Hawaii newspaper replaces journalists with AI newscasters
A decision by The Garden Island , a local newspaper in Kauai, Hawaii, to replace human journalists with AI-generated newscasters drew a backlash for their poor, robotic quality, lack of authenticity, and impact on jobs. Developed by Israeli startup Caledo, AI-powered avatars " James" and "Rose" co-present the news. The initiative is part of a broader one that aims to convert written news articles into dynamic broadcasts, whic h Caledo claims to be more "e ngaging " . But the bots drew sharp criticism from journalis ts at the paper's parent company, Oahu Publications , for their robotic delivery and lack of authenticity. Some argued the move represents a form of "digital colonialism," as it replaces local journalism with AI technology that lacks genuine community connection. Union representatives expressed concerns about the implications for job security. The videos ( example ) have received few views on YouTube and Instagram, and most comments are highly critical of the endeavour. System 🤖 Operator: The Garden Island users Developer: Caledo Country: USA Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts Purpose: Present news Technology: Generative AI Issue: Accountability; Authenticity/integrity; Employment/labour; Transparency Timeline ⏰ November 2024. "James" and "Rose" were fired by The Garden Island . C aledo called the experiment a "success".
- Date it happened
- 2024-09-01
- Organisation involved
- The Garden Island
- Product, system or model
- Caledo
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