By Andrew Drummond in Beijing

Move over Sandra Sully, here come Xinyan and Xinhu or whatever their Australian counterparts might be named. Meet the couple who China claimed this week are the world’s first “bionic humanoid robot news anchors”.

The life-size robots have been developed to embody dignity and approachability – and presumably trustworthiness – according to their creators.

“We refine facial expressions, eye movements, lip shapes … to achieve a calm tone, poise and eye contact,” lead designer Zhang Yimou told the World Media Summit in Beijing on Thursday.

Their movement is more robot than human, with regularly tilting and turning heads and darting and blinking eyes. Look closely and it’s easy to see the camera where a human’s pupil would be.

Ask Xinyan or Xinhu a question and they will tap into Xinhua News Agency’s AI tool to deliver a response.

They are “tailor made for news communication scenarios”.

“Rather than replacing news anchors, they assist… adding new experiences,” Zhang said of the robots which have been jointly designed by Ubtech Robotics.

News outlets around the globe are busy trialling artificial intelligence, with some radio networks – including in Australia – already using bot voices to deliver bulletins.

But are robots likely to make an appearance on Aussie TV screens any time soon?

Charles Sturt University senior news and media lecturer and journalist Jock Cheetham is unconvinced.

Online commentators and influencers may be more likely to use AI technology for newsreading, Cheetham said.

But Australian TV newsrooms like the ABC and commercial networks will strive to maintain their brands and the credibility of their star presenters and reporters.

“Established brands won’t want to undermine the trust they have … by using what could become perceived as fake, cheap and maybe even weird,” he said.

“Real presenters will become a hallmark of quality.

“Authenticity is about to become an even more commodifiable asset, and newsreading robots threaten to undermine authenticity, clearly.”

The media summit, hosted by Xinhua, is covering a number of industry issues, with AI disruption top of the pile.

Vice-president of Xinhua told the summit that harnessing AI is about “empowering, not replacing” journalists.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.