Participants in the Arab Conference on Communication and Public Relations call for the use of artificial intelligence in the media

Dubai, December 16 / WAM / Experts and academics participating in the Eighth Arab Conference on Communication and Public Relations, which was launched yesterday in Dubai, stressed the importance of employing artificial intelligence technologies in the fields of media and communication in accordance with clear professional and ethical frameworks in order to enhance the efficiency of institutional performance and preserve the human and creative dimension of media work.

The conference, organized by the Arab Administrative Development Organization, affiliated with the League of Arab States, will continue until December 17.

Dr. Ahmed Al Mansouri, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Production Industries at the United Arab Emirates University, told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that Dubai’s hosting of this scientific event reflects the advanced position of the United Arab Emirates as a leading destination for organizing specialized scientific conferences that provide qualitative content that serves researchers and specialists in the fields of communication and public relations.

He explained that the conference witnesses the participation of an elite group of academics and researchers from Arab and foreign countries, making it a comprehensive scientific platform for exchanging ideas and discussing pivotal issues in the fields of research and communication, especially those related to the uses of artificial intelligence and its professional and scientific challenges.

For her part, Dr. Widad Buhumaid, Director of Government Communications at the Emirates Drug Corporation, said that employing artificial intelligence technologies in health communication represents a national strategic direction in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 and the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, and reflects the government’s keenness to integrate advanced technologies into the development of institutional communication systems.

She explained that artificial intelligence has become a pivotal tool for analyzing societal behavior, monitoring interaction with awareness messages, and identifying knowledge gaps among the public, which contributes to designing accurate and clear health content that enhances prevention and raises the level of health awareness.

She pointed out that technology constitutes one of the engines of sustainable development, and that the UAE has adopted it as a strategic tool to enhance growth and progress in various sectors, by developing an integrated system for artificial intelligence that includes long-term strategic frameworks, qualified national competencies, and advanced legislative and regulatory frameworks that keep pace with technological transformations and ensure responsible use.

Buhumaid added that the state has launched training programs to qualify national competencies and raise institutional readiness, stressing the importance of distinguishing between correct and incorrect use of data, and governing its responsible use to avoid potential legal repercussions.

She noted the importance of focusing on how to improve the quality of decision-making in an era that increasingly relies on artificial intelligence, while preserving the role of human expertise.

In turn, Dr. Fawzia Yousef Al-Jib, Advisor to the Speaker of the Shura Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Network for Communication and Public Relations, who participated in the first session of the conference entitled “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Communication Strategies,” and discussed the employment of artificial intelligence tools in the media and communication work environment, and the challenges and risks associated with the use of modern technologies, said that artificial intelligence is a supportive partner for media work, while editorial and ethical responsibility remain an indispensable human responsibility.

She pointed out that the session came out with a number of recommendations, the most prominent of which are enhancing the adoption of artificial intelligence tools in communication and public relations management in accordance with clear professional standards, preparing data governance policies that ensure the protection of privacy and information security, in addition to developing the digital skills of communication workers, and encouraging cooperation between academic institutions and government and private agencies to conduct applied research in the field of institutional communication.

For her part, Dr. Dina Al-Khattat, Associate Professor of Media at the College of Media at Ajman University, confirmed that the topics presented at the conference represent added value to government and private institutions, in light of the accelerating shift towards adopting artificial intelligence as a basic tool in institutional work.

She pointed to the challenges associated with data privacy and accuracy, and the need to achieve a balance between artificial intelligence and human work, calling for the preparation of clear regulatory frameworks and ethics guides, the intensification of training programs, and the adoption of human auditing of artificial intelligence outputs.

For her part, Dr. Hanan Al-Sayed, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at the American University, said that artificial intelligence has brought about a qualitative shift in the fields of media and television production, and has contributed to accelerating the pace of work, but excessive reliance on it may lead to similarity of content and the loss of the element of creative excellence.

She stressed the importance of using artificial intelligence as a tool to support creativity, not as a substitute for it, along with the necessity of governance and ethical oversight in employing these technologies.

Hanadi Muhammad, a trainer and consultant in administrative development and artificial intelligence applications, said that these applications contributed to shortening time and raising the efficiency of decision-making within government institutions, noting that specialized training programs helped reduce the periods for preparing plans, reports and research, and raised the quality of institutional performance.

Dr. Rania Abdel Razek, general coordinator of the conference, and head of the Corporate Communication, Public Relations and Media Group at the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, pointed out that the conference discusses during its sessions and events a number of topics related to artificial intelligence in government communication, and building institutional identity and brands, while emphasizing the importance of preserving privacy and the human dimension in media practice.

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