Over the weekend, the Kuwait News website revealed their latest creation, a virtual news presenter named “Fedha” generated entirely by artificial intelligence. The avatar, depicted as a woman with uncovered hair, donned a black jacket and white t-shirt, and is expected to read online bulletins in the near future.
“I’m Fedha, the first presenter in Kuwait who works with artificial intelligence at Kuwait News. What kind of news do you prefer? Let’s hear your opinions”
she said in Arabic
The Kuwait News website, which is associated with the Kuwait Times – the first English-language daily newspaper in the Gulf region established in 1961, has conducted an experiment to explore the capabilities of artificial intelligence in producing “new and innovative content.” Abdullah Boftain, who serves as the Deputy Editor in Chief for both media outlets, made this statement regarding the virtual news presenter’s debut.
Boftain also mentioned that in the future, “Fedha” could potentially acquire the Kuwaiti accent and deliver news broadcasts on the Kuwait News website’s Twitter account, which boasts a following of 1.2 million users.
“Fedha is a popular, old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver … We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic in color, so we combined the two”
Boftain said
According to Boftain, the virtual news anchor’s appearance with blonde hair and light-colored eyes was intended to reflect the diverse population of Kuwait, which includes both Kuwaitis and expatriates. “Fedha represents everyone,” he added.
After the initial 13-second video of the AI-generated presenter was released, it garnered a considerable amount of attention on social media, with even journalists weighing in with their reactions.
The swift global advancement of AI technology has brought about the possibility of numerous benefits, particularly in healthcare.
However, it has also sparked concerns about its potential to disseminate disinformation, as well as the risk it poses to job security and creative authenticity.
In the 2022 Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Kuwait was placed at the 158th spot out of 180 countries and territories surveyed.
