The New Face of Finance? How an AI Anchor Became the Public Face of RTVI
Russian broadcaster RTVI has introduced a new on-air presenter to cover global financial markets and the day's key economic developments. The catch is that Mara Verner is not a human journalist but an AI-generated character created specifically at the request of the newsroom.
RTVI has been using artificial intelligence in its editorial workflows for years and does not view Mara as an experiment. Instead, the broadcaster sees her as a new editorial format. On screen, Mara Verner is identified as "RTVI AI Analyst." Judging by her reports, she appears remarkably well versed in economics.
Avatar With a Backstory
Like a human presenter, Mara Verner has a biography. According to the creative concept behind the project, she is 34 years old and previously worked as a financial analyst before moving into the media industry. Directors, stylists, and RTVI presenters collaborated on everything from her appearance and body language to her voice and mannerisms in an effort to make the character feel natural. At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish Mara from the broadcaster's human anchors.
Technology has advanced to the point where IT professionals can create a convincing alternative to a live presenter. Even so, people still decide what goes on air and what kind of avatar viewers ultimately see. Mara can present content around the clock, but the newsroom remains responsible for preparing every script, verifying facts, checking calculations, and taking editorial responsibility for everything that reaches the audience.
"In recent years, digital presenters have appeared in media projects around the world. RTVI, however, is applying the technology in a new way by making artificial intelligence the permanent face of its economics segment rather than treating it as a one-time experiment or a demonstration of what neural networks can do. The project reflects RTVI's broader approach to adopting new technologies: artificial intelligence becomes part of the editorial process while preserving journalism's core principles, including fact-checking, editorial oversight, and responsibility for published content," the RTVI editorial team said.
One of the First – But Unlikely to Be the Last
Mara is not Russia's first AI television presenter, but she is the first to combine a fully developed backstory, a highly realistic appearance, and polished delivery. Earlier experiments paved the way. In 2021, the virtual presenter Elena, developed by SberDevices, became a co-host of the Markets and Investor Calendar programs on RBC TV. Regional broadcaster SvoeTV Stavropol Region later introduced a virtual weather presenter named Snezhana Tumanova. A similar experiment also appeared on Krasnoyarsk-based Prima TV. In March 2023, an AI presenter named Daria joined the channel's Friday news broadcast alongside human anchors. Her avatar was created using the Movio platform, while AI also generated the news scripts.
Industry experts believe AI presenters will become increasingly common. Growing interest in the technology is expected to accelerate development across Russia's AI sector while supporting the emergence of a domestic market for virtual presenter platforms that is less dependent on foreign technologies and expertise.
Human Anchor or AI Presenter?
Human presenters remain familiar and relatable, but they cannot record podcasts for days on end. They get sick, need time away from work, and, particularly in television production, require wardrobe changes and professional makeup.
A digital presenter, by contrast, does not require a salary, breaks, or vacation. It can also accelerate content production by recording multiple editions and localized versions without additional studio time or repeat filming. A single AI character can appear simultaneously on television, streaming platforms, social media, and mobile applications.
Media companies could reduce the cost of maintaining large editorial operations. At the same time, creating a high-quality, realistic AI presenter requires substantial investment in character design, model training, and ongoing editorial oversight. As a result, the strongest economic benefits are likely to come from producing large volumes of standardized or multilingual content.
Even so, AI assistants cannot fully replace journalists or professional presenters. Financial reporting still demands verified figures, an understanding of market context, and accurate explanations of why markets move. Any mistake made by a digital presenter is likely to be interpreted by viewers as the position of the news organization itself, making editors and subject-matter experts indispensable.
The most viable model is a hybrid one. Artificial intelligence can handle visualization, voice generation, and large-scale content production, while journalists remain responsible for reporting, analysis, fact-checking, and maintaining editorial standards. Ultimately, the success of RTVI's project will depend on audience trust, which will only develop if Mara consistently delivers accurate and useful information.
