An AI-generated news anchor has made her debut on a Kuwaiti media outlet, which plans to use the virtual presenter to read news bulletins.
“I’m Fedha, the first presenter in Kuwait who works with artificial intelligence at Kuwait News. What kind of news do you prefer?” the faux woman said on the outlet’s Twitter account on Saturday.
“Let’s hear your opinions,” she added in classical Arabic as she appeared with uncovered blond hair, wearing a black jacket and a white blouse.
The outlet 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 for both outlets, told AFP that the move is a test of AI’s potential to offer “new and innovative content.”
He said Fedha may eventually develop a Kuwaiti accent and will present news updates on the outlet’s Twitter account, which has 1.2 million subscribers.
“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 told AFP.
“Fedha represents everyone,” he added, referring to her light-colored hair and eyes, which reflect the oil-rich country’s diverse population.
Kuwait is not the first country to feature an AI-generated news presenter.
In 2018, China’s state news agency unveiled its own virtual presenter sporting a suit and a mild robotic voice, the BBC reported.