The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) concluded its participation as the sponsor of digital transformation in the Global Media Congress 2022, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.
TDRA showcased the role of digital infrastructure in helping to shape a future media scene that leverages digital technologies and enables creators in all fields, particularly the media field, to provide their services and communicate with their customers all over in the world.
During its participation in the three-day event, TDRA highlighted the importance of the ICT sector in accelerating the pace of development in the media sector globally, and enabling media institutions to adapt and succeed, by relying on the enormous capabilities provided by the ICT infrastructure, such as the speed of massive data transmission, and easy communication with media correspondents wherever they are.
TDRA’s team also shed light on its role as a regulator and enabler of digital transformation and digital government in the UAE, and what this role means for the future of media, as any journalist can now provide his/her services to media institutions remotely, benefiting from what has become known globally as the Gig Economy.
Commenting on TDRA’s participation at the Global Media Congress 2022, Ahlam Al Feel, Director of Corporate Communications at TDRA, said: “This great global forum, in its first edition, was an opportunity to shed light on the future of media in the digital era, and it was an occasion for many rich discussions that addressed the important role of emerging technologies in shaping the media and communication map in the coming years. For us at TDRA, the event was an occasion to hear media professionals' expectations in a world where technologies are accelerating within the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Al Feel added: “We witnessed many sessions that dealt with the role and impact of digital data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and virtual reality in shaping a new media industry. Other sessions also addressed future skills and the challenges posed by emerging technologies, and the role of different institutions in preparing for these challenges and addressing them proactively.”
The Congress activities witnessed the participation of Eng. Sultan Al Balooshi, Manager of Spectrum Policy at TDRA, in the discussion workshop "Technology and AI as a Tool to Improve Media Communication". The workshop addressed the use of AI in digital media with the aim of improving the performance quality, accelerating its pace, and developing Internet functions in journalism.
During the workshop, Engineer Al Balooshi emphasized that the next stage will witness the increased use of smart technology in journalism, which will work semi-independently, and AI will penetrate all technologies used in the media sector, which creates a number of challenges. He said: “We, as a government entity responsible for regulating the ICT sector and accelerating the process of digital transformation in the country, are keen to regulate the process of using artificial intelligence in the media in a way that provides a safe and beneficial experience for all members of the Emirati society.”
The speakers at the session pointed out that the spread of these technologies will pose a challenge to journalism and digital media, as the use of writing technology and automated reports is likely to lead to a further decline in the role of human journalism in light of new policies for media institutions seeking more cost-cutting measures. However, the prevailing positive trend believes that the developments of AI technology in the field of digital media will provide creative journalists and leaders of journalism and digital media with an opportunity to reorganize the practice of journalistic work using these emerging technologies, which will add greater efficiencies in newsrooms, and improve the skills, efficiency, and productivity of media work.