Meet the UAE’s next TV star – a virtual presenter who never gets tired
He does not get tired, go on holiday, demand a pay increase or quit to take a job with a rival channel.
The UAE’s next television star, television bosses hope, will be a virtual news presenter that can deliver headlines 24 hours a day.
Abu Dhabi Media has announced a partnership with Sogou, the Chinese search engine and technology company, to develop the world’s first Arabic-speaking artificial intelligence news anchor.
It is hoped the presenter will become a familiar face on TV screens within one year.
Developers in China are working on language, facial expressions and mannerisms they hope will be a hit with viewers in the Emirates.
“It’s more steady than a human – it never makes mistakes,” said Wang Yanfeng, general manager of Sogou’s Voice Interaction Technology Centre, during his visit to Abu Dhabi to announce the deal.
Mr Wang said the character would be available at all times to cover breaking news.
“A human may be on vacation or asleep. If there is an accident the machine can be online any time ... it is better than the traditional ways to report news,” he said.
In Beijing, an AI anchor is already capable of speaking English and Chinese.
It was introduced by Xinhua, China’s state news agency, in November last year, and is currently used by two major news outlets.
Experts at Sogou are now creating a virtual presenter that can communicate in Arabic.
“The audience has been surprised,” Mr Wang said. “They have seen that the AI presenter is like a human and they never expected it. They know a machine can learn, but not that they can express [themselves] like a human.”
The anchor is capable of machine learning, Sogou said, and can read text as naturally as a professional human news anchor. But it cannot yet interview human guests.
Mr Wang said the operating principle behind each presenter was the same, but the differences between Arabic and the languages spoken in China presented some difficulty.
Managers at Abu Dhabi Media became interested in acquiring a virtual news anchor after seeing the Chinese model’s debut at a major technology conference. ADM’s channels include Al Emarat TV, Abu Dhabi TV and Abu Dhabi Sports.
The deal between Sogou and ADM was signed at a ceremony yesterday attended by Omar Al Olama, Minister of Artificial Intelligence.
“The use of artificial intelligence and technological tools in the media sector will result in a qualitative leap forward in the media landscape in the UAE and the wider region,” he said.
“The use of these advanced solutions will benefit the industry by enriching media content, supporting media research and providing opportunities for young professionals to build new skill sets suited to future media channels.”
ADM’s director general, Ali bin Tamim, said the new AI news anchor would help the government-owned company “write a new chapter in the Arab media.
“Through this agreement, Abu Dhabi Media will develop this technology and present it to its audience, enhancing the company’s presence and the quality of its content, further bolstering its leading position as one of the most prestigious media establishments in the region and the world.”