First AI-powered newscaster presents in Kuwait

Kuwait News has recently introduced its first-ever artificial intelligence (AI) news anchor named Fedha. The blonde-haired AI moderator made her debut over the weekend on the Kuwait News Twitter feed, dressed in a black jacket and white top, and introduced herself in Arabic. Fedha is the first AI moderator for the news outlet, associated with the Kuwait Times, the first Gulf region English-language daily established in 1961.

Abdullah Boftain, Deputy editor-in-chief for both platforms, explained that the objective of introducing Fedha is to explore AI’s potential for creating modern and creative content. Boftain added that in the future, Fedha may acquire the Kuwaiti accent and address news publications on Twitter to the station’s 1.2 million followers. Fedha’s name was chosen because it is a famous old Kuwaiti name meaning “Silver and Metal,” reflecting people’s imagination of robots as silver and metallic.

أول مذيعة في #الكويت تعمل بالذكاء الاصطناعي

• #فضة.. مذيعة #كويت_نيوز الافتراضية

• ما هي نوعية الأخبار التي تفضلونها بتقديم #فضة زميلتنا الجديدة؟ .. شاركونا آراءكم pic.twitter.com/VlVjasSdpb

— كويت نيوز (@KuwaitNews) April 8, 2023

Despite the potential of AI in the media industry, Fedha’s debut has raised concerns about its impact on jobs and cultural values. However, Kuwait News is not alone in experimenting with AI as China has also recently introduced an AI-powered newscaster that transmits news 24/7, 365 days a year.

Fedha’s 13-second video on social media has received numerous responses, including Report Without Border’s classification of Kuwait News as number 158 out of 180 countries in the 2022 Press Index. In addition, Fedha’s appearance reflects the country’s diverse cultures, with her blonde hair and light-colored eyes. Her introduction marks a significant milestone in the use of AI in news reporting and the beginning of an exciting exploration into the potential of AI in the media industry.

Photo credit: Kuwait News