India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has told private satellite television channels that artificial intelligence should be used only in an “assistive capacity”. The October 21 advisory names “virtual news presentations” among the uses needing caution, alongside graphics and other generative AI tools in telecast. It asks channels not to compromise the accuracy, authenticity or sensitivity of news content and to stay within the Programme Code.
But the advisory does not define what “assistive” means, and it does not say whether AI news anchors are covered. That matters because several major news brands already use them — and so does the government’s own broadcaster.
The AI-anchor contradiction
Aaj Tak launched AI anchor Sana in March 2023; it has interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft’s Brad Smith and actor Shah Rukh Khan. The channel also runs Anjana 2.0, an AI version of anchor Anjana Om Kashyap. India Today Group introduced its AI anchor Sutra in February, built with government-backed BharatGen. News18, Odisha TV, Power TV and BIG TV use AI presenters too.
BIG TV CEO Ajay Reddy Konda told Newslaundry in 2025 that an AI anchor costs about Rs 7,000–8,000 a month, against Rs 70,000–80,000 for a human anchor. A five-minute AI bulletin still takes two to three hours because the script is written and edited manually. So the economics push towards AI even when the output needs human work.
Doordarshan, under the same ministry, introduced AI Krish and AI Bhoomi on DD Kisan in May 2024. In March, MIB told a parliamentary committee it wanted to expand AI use in DD News, including AI anchors for recorded programmes, voice-overs, package identification and translation. Unlike its other instructions, the AI section does not cite a specific Programme Code provision. The advisory also does not ask channels to label AI anchors, even though MeitY has asked social media platforms to label synthetic content. Fact-checkers have documented fake AI clips of Indian anchors making false political statements, which makes labelling relevant for viewers.
What else the advisory covers
The advisory arises from an Inter-Departmental Committee review that found some telecasts were not in conformity with the spirit of the Programme Code. The committee noticed similar news and visuals across channels and warned against normalising inappropriate behaviour or language. Specific instructions:
- Anti-terror operations: Do not go live; time-stamp visuals to avoid a misleading impression of live coverage.
- Debates: Select and pre-sensitise panellists carefully; use muting, disclaimers or cut the feed where necessary.
- Maps: Use only Survey of India maps.
- Disasters and crime: Time-stamp disaster visuals, avoid looping disturbing footage and report crime from verified facts.
- Victims of sexual offences: Do not publish identifying details.
The ministry also wants broadcasters to run workshops and training on the Programme Code for editorial and production teams.
Why this matters for media planners
For advertisers and media buyers, AI anchors have been a capacity story: cheap, repeatable, localisable video. The advisory signals that regulator attention is shifting to how those formats are produced and disclosed. It also puts AI-generated news presentation inside the same enforcement track as other Programme Code breaches. Between 2021 and 2025, MIB took 144 actions against private satellite channels, including 50 warnings, 54 apology-scroll orders and three off-air orders. That makes AI usage a sensible item in a TV partner compliance checklist, not just an editorial debate.
Source: MEDIANAMA
