The Evening News, Brought to You by AI

I vaguely remember Walter Cronkite reporting the news as the quiet evenings of my childhood slipped into a time less innocent. I don’t recall much of what he said, or how he said it. My parents paid attention, I’m sure, but all I can picture is the man. A reliable, respectable human being. He reported in line with the standards of objective journalism. He was an upright news anchor, and we could believe him. At least, that’s the way I remember him. But maybe I only remember what the adults around me believed. And maybe they only believed what the powers behind the evening news wanted them to believe.

In any case, news coverage is not be what it once was. Now, reporting the facts is less important, perhaps, than supporting the agenda. We may wonder if our media here in America has fallen under a spell of sorts, but we get the gist of daily events from men and women who are not under any real coercion to tell us lies. They may cloud the truth. They might hope to sway us. But at least they’re not being programmed. Yet.

When I first heard of China’s AI news anchors I thought, why build a robot to read the evening news? Why not create a friendly teller who could never be tempted to steal money from the bank? Or a nice waiter who doesn’t require a tip? In my books about the world’s first transhuman, I wrote about the convergence of politics and entertainment, about the use of the media to set the pulse of the nation, so I get it. A trustworthy face at the end of the day to spin the bad news with compassion, and praise certain leaders with a confident nod, is a better use of AI technology.

China’s first AI anchor was introduced a few months ago, and recently joined by a female counterpart. The male anchor is handsome, perfectly groomed. The female, modeled after a real reporter, appears impeccable, right down to her pearl earrings. The political slant of these two is not an issue, since they’re not real. They have no agenda. No opinion. Their standards are unquestionable. They are just as safe, as welcoming, as quaintly familiar as Walter Cronkite with his gray mustache. And people will believe whatever they say, welcoming their calming voices at the end of the day. But an AI anchor has no voice. Not really.

China leads the way in AI. How long until that country’s friendly couple are replicated with American features, maybe a slight Midwest accent? Would AI anchors in the U.S.A. grow a new level of trust between the people and the media? Would their programming encourage adherence to the old standards of objective journalism? If not, maybe nobody would notice. 

Maybe no one will notice at all when the robots bring us the evening news.

Click here to see China's AI news anchors in action:

Male anchor

Female anchor

Three Ways to Avoid Becoming a Public Spectacle

(Or how to become one if that's what you want.)

In my last post, Three Ways to Maneuver a Cultural Shift, I wrote about how a Christian can stand fast in the post-Christian world. Encouraging words for the believer, but I sensed there was more to say about enduring the daily information overload. About being exposed to every wave of public opinion. It's easy to get pulled in, but avoidance is vital.

The Sunday following that post we recited a verse in church, and a particular phrase stood out. I’d never considered exactly what was meant in this passage by "public spectacle."

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13b-15

Later, I looked up the term. Simply put, it can mean any form of entertainment. In Roman times, a public spectacle was comprised of games, festivals, competitions and chariot races, as well as plays. They were also celebrations of military victories, funerals, and exhibitory fights to the death. The Collosians would have thought of a public spectacle as a conquered ruler paraded through the region for all to see.

In the modern world, we might consider a public spectacle to be someone who did something inappropriate or embarrassing, either by accident or intentionally. They may appear ignorant or rebellious, or wildly entertaining. They catch our eye with something we don’t necessarily want to see, but we can’t help but stare. Some people might feel pity, outrage, or disgust. But others will praise the audacity of the act. With the proliferation of social media, anyone can become a public spectacle with little effort.

Sometimes a public spectacle parades such indecency that even the unredeemed take offense. A comedian made a public spectacle of herself on July fourth by dressing up in patriotic garb and spouting offensive jokes in her “God bless abortion” celebration. Perhaps a few other pro-choice militants thought it was funny, but anyone with a sense of compassion must have found the event shockingly awkward. From either side of the argument, abortion is not funny, and it shouldn’t be “on the dollar menu at McDonald's” as that foul comic has proclaimed.

Regarding the verse in Colossians, like a public spectacle in ancient times, the minions of Satan, the fallen angels, and the powers of sin and death were disarmed for all the spiritual realm to see. A show of victory, a funeral for demonic rule, a fight to the death. But wasn’t Jesus the one who died? Perhaps the cheering throng of evil powers thought so for a moment in time, but the resurrection shut their mouths.

The powers and authorities still attempt to mock God and the work of the cross. They rouse acts of ignorance and rebellion among humankind. But to the discerning spirit they're nothing more than shameful. And God will one day shut their mouths, too.

So, how do you avoid becoming a public spectacle in this day and age?

1)    Don’t let foolish talk come out of your mouth.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:4

Yes, even Christians have a problem here. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have needed this instruction.

2)    Redirect your attention.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:37

Sometimes we can’t help wanting all this life has to offer, even if it's not good for us. The world is seductive, but God is our strength. The psalmist asked God to guide his thoughts and desires. That should be our prayer.

3)    Be careful where your feet take you, where your friends lead you, and where your devotion keeps you.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

Psalm 1:1

This doesn’t mean isolate yourself from sinners, just don’t adopt their practices. If God is greater than all powers and authorities, then your influence on those around you should be greater than their influence on you.

But…if you want to make a public spectacle of yourself, and it seems some people have that ambition, then go ahead and talk like a fool. Lock your eyes on the empty allure of this world. And take your seat among those who mock the God of the Universe. Would He really be offended? We’ll find out soon enough.