Meet Fedha, the AI-powered news anchor unveiled in Kuwait
Kuwaiti media has announced a virtual news anchor created with artificial intelligence, which plans to read online bulletins.
“Fedha” appeared on the Kuwait News website’s Twitter account on Saturday as a picture of a woman with bare blonde hair wearing a black jacket and a white T-shirt.
“I’m Fedha, the first anchor in Kuwait to work on AI at Kuwait News. What kind of news do you like more? Let’s hear your opinions,” she said in classical Arabic.
The site is affiliated with the Kuwait Times, which was founded in 1961 as the Gulf region’s first English-language daily.
Abdullah Boftain, deputy editor-in-chief of both outlets, said the move is a test of AI’s ability to deliver “new and innovative content.”
In the future, Fedha could adopt a Kuwaiti accent and present news bulletins on the site’s Twitter account, which has 1.2 million followers, he said.
“Fedha is a popular, old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver, a metal. We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic, so we combined the two,” Boftain said.
According to Boftain, the host’s blond hair and light eyes reflect the diversity of Kuwaitis and foreigners in the oil-rich country.
“Fedha represents everyone,” he said.
His first 13-second video sparked a flood of reactions on social media, including from journalists.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence worldwide has increased promises of benefits, such as in healthcare and the elimination of everyday tasks, but also fears of, for example, its possible spread of disinformation, a threat to certain jobs and artistic integrity.
Kuwait ranked 158th out of 180 countries and territories in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2022 Press Freedom Index.
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