James and Rose, AI bots introduced as news broadcasters at Hawaii's The Garden Island, have been terminated. Like many local newspapers, The Garden Island faces employee retention challenges, with reporters often leaving after short tenures. James and Rose, designed by Israeli firm Caledo to transform articles into video discussions featuring AI hosts, were part of a pilot program in the U. S. Caledo still plans to expand the initiative, although their stint on Kauai ended after two months, likely due to negative public reactions. The AI hosts, James and Rose, struggled with presenting news in an engaging way, often mispronouncing Hawaiian names and other words, which resulted in viewer disapproval and negative comments on platforms where the program aired. A particularly harsh response came during polarized pre-election months. James and Rose's broadcasts didn't replace existing newsroom jobs but redirected resources.

The Garden Island, under Carpenter Media Group's ownership since earlier this year, faced resource shortages, with minimal staff covering Kauai's 73, 000 residents. Caledo claimed potential ad cost offset, but no ads were successfully sold. Although they opened each broadcast with a sponsorship mention from Longs Drugs, the sponsor wasn't informed about their logo's use. Despite minor tech improvements, such as James's transition from lead to secondary anchor with reduced oddities, it wasn't enough to save the program. The issues with James and Rose highlight the ongoing complexities and challenges of integrating AI into traditional media roles.