Kuwait News launches ‘Fedha’- the First AI news presenter in the Middle East
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Kuwait City: Fedha, an artificial intelligence-based news presenter, appeared on the Twitter account of the Kuwait News website donning a black jacket, and white T-shirt, and leaving her hair uncovered.
She urged people to comment on their preferred news topics to hear. Fedha has made Kuwait News the first media outlet in the Middle East to introduce a virtual news presenter.
Kuwait News, an affiliate of the Kuwait Times, has introduced Fedha, the first virtual news presenter in Kuwait, who works with artificial intelligence.
“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's deputy editor-in-chief, Abdullah Boftain, explained that the introduction of an AI news presenter was a test of AI's potential to offer new and innovative content. In the future, Fedha could even adopt the Kuwaiti accent and present news bulletins on Twitter.
Fedha's blond hair and light-coloured eyes represent the diversity of Kuwait's population. The announcement generated a lot of reactions on social media, including from journalists.
While the rise of AI has the promise of benefits, there are concerns over potential disinformation, job loss, and threats to artistic integrity. Kuwait ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2022 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.