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A Polish radio station drew criticism this week after it fired its journalists and replaced them with “presenters” generated by artificial intelligence (AI), prompting calls for laws to regulate the use of the technology, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

On Tuesday, OFF Radio Krakow launched its new operations by airing an “interview” conducted by an AI-generated presenter mimicking the voice of the late Polish poet and Nobel laureate Wisława Szymborska.

The station, based in the southern city of Krakow, called it “the first experiment in Poland in which journalists … are virtual characters created by AI.”

Station head Marcin Pulit explained that three AI-generated hosts were designed to reach young listeners by speaking about subjects of concern to them. He added that it is an experiment: “Is artificial intelligence more of an opportunity or a threat to media, radio and journalism? We will seek answers to this question.”

Still, the initiative sparked controversy after one former OFF Radio Krakow host Mateusz Demski published an open letter this week condemning “the replacement of employees with artificial intelligence.”

“It is a dangerous precedent that hits us all,” he wrote.

More than 15,000 people signed a petition objecting to the changes. The outrage also attracted the attention of the Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who called for rules in regulating AI.

“The widespread use of AI must be done for people, not against them!” the minister wrote on X.

The switch to AI-generated presenters puzzled Demski and the station’s advisory board because OFF Radio Krakow is part of the country’s public broadcasting network and funded by taxpayers.

Pulit responded to the controversy, saying that the journalists were dismissed because of poor ratings, according to Poland’s TVP World. He added that the AI experiment would last three months after which a new generation of journalists would take over.