Today's Edition
TAHA HASSIB (Abu Dhabi)
During the second day of the World Media Congress, the Aletihad News Center hosted a panel discussion titled “How does artificial intelligence change the future of media?” at the Abu Dhabi Media Network pavilion at ADNEC Center.
The session was attended by Rashid Al Qubaisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Media Network, Dr. Hamad Al Kaabi, CEO of Aletihad News Center, Abdul Rahim Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Marketing and Communications Department, Talib Saeed Al Zaabi, CEO of the Support Services Department, and a group of media professionals.
The panel was also attended by Engineer Nasser Al Rashidi, an expert in artificial intelligence governance, Mohammed Al Musleh, assistant professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, and Latifa Al Hammadi, an Emirati researcher specialising in information technology.
Moderating the session, Saeed Al Sawafi, Head of the Global Perspectives and News Department at the Aletihad News Centre at Abu Dhabi Media, set the tone, saying the media industry is witnessing an unprecedented revolution.
He highlighted rapid developments in artificial intelligence applications, with their superior capabilities in data collection and analysis, content creation and production, accelerating the process of monitoring and verifying news, creating interactive content and much more.
Emirati Leadership
Al Hammadi noted that the UAE is at the forefront of harnessing artificial intelligence. The UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 aims to enhance the country’s position and global leadership in the field of artificial intelligence by investing in individuals and priority sectors.
She touched on her experience in manufacturing a robot called “Rabdan”, which consists of parts that were printed using 3D printers at home. The robot is 180cm long and its main mission is to interact with the public.
She pointed out that artificial intelligence provides tools for media professionals that enable them to analyse data more accurately and monitor and classify the interests of the public.
Al Musleh later stressed the importance of the media, describing it as the “first enabler” of any policymaking as it works to spread awareness. He pointed out that artificial intelligence has enabled media professionals, through continuous education, to absorb advanced technologies to accelerate their tasks and develop the content they produce.
He explained that short training courses are the most suitable for media professionals as they are they are specific to the nature of their work.
The Role of Educational
InstitutionsAl Musleh added that experience, knowledge and learning are important in the implementation of artificial intelligence in the media and other fields, and universities and educational institutions have a major part to play in providing opportunities for continuing education to maximise the benefit from these systems.
For his part, Al Rashidi stressed that there is no room for fear of artificial intelligence, and its potential impact on job security, as the technological boom will not replace humans who are able to develop their capabilities through continuous education.
Al-Rashidi is convinced that media professionals are able to benefit from artificial intelligence applications in content creation, by analysing market needs and developing content broadcasting platforms.
‘Classification and Recommendation’ Tools
Al Rashidi said that it is necessary to govern the use of artificial intelligence to ensure maximum media benefit from the technological boom.
He pointed out that artificial intelligence provides “classification and recommendation” tools which can understand audience experiences and assess their trends, and then generate recommendations for specific content.
Al-Rashidi said that 70% of YouTube views at times depended on these tools, and on some platforms the percentage reached 80%.
Al Sawafi pointed out that media institutions that strategically adopt artificial intelligence will be able to remain at the forefront of the media space. He noted that there is a fear that artificial intelligence will make human tasks obsolete. He believed however that AI’s role complements the role of journalists rather than replacing them, and journalists can benefit from tools supported by artificial intelligence to focus on the creative and analytical aspects that algorithms cannot perform with the desired quality.
Training Media Cadres
Al Sawafi said that the media can invest in artificial intelligence in various ways to improve production, enhance the audience experience, and increase efficiency and revenue.
However, this investment requires a clear strategy, including training media professionals. Al Sawafi stressed that media institutions that succeed in adopting artificial intelligence effectively will be more able to compete and remain at the forefront of the industry.
