AIJWF: Shaping the Future of AI in Media and the Global Digital Economy

By: H.E Dr. Mohamed Abdulzaher

CEO of the AIJRF and found of the AIJWF

Over the past years, the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF) has established itself as a pioneering global platform at the intersection of content creation and artificial intelligence, combining academic depth with real-world application. From its early foundation, AIJRF has been committed to advancing the professional capabilities of media practitioners and content creators—equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to integrate AI responsibly across every stage of the content production cycle, from research and development to publishing and distribution.

This vision gained international momentum with the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Journalism World Forum (AIJWF) in 2020, followed by its inaugural edition in 2021. That first gathering brought together a distinguished network of scientists, academics, and experts in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to examine a defining question: What will the future look like for content creators in an era of intelligent systems?

Even then, the discussions went beyond theoretical forecasting. The AIJWF anticipated many of the AI-powered phenomena, applications, and tools that the world now depends on daily—marking the 2021 edition as a foundational moment that signaled the beginning of a new era in global content industries.

As AIJWF evolved across successive editions, AIJRF introduced the concept of “Seventh Generation (7G ) Journalism”—a forward-looking media model designed to align with the next wave of technological convergence, including the Internet of Things (IoT), the emerging the Internet of Bodies (IoB), and future 7G communication technologies that are expected to reshape digital ecosystems in the years ahead. This concept reflects AIJRF’s broader commitment to not only responding to technological change, but also actively shaping the frameworks through which media and society engage with it.

Equally significant, the inaugural AIJWF edition in 2021 witnessed the release of the forum’s first Global Professional and Ethical Guide for the use of artificial intelligence in journalism and content creation. The guide laid out foundational principles to ensure that AI adoption enhances quality, credibility, and public trust—while protecting professional standards, ethical responsibility, and the integrity of information.

From 1^st AIJWF to the sixth edition in 2026, the AIJWF has continued to serve as a global hub for showcasing the latest developments in the AI revolution. Through its research-driven agenda and applied focus, the forum highlights emerging trends in generative AI, advanced technologies, digital content innovation, and smart government communication, while reinforcing the urgent need for responsible governance frameworks that ensure AI remains a force for progress—both in media and across society.

AI Investment and Economic Value

In just a few short years, artificial intelligence has moved from the margins of innovation to the center of global transformation—reshaping how digital content is produced, how media organizations operate, and how economic value is created at scale. As the world gathers for the 6th Artificial Intelligence Journalism World Forum (AIJWF 2026), the depth of AI’s impact is no longer open to debate. It is evident in the unprecedented volume of investment flowing into AI technologies, the explosive growth of digital content generated every day, and the rising urgency of confronting AI-driven misinformation that threatens public trust and information integrity.

AI is no longer confined to research laboratories or reserved for elite industries. It has become the infrastructure of the modern digital economy, powering everything from content creation and platform ecosystems to marketing, commerce, and decision-making systems. Recent projections by IDC estimate that artificial intelligence could contribute up to $19.9 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with annual economic impact approaching $4.9 trillion by the end of the decade—up from approximately $1.2 trillion today. This rapid rise reflects not only direct AI-generated revenues, but also broader structural gains across productivity, consumer activity, and the expansion of next-generation digital infrastructure.

Regionally, the Middle East is poised to capture a meaningful share of AI’s transformative benefits. Projections indicate that by 2030, AI could contribute approximately $320 billion to the Middle Eastern economy, it represents a strategic pivot toward innovation-led economic diversification and global competitiveness.

The Explosion of Digital Content

The global expansion of digital content is equally striking. Businesses, governments, and individuals now generate media at an unprecedented pace. Industry forecasts suggest that the digital content creation market — already valued at tens of billions of dollars — is projected to nearly double over the coming decade, driven by ubiquitous adoption of AI tools that automate text, image, audio, and video production. Digital transformation initiatives across sectors such as education, marketing, entertainment, and e-commerce increasingly lean on AI to produce scalable content quickly and cost-efficiently.

The volume of digital content in circulation has grown to such an extent that it now dwarfs pre-2020 levels by orders of magnitude. Today, more than 1 billion users engage with AI-assisted platforms every month, contributing to the tidal flow of digitally mediated content across the global internet. This is content that informs, entertains, persuades, educates, and influences decisions at every level of society.

The Dark Side: AI-Driven Content Risks

Yet the same technologies accelerating creativity and productivity are also fueling a troubling surge in misinformation, synthetic media, and deepfakes. AI-generated deception—ranging from fabricated videos and manipulated audio to misleading text narratives—can now be produced at scale and distributed instantly across digital platforms. The result is a growing erosion of public trust, alongside serious social, political, and economic consequences.

This threat is no longer theoretical. The World Economic Forum has identified AI-powered misinformation as one of the most urgent short-term risks facing the global economy, warning that generative AI has dramatically lowered the barriers to creating and spreading highly convincing false content. What once required advanced expertise and significant resources can now be achieved with minimal effort—at unprecedented speed and reach.

The scale of the challenge is further reflected in the rapid expansion of deepfake technologies. While the market for AI-generated deepfakes remained relatively limited in 2024, forecasts indicate it could grow into the multi-billion-dollar range by 2030, driven by the increasing sophistication of synthetic media and the rising demand for detection, verification, and mitigation solutions. This is not a fringe concern—it is a systemic risk that calls for coordinated governance, stronger safeguards, and cross-border collaboration.

The economic impact of misinformation is equally significant. Disinformation is not simply a communications problem; it carries measurable financial consequences. Studies have suggested that fake news and manipulated narratives can trigger tens of billions of dollars in market losses, while damaging corporate reputations, destabilizing consumer confidence, and distorting decision-making at both institutional and societal levels.

The challenge ahead is therefore clear: the global community must find a way to unlock AI’s potential to expand human creativity and economic opportunity—without allowing it to weaken truth, disrupt stability, or undermine the foundations of trust on which digital societies and economies depend.

AI Challenges for the Arab World

In the Arab region, the rapid pace of AI adoption presents both opportunities and significant challenges. While digital transformation strategies and national AI initiatives. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia rank among the most advanced Arab countries in terms of AI investment and cross-sector adoption. However, many Arab states continue to face major obstacles, particularly the lack of essential smart infrastructure required to deploy and maximize the benefits of advanced AI tools and technologies.

On the content side, multilingual and culturally aware AI systems remain underdeveloped compared to English-dominant solutions. This gap carries implications not just for market access but for cultural preservation and representation in the digital ecosystem. To ensure that AI tools serve Arab content creators effectively, investment must prioritize language-centric models, ethical standards, and inclusive data ecosystems.

Moreover, the rise of AI-generated misinformation presents unique vulnerabilities for societies where media literacy varies widely. Without robust educational initiatives and digital literacy campaigns, populations may be more susceptible to manipulation and digital deception.

The promise of AI is immense, yet its benefits will only be fully realized when paired with a deep commitment to human-centred values and collective responsibility. Our challenge is not merely to innovate, but to innovate wisely; to build systems that amplify human potential while protecting the integrity of truth.

AIJWF 2026 is not just a forum — it is a call to action. Let us embrace the transformative power of AI, cautiously but confidently, and ensure it serves the common good of humanity and the sustainable future of the digital economy.