DD Kisan Launches AI Anchors Krish and Bhoomi to Deliver Multilingual News for Farmers

Speaking 50 Indian and international languages, the AI anchors will be able to read news on the channel that is specific to farmers. AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, the two anchors, will provide essential information on government programs, weather fluctuations, and agricultural research. Doordarshan has also hopped on the artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon as it sweeps the globe. On May 26, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, two new AI anchors, will make their debut on DD Kisan, the public broadcaster's agriculture channel.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the AI anchors would be able to talk in 50 Indian and international languages and will read news on the channel that is relevant to farmers. Additionally, it states that DD Kisan will be the first TV network with state support to use AI anchors. 

An official statement stated,"Doordarshan Kisan (AI Krish and AI Bhoomi) will introduce two AI anchors. These news anchors are computers that function just like humans—that is, they are computers that are just like humans. They can read the news 365 days a year without getting bored or tired."

The two AI anchors, which are accessible to watch from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and from Gujarat to Arunachal, will provide essential information regarding agricultural research that is taking place both domestically and internationally. Additionally, they offer information on weather variations, government programs, and "mandis" or agricultural patterns. The most recent launch coincides with a shift in the direction of more Indian news outlets using AI in their newsrooms. Aaj Tak refers to its AI news anchor, Sana, as opposed to Odisha TV's Lisa. Similar to this, Soundrya debuted on the Kannada news network Power TV last year, and News18 Punjab Haryana's AI anchor goes by AI Kaur.

The main advantage appears to be that AI platforms can read continually and do not get tired like human counterparts do. Long-term costs might also be lower with them. However, the use of AI anchors also brings up issues that detractors have brought up, like employment losses. Furthermore, some AI models still have bugs and might not provide viewers with the best possible news viewing experience. The launch is noteworthy in addition because it shows that the administration is fully in favor of AI and its integration into essential government operations.

This is in addition to the Center's core IndiaAI Mission, which in the next years seeks to cultivate a dynamic and creative GenAI ecosystem in the nation. The initiative's funding has been doubled by the government to INR 20,000 Cr, to be distributed over the following five years. The government also intends to develop the next generation of government websites that would allow people to access them in the language of their choice with the help of its AI-powered translation engine, BHASHINI.

According to the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Center intends to regulate the AI industry in a way that promotes innovation. The domestic GenAI market, which is anticipated to develop to a $17 billion opportunity by 2030, is at the center of this.