DECODING THE SUCCESS OF INDIA’S FIRST AI NEWS ANCHOR LISA: A STUDY OF VIEWERSHIP AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ON OTV’S ENGLISH YOUTUBE CHANNEL

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of journalism and mass media has given rise to the advent of AI anchors, the personalities designed by advance computer technology for news delivery. Odisha Television Network (OTV) introduced AI anchor LISA in 13th July 2023, India’s first AI news anchor in the Odia language, making remarkable landmark in the evolution of journalism. This research aims to examine LISA’s performance on OTV’s YouTube channel of English by analysing viewership’s trends, audience engagement to particular content and content effectiveness. The paper focuses on understanding the factors and causes contributing to the decline of viewership of AI anchor LISA’s presented news YouTube videos. By analysing viewership data of YouTube videos, the study identifies trends and patterns that reflect a decrease in audience engagement over time. The paper also tries to explore the effectiveness of LISA’s content in terms of viewer retention, interaction and satisfaction. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of viewership data with qualitative feedback from viewers. Surveys and focus group discussion are done to gather insights into audience perceptions and preferences about LISA’s AI integrated news delivery. The findings reveal that several key factors affecting viewership, including the novelty effect (This indicates that people get very excited and interested in new things when they are initially introduced but gradually its effect decreases) wearing off, competition from traditional anchors, and potential issues with content relevance and presentation style.