The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has asked private satellite TV channels to limit their use of artificial intelligence (AI) to an “assistive capacity” in an advisory that names “virtual news presentations” among the uses requiring caution. The advisory does not define assistive use or clarify whether the guidance covers AI news anchors, which channels including Aaj Tak, News18 and Odisha TV use to present bulletins and conduct interviews.
MIB’s own broadcaster, Doordarshan (DD), also uses AI anchors. In March, MIB told a parliamentary committee that it wanted to expand their use.
The advisory, signed on October 21, says:
“Channels are advised to exercise due caution while using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its tools, including Generative AI, in telecast of programmes (such as but not limited to creation of graphics, virtual news presentations, etc.). The use of AI tools may be limited to assistive capacity without compromising the accuracy, authenticity, or sensitivity of the news content while adhering to the Programme Code.”
The advisory does not cite any provision of the Programme Code to support its AI guidance, although it cites a provision for every other instruction.
How do channels use AI anchors?
- Aaj Tak: Its AI anchor, Sana, launched in March 2023, 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 its anchor Anjana Om Kashyap, during prime time.
- India Today Group: The group unveiled Sutra, a new AI anchor developed with government-backed BharatGen, at the India AI Impact Summit in February.
- Regional channels: News18, Odisha TV, Power TV and BIG TV use AI anchors. BIG TV CEO Ajay Reddy Konda told Newslaundry in 2025 that an AI anchor costs about Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 a month, compared with Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 for a human anchor. He said preparing a five-minute AI bulletin takes two to three hours, “including manually writing and editing the script.”
What has MIB said about AI anchors before? DD Kisan, DD’s agriculture channel, introduced two AI news anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, in May 2024. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology praised the move and urged MIB to expand the use of AI in broadcasting.
In March, MIB told the committee that “AI-based content generation can greatly benefit DD News in several areas, including AI anchors for recorded programs, AI-generated voice-overs, automated identification of packages and sound bytes, and translation into multiple regional languages,” as we reported.
How have AI clones of anchors been misused? Fake AI videos featuring Indian news anchors have circulated online, spreading false political claims. Fact-checking organisation Factly found that a manipulated video falsely showed Kashyap apologising for supporting the government.
Another video falsely showed NDTV’s Abhishek Sengupta saying that the Tejas jet involved in a recent crash had not been cleared to fly. BOOM described the video as part of a wider pattern of AI-generated clips showing Indian anchors making politically sensitive statements.
MIB’s advisory does not require channels to label AI anchors. Such labels could help viewers distinguish a channel’s authorised AI anchor, such as Anjana 2.0, from a fake one. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which regulates online content, has asked social media platforms to label synthetic content.
What else does the advisory say? MIB issued the advisory on the recommendation of its Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC), which found that some channels’ telecasts were “not in conformity with the spirit of the Programme Code”. The IDC observed “instances of similar news/visuals broadcast on multiple channels on similar topics” and said that “inappropriate behaviour or language should not be normalized in telecast”.
The advisory asks channels to:
- Anti-terror operations: Avoid live coverage and time-stamp visuals to prevent “any misleading impression of live coverage”. MIB issued similar advisories in June 2024 and April 2025.
- Debates: Ensure programmes do not “promote or encourage communal or anti-national attitudes” through the “careful selection and pre-sensitisation of the panellists”. Channels should use muting, disclaimers or “discontinuation of feed” where necessary.
- Maps: Use only maps of India published by the Survey of India.
- Disasters and crime: Time-stamp visuals of disasters, avoid “excessive repetition or looping of disturbing visuals” and report crime based on “verified facts”.
- Victims of sexual offences: Avoid disclosing details that could identify victims.
The advisory also asks broadcasters to organise workshops and training sessions on the Programme Code for their editorial and production teams.
What happens if channels don’t comply? “Any violation of the Programme Code may invite action under the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules framed thereunder,” the advisory says.
Between 2021 and 2025, MIB took 144 actions against private satellite channels, including 50 warnings, 54 orders to run apology scrolls and three off-air orders. The government disclosed these figures in a reply to the Rajya Sabha in February.
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