Kazakh University Students Release Initial Artificial Intelligence-Driven Newspaper Publication
In a tech-savvy twist, journalism students at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have created AI-Tamyz – the nation's first AI-powered, multilingual newspaper in Kazakh – blending education, technology, and inclusion, according to university press reports on April 28.
Photos courtesy of KazNU
The AI-Tamyz newspaper, available in print and digital formats, offers articles, images, videos, and audio content – all generated using sophisticated AI programming. The inclusive design provides visually impaired readers with audio content via QR codes printed on each page's bottom right corner.
Behind the catchy name AI-Tamyz lies a deeper meaning. A blend of "Ai" and "Tamyz" sounds like "Aitamyz," meaning "We speak" in Kazakh, reflecting the paper's mission to address crucial scientific, educational, and social issues vocalized in the Kazakh language. Additionally, "Tamyz" (August in Kazakh) symbolizes abundant harvests, implying that this publication will yield fruitful contributions.
Photos courtesy of KazNU
The inspiration behind AI-Tamyz evolved during a Data Journalism seminar, sparked by news of Italy's first AI-created newspaper. Lecturer Kanat Auesbaiuly encouraged students to replicate the concept in the Kazakh language. With Kazakh language support limited in many AI tools, creating the newspaper was no walk in the park.
"The pursuit of generating high-quality articles, images, and videos wasn't a piece of cake, given the limited support for the Kazakh language in AI tools," shared Nur-Altay Umirzak, AI-Tamyz's editor-in-chief. "We tested dozens of AI programs, issued hundreds of prompts, and tinkered with them until the desired outcome was achieved."
Text generation drew from platforms like ChatGPT and GEMINI, while audio components relied on WhisperAI, MicMonster, and Text-to-Speech technologies.
Aishat Naka, the release editor, and tech lead of the project, envisioned future collaboration with IT Faculty programming students to develop software to seamlessly integrate text, audio, and video content in Kazakh.
Content creation for videos entailed tools such as CanvaAI, DALL-E, and Midjourney, while leveling up with neural networks to generate humorous content, tales, and poetry. For audio and music, SunoAI came to the rescue.
The team responsible for designing the newspaper's layout – Ayagoz Kabylgayym – combined templates from CanvaAI and executed the entire project on the platform. Expect AI-Tamyz to debut monthly or weekly, catering to students, faculty, and researchers within the university community.
- The Al-Farabi Kazakh National University's AI-Tamyz newspaper, powered by artificial-intelligence, is not only a innovative step in journalism education, but also a learning ground for students as they experiment with different AI tools, such as ChatGPT, GEMINI, WhisperAI, Midjourney, and SunoAI, to generate content in Kazakh.
- Beyond blending technology and education, AI-Tamyz's inclusive design, which includes audio content via QR codes for visually impaired readers, is a testament to the AI-Tamyz team's commitment to self-development and learning, aiming to cater to diverse audiences while addressing crucial scientific, educational, and social issues in the Kazakh language.
