UAE Introduces AI Speaking News Anchor
Abu Dhabi has pushed forward plans to start news in Arabic and English on Abu Dhabi Media channels, but here’s the twist; it’s going to be run entirely by an artificially-intelligent news anchor. This news comes after Abu Dhabi Media Company recently signed an agreement with Chinese-based internet company, Sogou Inc.
The establishment of this partnership means that the Abu Dhabi Media Company can take advantage of and utilise latest technologies from Sogou's artificial intelligence research. The agreement between the media company and Sogou was signed in collaboration with the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. The introduction of such an advanced technology means that this artificially intelligent News Anchor is the first Arabic-speaking one in the world, designed to interact through facial expressions and gestures in Arabic.
Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, explained that this step was one of many plans to emphasise on the company's plans to continue to integrate and utilise digital technology and artificial intelligence where it can increase work efficiency and lead to breakthrough research.
AI news anchor - a collaborative effort between ADM and Sugou Inc.
Omar Al Olama said in a statement that, "The use of artificial intelligence and technological tools in the media sector will result in a qualitative leap forward within the media landscape in the UAE and the wider region. The use of these advanced solutions will benefit the industry by enriching media content, supporting media research, and providing new opportunities for young professionals to build new skillsets suited to future media channels. The deployment of this advanced technology presents us with the opportunity to further define the future of the sector in a way that benefits all members of society."
He continued by saying that "These new developments within the media sector are in line with the UAE Government's strategy of developing unique new models and systems built around artificial intelligence and advanced technologies that support the nation's transformation into a knowledge based society and economy."
The AI news anchor will resemble the looks of a real-life human anchor, intended to provide viewers with an immersive and surreal experience. With the aid of Sogou's breakthrough technology, text input can be translated into lip movements. More emphasis has been put on the integration of far more complex artificla intelligence such as the natural language processing and machine learning algorithms that Sogou has developed.
With breakthrough’s such as this, maybe artificial intelligence will find itself being fully integrated in the media industry in the near future. With the vast conveniences, applications and technologies it brings aboard with it, soon we may not be able to tell whether it is in fact a real news anchor or an AI.
The AI news anchor is capable of communicating through facial expressions and gestures.