Abu dhabi: Governments, organisations and individuals must prepare for the rapid development of artificial intelligence as the technology increasingly shapes information, media and everyday life, Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority, said during the Arab Media Summit 2026. Speaking during a session titled 'The Next Chapter for Arab Media', Al Hamed said societies needed to build greater awareness of AI, particularly as increasingly sophisticated content makes it harder to distinguish between genuine and fabricated information. He emphasized that preparedness should extend beyond governments and companies to communities, schools, and children.
According to Emirates News Agency, Al Hamed warned that AI could also pose risks to national security if governments and societies were not sufficiently prepared to understand and respond to the technology and the misinformation it can enable. Referring to misinformation circulated during recent regional developments, he noted that fabricated videos and reports had attempted to create fear by falsely suggesting that incidents had taken place in the UAE. Al Hamed highlighted the role of public trust and awareness in countering such content, with citizens and residents using social media to challenge false reports and publish footage showing what was actually happening on the ground.
He further explained that individuals also have a responsibility to verify information before believing or sharing it, especially as AI tools become more capable of producing convincing images, videos, and written content. Al Hamed himself uses AI tools to trace the origins of images and information and assess the credibility of their sources. He stressed that avoiding artificial intelligence was no longer a realistic option, comparing its development to earlier concerns surrounding technologies such as calculators, which eventually became an ordinary part of daily life.
Al Hamed posed the question of whether AI would be dangerous while one is prepared for it or dangerous while knowing nothing about it. He advocated for people to develop enough knowledge of AI to understand both its potential and its risks, rather than rejecting the technology due to concerns about its evolution. He shared that he currently uses more than 120 AI agents to assist with tasks ranging from emails and calendars to reminders, upcoming events, and personal organisation.
Addressing concerns that artificial intelligence could replace jobs, Al Hamed stated that sectors including film production, journalism, media, and law would all be affected, with AI increasingly taking over certain tasks and giving professionals more time to focus on other areas of their work. However, he stressed that human input would remain essential. He encouraged organisations and employees to embrace AI responsibly as a tool to improve performance, generate ideas, and work more efficiently. 'AI helps us with our work. It saves time, helps us improve our performance, and can open up ideas that we may not have considered ourselves,' he concluded.