News Broadcasting
“I am first of a kind”, says News 1st’s Maya
Mumbai: AI is the talk of the town. Brands across industries are adopting AI in different forms.
In tune with the times, News Media too is stepping up AI adoption. News 1st, Karnataka’s fastest growing news brand, has become South India’s first regional news channel to generate an AI-based Meta human news anchor.
She’s called AI Maya. She can do everything a regular news anchor can. Question, debate and look the part. And she’ll be on News 1st everyday.
“News First is in the forefront of programming and technological innovation. We’ve always been the first to adapt and adopt, be it broadcast technology, on-air graphics softwares, program content, or program names. So moving first on AI and integrating an AI-based Meta Human News Anchor into our broadcasting was only natural for us,” said News 1st Kannada MD & CEO S Ravikumar.
It took News First three months to evolve, identify and create this impressive AI model for its viewers. AI Maya is conversant in multiple languages. But for News First’s viewers, she will start by delivering news in Kannada on TV & Digital. AI Maya is also ready to deliver news in English.
“We are looking for Maya to utilise machine learning algorithms to revolutionise TV presentation by a meta-human. We will be deploying this for news and special stories,” said News 1st Kannada editor-in-chief Maruthi SH.
News First has taken the lead in ushering in technology, AI-generated news delivery, revolutionising news production and setting a landmark for regional news broadcasters in the south.
“This is just the beginning. Maya has delivered her first news bulletin and showcased her knowledge & linguistic capabilities in English and Kannada. We are now working on training her to deliver a more interactive programme soon,” said Ravikumar.
The MD & CEO of News First, S Ravikumar has interviewed Ai Maya to understand her capabilities and excellence in news presentation. The question and answer session was aired by News First Kannada at 8:30pm on Thursday, 13 July.
A unique ASK MAYA daily show is in the works. Viewers can pose their questions to MAYA via the dedicated WhatsApp phone number or email id provided. The top five viewer questions of the day will be answered by Maya at a scheduled time slot.
The team is working to make Maya more interactive to be able to answer questions in real-time and replace the traditional news delivery.
Like they say, it’s all Maya. Now it’s AI Maya from News 1st Kannada.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
