"So Convincingly Replicated, Even the Proportions Match" Robot News Anchors Created by Chinese Film Director

Director Zhang Yimou Oversaw the Overall Design

Optimized for Live News Broadcasts

"Set to Support a Range of News-Related Work"

A humanoid robot news anchor with human-like proportions has appeared in China, drawing attention.

A humanoid robot news anchor has appeared in China, drawing widespread attention. Screenshot from a China Xinhua News broadcast.

On November 5, Xinhua News Agency reported that a humanoid robot anchor made its debut at a forum on artificial intelligence (AI) held that day as part of the 7th World Media Summit.

Replicated with human-like proportions...Specialized in news reporting

A humanoid robot news anchor has appeared in China, drawing attention. Screenshot from a China Xinhua News broadcast.

The robot anchors unveiled this time were jointly developed by Xinhua News Agency and UBTECH Robotics, with Zhang Yimou, the director of "Red Sorghum," "To Live," and "Coming Home," serving as chief designer. Named Xinyan and Xinyu, respectively, the anchors were designed specifically for news reporting.

The two robot news anchors were replicated with the same proportions as real people. Combining Xinhua News Agency's AI-powered political information system with UBTECH's proprietary technology, they are equipped with bionic skin, intelligent hardware, an operating system (OS), and emotional intelligence. They can deliver live news broadcasts.

Director Zhang said he focused on cinematic aesthetics and character development while also working to create the atmosphere and naturalness of a news broadcast. He said he concentrated on the overall impression, making the robots look professional and lifelike while imitating real people.

Set to support a range of work beyond anchoring

A humanoid robot news anchor has made headlines in China. The 7th World Media Summit Forum on Artificial Intelligence and Chinese-Style Modernization.

Chen Tong, director of Xinhua News Agency's New Media Center, said the robot anchors represent a new role in the newsroom, not new stars. He explained that they would also support a broad range of work, including news reporting, multilingual content production, and on-site communication.

Zhou Jian, founder of UBTECH Robotics, said the robot anchors were the result of collaboration across multiple industries. He also explained that Xinhua News Agency's AI-powered political information system had been used to build a technological pipeline linking cognition, expression, and control. "They are expected to be deployed in various fields, including future research, overseas cultural exchange, and space exploration reporting," he added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.