accessible—especially in multiple languages.
As the world moves forward, the newsrooms also finding new ways to blend technology and journalism in this exciting digital age.