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Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting the media industry, bringing both excitement and anxiety. Excitement for the possibilities that these breakthrough technologies present. Anxiety about how many of us will be made redundant by them.

Google has reportedly been presenting major news organizations, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, with a new software “personal assistant” for journalists, code-named Genesis, which promises to “take in information — details of current events, for example — and generate news content.”

In the latest development, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) has launched an artificial intelligence-powered media service that will automate news production, including gathering information, writing headlines, and creating multimedia content.

Named Kuna Smart Oasis, the new service is designed to provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions, said Director General Fatma Al-Salem of KUNA. The AI service would also simplify the sharing of files and information across departments. 

Earlier this year, KUNA became the first Arab news agency to introduce a virtual news presenter, Fedha. The project had limited capabilities but was intended to increase performance and encourage innovation in the AI field, said the company. 

Similarly, in May, the news agency kickstarted a metaverse-based platform to boost credibility and secure the impartial delivery of information.