The latest news that AI bots have replaced humans on Kauai, of all places, to cut costs and stay relevant, has set the global news media on edge. The long-struggling Garden Island, the only daily print newspaper on the island of Kauai, has recently adopted AI-generated avatars to present its news. This decision underscores deeper issues within the troubled industry, including a longstanding failure to develop modern business models.
Is this a forward-thinking solution to the newspaper’s problems, or does it merely highlight deeper concerns about a failure to evolve—both in terms of content and delivery?
The Garden Island’s AI shift follows long-term neglect.
The Garden Island introduced its new “journalists,” AI avatars James and Rose, developed by Israeli company Caledo, and intended to engage viewers with a more conversational news format. However, the avatars’ strange delivery, particularly off-putting for Kauai residents, including mispronunciations of local terms and awkward body movements and appearance, led to a barrage of criticism. James and Rose appear in a virtual studio set against a Hawaiian beach backdrop in their YouTube promo.
This experiment, which went live in late August, is the latest in a series of attempts by The Garden Island to stay afloat. But it also highlights the paper’s decades-long failure to reinvent itself in any meaningful way. The newspaper has struggled to maintain its quality and relevancy, with readers frequently criticizing its poor standard of reporting. Unable or unwilling to invest in better journalism and staff, The Garden Island opted for this latest quick fix, raising questions about any commitment to real journalism.
A broader issue: Downsizing and the failure to innovate.
This somewhat bizarre turn for rustic, rural Kauai, isn’t just about technology, but reflects a broader issue plaguing the newspaper industry: the failure to successfully adapt to modern business models. The Garden Island has faced financial and ownership challenges for years, a situation mirrored by the state’s largest paper, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The Garden Island, in particular, has seen its newsroom gutted, with high turnover and few reporters left to cover a wide array of Kauai-related issues.
Reflections from a former employee. And, is Dennis Fujimoto next?
This situation came to light when it was exposed by a former Garden Island reporter in an article for WIRED. She described her time at the paper, where technology was far from cutting edge, and suggested that the AI shift was merely a quick fix. The reporter pointed out that AI bots can’t attend events or interact with the public, raising concerns about how well they can build community engagement.
For years, Kauai residents have been accustomed to seeing Dennis Fujimoto, The Garden Island‘s long-time photographer and reporter, at every kind of local event. His presence has become synonymous with community coverage on the island. Whether The Garden Island plans to replace him with a bot remains unclear, but knowing Dennis as we have for decades, it’s hard to imagine that any AI could take his place.
Concerns for Hawaii media.
Hawaii’s distinct small-town culture and tight-knit communities raise concerns about the shift to AI bot reporters and its potential impact on already fragile media credibility. The failure to modernize has led to this point, and while AI may offer a short-term fix, it’s unlikely to address the deeper issues plaguing local journalism. How this transformation plays out will be fascinating to watch.
We welcome your thoughts.
I had many happy times traversing Kauai from the garage sale ads published in the Garden Island.
Mahalo
It’s little different on Maui with the Maui News. When I picked up the print edition (only once a week, on Thursdays), it was thin gruel. Right now it looks like there’s one editor and one reporter (though I had seen job postings for two). That person is also expected to shoot photos and do a lot of other digital stuff too.
The situation is no different on the mainland, where many local papers are shells of what they once were. As someone who worked at three newspapers, it’s especially sad to to see.
Fortunately, at least on Maui, there are some other digital news sources, including a dedicated Maui reporter at Civil Beat. Still, there’s something about a hometown paper. Unfortunately, on Maui and Kauai, it’s like the paper has left town.
“Get used it” is what I’ve hear IRT AI news. Great way for the PTB to disseminate their approved messaging with complete control and not having to worry about annoying things like those pesky inquisitive human types asking annoying, inconvenient, and embarrassing questions…
Best Regards
Does that mean you are a Jeffbot-Robbot thing or is your intelligence real and not artificial. Just curious who generates your articles? They seem like the articles might be platform structured.
Hi Don.
We’re still the old fashioned kind of human writers. Been doing Beat of Hawaii going on 20 years. We also review every comment.
Aloha.
Jeff & Rob,
Do you send a private email to people like me who submit a comment but do not see it published? It would be nice to know why so we do not repeat the same error.
John aka AZ Keoni
Obviously it doesn’t replace reporters since reporters have to provide the information to program the AI Bots. I read today’s newspaper and there is just a small window taking you to an AI presentation on some local high school students. It needs a lot of work but, why not provide another method such as AI bots, maybe a fun one eventually, to get additional news? Or am I missing something?
The Garden Island is another casualty of a nationwide collapse of print journalism due to lost advertising revenue.
Advertisers spend most of their money online now.
I live in western Oregon with an immediate area of
with about 300,000 residents. Our local newspaper
is a hollowed out shell of what it used to be.
The first thing I’d do on my yearly trips to Kauai would be to pick up the Garden Island news each a.m. Always enjoyed Dennis Fujimoto’s column. Seemed like talking story with an old friend you’d meet on the street. I no longer visit the island, but my son would bring home copies for me. With so many changes taking place there I feel sad.
Well, This move should only enhance their already biased agendas so hardly an improvement and how kind of the ownership to have replaced a person with a computer based tool!
Having read the paper for 15 years they think like bots anyway. RIP Garden Island.