Muscat: Represented by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the Sultanate of Oman is hosting the ‘4th international conference on the present and future of communication, media and the AI revolution’. The opening ceremony of the event was held under the auspices of Dr. Abdullah Nasser Al Harrasi, Minister of Information. The three-day conference discusses more than 60 scholarly papers on philosophical frameworks of the uses of artificial intelligence in the fields of communication and media.

According to Oman News Agency, the papers will discuss practical applications of artificial intelligence in the communication and media industries in the Arab region and other parts of the world. The papers will also study the challenges of communication and media in the context of artificial intelligence, media education, training programmes and the future of the media industry. Dr. Abdullah said that artificial intelligence changes many aspects of life, notably in innovative fields and content creation. He pointed out that
‘AI will bring about major changes, some of which are positive and some appear to be negative, at least for the time being, like change in media jobs, the production of media content and the risks of misinformation through the use of media’.

Speaking about the positive aspects, Dr. Abdullah said that AI would generate new jobs and help media institutions comprehend audience trends by utilizing AI technologies to read big data in the process of developing media content. A positive aspect is that AI has potential in customizing media content for each individual and tailoring media content in a manner that meets the aspirations of each individual, he added.

In a press statement, Dr. Abdullah said that the conference coincides with two important events: Celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the start of broadcasting of Oman TV, way back on 17 November 1974, and the promulgation of Oman Media Law that regulates media action and maintains a balance between freedoms, rights and responsibilities of media per
sons and institutions.

For his part, Dr. Abdullah Khamis Al Kindi, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference, said that some reports and studies indicate that prospects of growth in market volume for AI applications in the media sector are set to grow from $10 billion in 2022 to more than $30 billion by 2030. He added that some indicators point to the “use of AI algorithms in allocating content to about 80% of users on social media platforms”. It is also believed that about 70% of global media institutions are taking steps to increase reliance on AI applications for analyzing audience interaction on social media platforms and improving the speed of content production by more than 50% in media institutions that rely on artificial intelligence applications.

The conference seeks to intensify research efforts related to media and communication within the framework of the AI revolution and to explore the future of the media and communication and its challenges.