AI generated newsreader debuts in Kuwait
The blonde-haired computer-generated woman named "Fedha" appeared on Kuwait News' Twitter feed over the weekend.
Tuesday 11 April 2023 09:43, UK
An AI generated newsreader has been revealed by a media outlet in Kuwait.
Kuwait News posted a video to their Twitter account over the weekend showing the computerised anchor introducing "herself" as "Fedha".
The AI video showed a blonde woman wearing a black jacket and a white T-shirt.
"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 site is affiliated with the Kuwait Times, founded in 1961 as the Gulf region's first English-language daily.
Abdullah Boftain, deputy editor in chief for both outlets, said the move is a test of AI's potential to offer "new and innovative content", the AFP reports.
He said that in the future Fedha could adopt the Kuwaiti accent and present news bulletins on the site's Twitter account.
Explaining the choice of name, Mr Boftain said that Fedha is "a popular, old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver, the metal".
He added: "We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic in colour, so we combined the two".
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According to Mr Boftain, the presenter's blonde hair and light-coloured eyes reflect the nation's diverse population of Kuwaitis and expatriates.
"Fedha represents everyone," he added.