Global Media Summit calls for leveraging AI and enhancing cooperation to address its challenges
Participants at the Beijing summit view artificial intelligence as an effective tool requiring international cooperation and regulatory frameworks to ensure credibility and protect cultural identity.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Beijing, Nov 7 (KUNA) -- Participants in the Seventh Global Media Summit, hosted in Beijing on Saturday, emphasized the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence technologies in media work and strengthening international cooperation to address challenges arising from their use. Representatives of Arab media outlets and officials participating in the summit stated that the global information landscape has undergone new transformations due to innovative technologies such as large language models and intelligent agents, which have become a real productive force in journalism in recent years.
In his address to the summit, Lebanese Minister of Media Paul Maroun said, “The summit represents an important platform for exchanging experiences on leveraging artificial intelligence and mobilizing support across various fields, and it serves as a meeting point between the East and the West.” He praised the achievements made in the media sector in his country, noting that Lebanon’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index improved by 25 positions over the past two years, alongside the issuance of a new media law and ongoing efforts to complete other legislation aimed at regulating children’s internet use.
For his part, Mohammed Al-Yami, Director General of the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, said, “The rapid development of artificial intelligence has provided broad opportunities for media institutions, but it has also created challenges related to credibility and deepfakes.” He stressed the importance of launching practical initiatives and partnerships that contribute to preserving credibility, combating media misinformation, and protecting cultural identity.
On his part, Alaa Youssef, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Egypt’s General Authority for Information, said the summit sends a message underscoring the necessity of establishing frameworks to govern the use of artificial intelligence, ensuring the dissemination of correct and accurate information, and verifying official sources. He emphasized the importance of enhancing international cooperation and providing expertise to Global South countries, assisting them in optimizing the use of this technology in the media sector.
For her part, Khaloud Asaf, Editor-in-Chief of the Palestinian News Agency (Wafa), said that despite the important role of artificial intelligence in media work, professional responsibility and editorial decisions remain in the hands of journalists. She affirmed that no technology can eliminate the professional presence of journalists and their ability to convey people’s suffering, especially in light of the aggression against the Palestinian people. She stressed the need for genuine international cooperation between media institutions and technology platforms, based on the exchange of information and expertise and the development of verification tools. She pointed out that the Palestinian experience offers a clear example of the dangers of programmed and deliberate misinformation, as the occupation attempts to undermine the Palestinian narrative by fabricating videos and images.
Speaking about the role of artificial intelligence in media, Hamad Al-Fahad, Editor-in-Chief of the Arabic News Service at the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), said the agency established an “AI Oasis” in 2023, with a team responsible for preparing, producing, and broadcasting news summaries in short video clips on social media platforms, as well as generating images using this technology, while always citing the source. He added that KUNA launched the virtual anchor “Maha” to broadcast news bulletins in English, in addition to creating the virtual anchor “Avatar” to deliver news in Arabic. He noted that this systematic transformation has contributed to raising the efficiency of news content production, reflecting the shift of artificial intelligence “from being merely a supportive tool to a work partner for journalists and editors.”
The seventh Global Media Summit, organized by Xinhua News Agency under the theme “Media in the Intelligent Era: From Consensus to Action,” is continuing with the participation of approximately 330 media outlets from around the world, and will run until next Monday. (End) S L Q / A M S
