Despite Caledo declaring the program a success, it appears that the lack of ad revenue and misuse of sponsor logos also contributed to the termination. The Garden Island's parent company, Oahu Publications, declined to comment further on the matter. The AI technology did see some minor improvements over its run, but it was not enough to save the program.
Key takeaways:
- AI bots James and Rose, who were installed as news broadcasters at The Garden Island newspaper in Hawaii, have been discontinued after a two-month run.
- The AI bots were designed by Israeli firm Caledo, which turns articles into videos where AI hosts discuss the news with each other. The Garden Island’s program was the first of its kind in the United States.
- The AI bots struggled with presenting the news in a manner that wasn't off-putting for viewers, often struggled with pronunciation, and their broadcasts inspired a largely negative public response.
- Despite the termination of James and Rose, Caledo still intends to expand its AI news broadcasting program to hundreds of other local newspapers throughout the United States.