‘Fedha’ appeared on Kuwait News’ Twitter account, with plans to read bulletins online.
A Kuwaiti media outlet has unveiled a virtual news presenter generated using artificial intelligence, with plans to read bulletins online.
“Fedha” appeared on the Kuwait News website’s Twitter account as an image of a woman, her light-colored hair uncovered, wearing a black jacket and white T-shirt.
“I am Fedha, the first presenter in Kuwait to work with artificial intelligence at Kuwait News. What kind of news do you prefer? Let’s hear your opinion,’ she heard her say in classical Arabic.
This is the case #الكويت How does it work?
• #فضة.. مذيعة #كويت_نيوز الافتراضية
• If you have payment arrears #فضة زميلتنا الجديدة؟ .. شاركونا آراءكم pic.twitter.com/VlVjasSdpb
— كويت نيوز (@KuwaitNews) April 8, 2023
Kuwait Times – which merged with Kuwait News in 2022 – was founded in 1961 as the first English-language daily newspaper in the Gulf region. Abdullah Boftain, deputy editor of the publication and website, said the move is a test of AI’s potential to offer “new and innovative content”.
He added that Fedha could adopt the Kuwaiti accent in the future and present news bulletins on the site’s Twitter account.
“Fedha is a popular old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver, the metal. We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic in color, so we combined the two,” Boftain said.
The presenter’s blonde hair and light-colored eyes reflect the diverse population of Kuwaiti and expatriates in the oil-rich country, according to Boftain.
The rapid rise of AI worldwide has sparked the promise of benefits, such as in healthcare and the abolition of mundane tasks, but also fears, for example about the potential spread of disinformation and the threat to certain jobs and artistic integrity.