AI VJs Are Taking Over Your Music TV Channel
It seems the controversy around the AI actress Tilly Norwood was just the beginning of a new trend in entertainment.
The Dawn of AI-Powered VJs on ROXi
FastStream Interactive, a company specializing in interactive TV technology, has officially unveiled its new lineup of AI-generated television presenters. These virtual hosts are set to appear on FastStream’s interactive music channel, ROXi, where they will introduce musicians and their video clips, much like the iconic VJs of MTV's golden era. The ROXi channel is currently available on Nextgen TV in 31 U.S. markets, including major cities like Washington DC, Seattle, and Las Vegas, and is also broadcast on Sky services across the UK and Ireland.
Star-Studded Backing for a Tech Revolution
The move comes after a management buyout of ROXi earlier this year, which formed FastStream. The company isn't short on high-profile support; its investor list reads like a who's who of the music and business worlds. Backers include broadcast giants Sinclair and Gray Media, U2 bassist Adam Clayton and former manager Paul McGuinness, Simon Cowell, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Terra Firma Founder Guy Hands, and British billionaire businessman Jim Mellon.
The Case for Virtual Presenters
In a statement, FastStream Interactive CEO Rob Lewis highlighted the significant cost-saving advantages of using virtual talent. "With AI we can have ROXi presenters introducing Beyoncé from a yacht moored off her favorite Caribbean Island without having to hire and fly in a production team or charter the yacht," he explained. While acknowledging the concerns of actors and presenters, Lewis argued that the television industry must innovate to survive. He believes embracing AI-generated talent is essential to attract younger audiences back to traditional TV.
Responding to inquiries, FastStream further explained that with a massive catalog of 100 million music videos, it would be logistically and financially impossible to use traditional production methods to create personalized introductions at such a scale. The company confirmed that all AI presenters will be clearly identified as such on-screen and that it maintains a strict policy against including unlicensed AI-generated music in its library.
Under the Hood: The Technology and Its Unanswered Questions
The AI presenters were created using a proprietary platform developed in-house by FastStream, which integrates with Google's Veo3 for video generation. However, the company did not provide details on the data used to train its AI models. This lack of transparency is a major point of contention, echoing one of the main criticisms leveled against the creators of Tilly Norwood, who were accused of training their AI on the uncompensated work of professional actors.
Actors' Union Fires Back: The Wild West of AI
The British actors' trade union, Equity, was quick to respond. A spokesperson stated, "Whether it’s an AI actor or AI TV presenter, real human data inputs are used to train AI systems and generate these digital assets. Performers’ work and likeness must not be scraped, stolen or illegally processed." The union drew a parallel to music rights, noting that just as ROXi ensures music rights holders are properly compensated, the same standard must apply to the performance data used to create its AI hosts. "The Wild West of AI performance creation cannot continue to rip off performers for the profits of private tech companies whose businesses may put them out of work," the spokesperson concluded.
