RIYADH: The 10th Media Conference, titled “Artificial Intelligence Media: Opportunities and Challenges,” will be held in Riyadh on April 7.
Prof. Ali Masmali, acting president of King Saud University, is sponsoring the two-day conference, organized by the Saudi Association for Media and Communication.
The forum will discuss key challenges facing media practitioners, review academic work in line with job market needs affected by AI, assess the economic viability of these technologies in the media sector, and examine their future applications based on past experience.
Ali Al-Dhumayan, the association’s chairman, said that AI technologies have brought a fundamental transformation in media concepts, requiring a focus on their broader impacts rather than treating them as auxiliary tools.
He told Arab News: “AI is no longer just a technological option that can be postponed or treated as an academic luxury. It has become a reality that is reshaping all aspects of media work. Those who are slow to grasp this will find themselves outside the professional equation within a few years.”
Al-Dhumayan emphasized the importance of defining the academic role in qualifying human resources to keep pace with these changes, as well as raising awareness of the economic benefits of the digital revolution in the media sector and using it as a driver of development rather than a replacement for human capital.
He added that the conference explores the professional challenges facing media practitioners in the age of AI, as well as the alternatives and opportunities available to human talent.
It focuses on the academic role in aligning university education outcomes with labor market demands through curriculum development and highlighting successful academic initiatives in using modern technologies.
The conference also highlights investment opportunities and the economic feasibility of AI applications in media organizations at both institutional and individual levels.
The conference looks ahead to the future of the media industry, considering emerging technologies and outlining “the tasks that may be automated and those that will remain the domain of human intellect to ensure a smooth transition to the new media landscape,” said Al-Dhumayan.
