A Kuwaiti media outlet has unveiled the first AI-generated virtual presenter, with plans for her to read news bulletins. Dressed in a white T-shirt and black jacket, “Fedha” (Silver) appeared on the Kuwait News Twitter account.
In a short video broadcast, the anchor introduced herself as the first AI anchor in Kuwait working for Kuwait News and then asked followers to mention the type of news they would like to hear about. “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,” the AI-generated virtual presenter said in Arabic.
The media outlet is affiliated with the Kuwait Times, the Gulf’s first English-language newspaper, which has been in circulation since 1961. According to its deputy editor-in-chief, Abdullah Boftain, this pilot project aims to test the capabilities of artificial intelligence and suggest “new and innovative content” to the readers.
In the future, the presenter may acquire a “Kuwaiti” accent and present a news bulletin on the Kuwait News Twitter account, followed by 1.5 million subscribers. “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. The 13-second video in which the AI-generated presenter was introduced to the world caused mixed reactions on social media platforms, mainly from journalists. “Our jobs are at risk. Will Fendha and her colleagues replace us in the near future?’ one of them asked.
The Jobs Most at Risk of Being Replaced by AI
According to expert analysts’ estimates, journalists are among the professions that could be replaced by artificial intelligence in the future. As artificial intelligence evolves — at breakneck speed — legitimate questions and concerns arise about which industries might be affected by AI.
According to a recent non-academic report by Goldman Sachs, up to 300 million jobs in all major economies could be affected by generative AI. In fact, 7% of jobs in the US could be replaced by such models, and 63% could be “supplemented” by them. Based on another research, the three industries most exposed to advanced language models are legal services, commodities and stocks, and brokerage and other insurance activities. And the occupations most likely to be adversely affected by ΑΙ include telemarketers and a variety of post-secondary teachers (especially those dealing with languages and literature or history), as well as lawyers and administrative staff.
Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has been used to write letters, a children’s book, educational exercises, and assignments for university students. Amazon employees who have ‘tested’ the platform approve of its performance in responding to consumer questions. According to Business Insider, the 10 professions most “at risk” of being replaced by AI technology in the future are as follows:
Technology occupations such as programmers, software engineers, and data analysts
Media professionals such as advertisers, content creators, and journalists
Legal assistants and support professionals in the legal sector
Research analysts
Teachers
Financial professionals such as analysts and personal advisors
Investors
Graphic designers
Accountants
Customer service staff
