Ethics and Regulatory Vacuum: Formosa TV's Launch of AI News Anchor Sparks Backlash

On June 26, 2023, Formosa TV (FTV) high-profilely debuted Taiwan's first generative 'AI virtual news anchor' for daily weather broadcasts. However, this move immediately drew fierce criticism from academics, media unions, and legislators, who accused FTV of blindly chasing tech gimmicks in a complete vacuum of legal regulations and ethical consensus. Critics argued that unlabeled AI anchors could facilitate the spread of deepfakes, squeeze the employment space of human journalists, and compromise the authenticity and objectivity of news reporting. This incident highlighted FTV prioritizing ratings over media ethics once again, serving as a textbook counter-example of a regulatory and self-discipline vacuum in Taiwan's media in the generative AI era.