WARSAW, Poland -- A Polish radio station has sparked controversy after dismissing its journalists and rebranding this week with AI-generated "presenters. " Following the layoffs of its journalists, OFF Radio Krakow relaunched this week, claiming to initiate “the first experiment in Poland where journalists. . . are virtual characters created by AI. " Located in the southern city of Krakow, the station stated that its three avatars are aimed at attracting younger audiences by discussing cultural, artistic, and social issues, including LGBTQ+ concerns. “Does artificial intelligence represent a greater opportunity or risk to media, radio, and journalism?We will explore this question, ” said station head Marcin Pulit in a statement. The transformation garnered nationwide attention when Mateusz Demski, a journalist and film critic who previously hosted a show on the station, published an open letter on Tuesday denouncing “the replacement of employees with artificial intelligence. ” “This sets a dangerous precedent for everyone, ” he wrote, asserting the risk of entering “a world where experienced media professionals and creative industry workers are displaced by machines. ” By Wednesday morning, over 15, 000 signatures had been collected on his petition, Demski informed The Associated Press.

He also received calls from hundreds of individuals, particularly young people, expressing opposition to such an experiment. Demski worked at OFF Radio Krakow from February 2022, conducting interviews with Ukrainians fleeing war, until August, when he was among a dozen journalists let go. He noted that the move was particularly shocking given that the broadcaster is publicly funded. Pulit maintained that no journalists were dismissed due to AI, arguing that the station’s listenership “was close to zero. " Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's minister of digital affairs and deputy prime minister, responded on Tuesday, stating he had read Demski’s appeal and that legislation is necessary to regulate AI. “While I support AI development, I believe boundaries are increasingly being crossed, ” he wrote on X. “The widespread use of AI must benefit people, not harm them!” On Tuesday, the station aired an “interview” featuring an AI-generated presenter with a voice imitating Wisława Szymborska, the late Polish poet and Nobel Prize winner who passed away in 2012. Michał Rusinek, president of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation, which manages the poet’s legacy, confirmed to broadcaster TVN that he consented to the use of Szymborska’s name in the broadcast, noting that the poet had a sense of humor and would have appreciated it.