tvOne's metahuman anchors made Indonesian news multilingual without layoffs

tvOne wanted to extend news coverage beyond the physical presence of its presenters and reach Indonesia's many language and demographic groups. Anchor Fahada Indi said the format was practical because she could report from anywhere without being physically present at the office.

The channel introduced three digital anchors in April 2023: Nadira, modeled on Indi, plus Sasya and Bhoomi. Indi supplied the reporting voice while the avatar delivered the on-screen movements; an AI translation system produced English, Chinese, Javanese, and Sundanese versions. The avatars were designed and maintained by an in-house team.

tvOne's key choice was a hybrid workflow rather than fully automated news. The company said tests showed human presenters produced better intonation, and its CEO emphasized human decision-making to reduce misinformation and stereotyping. The rollout kept existing employees in place, and the channel planned to develop more avatars.

Three avatars let tvOne use a reporter's voice across English, Chinese, Javanese, and Sundanese while retaining staff and planning more avatars.

A real presenter preserved intonation and human judgment after tvOne found fully AI-generated news performed worse.

An avatar let Fahada Indi report remotely while the on-screen anchor remained consistent.

One production could be adapted for English, Chinese, Javanese, and Sundanese audiences.

An in-house team could maintain the new format without cutting existing staff.

Automate the repeatable presentation layer, but keep human judgment, voice, and editorial control where trust and nuance matter.

By June 2023, tvOne had three metahuman anchors and said it planned to develop more. The broader Indonesian market was also putting virtual humans into news, airport immigration, banking, and influencer roles, but the article's practitioners still described human creativity and judgment as necessary for trust and an effective persona.