Kuwait inaugurates era of realistic AI-generated news presenters in Arabia with debut of 'Fedha'



A Kuwaiti news outfit debuted the newest member of its team over the weekend. Unlike others at the station, this talking head, named "Fedha," is neither a dues-paying member of a union nor deserving of a parking spot. In fact, Fedha is not even a human being.

Kuwait News, an affiliate of the Kuwait Times, posted a video to Twitter Saturday depicting a modestly dressed white woman with blonde hair that introduced itself as "Fedha ... the first presenter in Kuwait who works with artificial intelligence."

The humanistic simulacrum then said in Arabic, "What kind of news do you prefer? Let's hear your opinions."

Abdullah Boftain, deputy editor in chief for Kuwait News, told AFP that Fedha is a test of AI's potential to both offer "new and innovative content" and present news bulletins to the outlet's 1.2 million Twitter followers in an appropriate Kuwaiti accent.

\u201c\u0623\u0648\u0644 \u0645\u0630\u064a\u0639\u0629 \u0641\u064a #\u0627\u0644\u0643\u0648\u064a\u062a \u062a\u0639\u0645\u0644 \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0630\u0643\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0635\u0637\u0646\u0627\u0639\u064a\n\n\u2022 #\u0641\u0636\u0629.. \u0645\u0630\u064a\u0639\u0629 #\u0643\u0648\u064a\u062a_\u0646\u064a\u0648\u0632 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0641\u062a\u0631\u0627\u0636\u064a\u0629\n\n\u2022 \u0645\u0627 \u0647\u064a \u0646\u0648\u0639\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u062e\u0628\u0627\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u064a \u062a\u0641\u0636\u0644\u0648\u0646\u0647\u0627 \u0628\u062a\u0642\u062f\u064a\u0645 #\u0641\u0636\u0629 \u0632\u0645\u064a\u0644\u062a\u0646\u0627 \u0627\u0644\u062c\u062f\u064a\u062f\u0629\u061f .. \u0634\u0627\u0631\u0643\u0648\u0646\u0627 \u0622\u0631\u0627\u0621\u0643\u0645\u201d
— \u0643\u0648\u064a\u062a \u0646\u064a\u0648\u0632 (@\u0643\u0648\u064a\u062a \u0646\u064a\u0648\u0632) 1680984130

"Fedha is a popular, old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver, the metal. We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic in colour, so we combined the two," explained Boftain.

Boftain suggested that Fedha's appearance was intended to reflect the Near Eastern nation's "diverse" population of natives and expatriates, stressing, "Fedha represents everyone."

Fedha also represents an opportunity to help realize Goldman Sachs' prediction that AI will soon replace around 300 million jobs.

A recent report by investment bank Goldman Sachs indicated that a quarter of work tasks in the U.S. and Europe could be replaced by AI, in part because generative AI is now capable of generating new content "that is indistinguishable from human-created output."

This great replacement will impact various sectors, but not all equally. For instance, 46% of tasks in administrative and 44% in legal professions could reportedly be automated, but only 6% in construction can be taken over by AI.

Carl Benedikt Frey, future of work director at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, told British state media, "The only thing I am sure of is that there is no way of knowing how many jobs will be replaced by generative AI."

"What ChatGPT does, for example, is allow more people with average writing skills to produce essays and articles," said Frey. "Journalists will therefore face more competition, which would drive down wages, unless we see a very significant increase in the demand for such work."

The Goldman Sachs report indicated that 26% of the arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media industry could possibly be automated by AI.

At Kuwait News, for instance, an AI-generated simulation scripted by ChatGPT could potentially serve as a full0time replacement for a flesh-and-bone script-reader.

The New York Post noted that Fedha, while possibly among the more lifelike, is not the first AI-generated news presenter.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua News revealed a virtual newsreader called Qiu Hao in 2018, dressed in a suit and tie. The humanistic simulacrum said, "I will work tirelessly to keep you informed as texts will be typed into my system uninterrupted."

Xinhua's first English AI anchor makes debut youtu.be

Months later, Xinhua introduced what it claimed was the world's first female AI news anchor, known as Xin Xiaomeng.

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Kuwait summons top US diplomat after American Embassy posts pro-LGBTQ tweet celebrating Pride Month



Kuwait summoned a top U.S. diplomat on Thursday in connection with a pro-LGBTQ tweet from the American Embassy celebrating Pride Month.

The official Twitter account of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait shared a quote from President Joe Biden on Thursday that read: "All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.”

The tweet said President Biden is a "champion for the human rights of LGBTQI persons."

The post included the words "Pride Month," and featured a photo of a Progress Pride flag.

Different from the rainbow LGBTQ flag, the Progress Pride flag features transgender flag colors, plus "black and brown stripes representing marginalized LBGT communities of color, community members lost to HIV/AIDS, and those currently living with AIDS," according to Northwestern University.

The tweet was posted in English and Arabic.

\u201c\u201cAll human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.\u201d @POTUS is a champion for the human rights of #LGBTQI persons. #Pride2022 #YouAreIncluded\u201d
— U.S. Embassy Kuwait (@U.S. Embassy Kuwait) 1654159488

Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a senior U.S. official in response to the pro-LGBTQ tweet.

"This evening, Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Acting Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy, Mr. Jim Holtsnider, [to] meet with the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Americas Affairs, Nawaf Abdul Latif Al-Ahmad, against the background of the embassy's publication on its social media accounts of references and tweets supporting homosexuality," the press release said.

The Kuwaiti government declared that it had rejected the American Embassy's messaging, and stressed "the need for the embassy to respect the laws and regulations in force in the State of Kuwait and the obligation not to publish such tweets in compliance with what was stipulated in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961."

Kuwait prohibits same-sex relationships, and violators face prison time.

"Consensual intercourse between men of full age (from the age of 21) shall be punishable with a term of imprisonment of up to seven years," according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia also shared a Pride Month tweet with the LGBTQ flag.

"During #Pride2022, @StateDept celebrates the contributions members of the LGBTQI+ community make to our nation. We are committed to ending violence, discrimination, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons worldwide," the tweet read.

\u201cDuring #Pride2022, @StateDept celebrates the contributions members of the LGBTQI+ community make to our nation. We are committed to ending violence, discrimination, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons worldwide.\u201d
— U.S. Mission to KSA (@U.S. Mission to KSA) 1654091934

Engaging in homosexuality in Saudi Arabia may be punished with the death penalty.

"According to some interpretations of Sharia, the death sentence may be handed down for certain homosexual acts. Other penalties may include 100 blows of the whip and banishment for 1 year," according to Human Rights Watch.

In April 2021, the Biden administration gave authorization for U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to fly LGBTQ flags. The decision was a reversal from the Trump administration's decree that barred flying flags along with the American flag at U.S. embassies.

In 2019, several American embassies defied the Trump administration's order and flew LGBTQ flags in honor of Pride Month. The American Embassy in South Korea hung a huge LGBTQ flag and Black Lives Matter flag on the facade of the building. The flags were later removed following orders from the State Department.

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