Is AI making journalism better or worse? We explore the evolving relationship between AI and journalism, AI's impact on newsrooms and education, and the critical need for AI literacy, especially in the Global South. Journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, Shakeeb Asrar, offers a hopeful, yet cautious, perspective, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations and human experience in an increasingly AI-driven world. 

This discussion is part of a three-episode series in conjunction with the "Ai or NAY?" exhibition at media majlis museum.

0:00 Introduction: AI's Exponential Growth

0:29 Is AI Making Journalism Better or Worse?

2:07 The Inevitability of AI in Journalism

4:16 Journalism's Role in Combating Disinformation

5:56 The Workflow of Journalism and AI's Impact

8:47 The Human Element Versus AI in Storytelling

10:09 Ethical Challenges and AI-Generated Content

13:35 The Two Groups: Malicious Intent vs. Lack of Responsibility

17:15 The Global South and AI 

20:48 Cultivating Skepticism in the Age of AI

23:09 The Subtle Dangers of AI: Bias and Manipulation

23:30 Teaching Journalism in the AI Era

27:46 Ethical Guidelines and AI in Film

31:18 AI's Impact on Creativity From a Students' Perspectives

35:04 Identifying AI-Generated Content

38:40 The Control and Manipulation of AI Models

43:08 AI's Impact on Journalism in the Global South

45:17 Essential Tools for Young Journalists in the Arab World

47:37 Historical Context of Misinformation and Propaganda

51:04 Recommendations: "Bodyguard of Lies" and "The Afghanistan Papers"

54:09 AI: A New Tool, Old Dangers

Shakeeb Asrar is an assistant professor in residence in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern Qatar. Before joining, he worked in New York at Alex Gibney’s award-winning film company, Jigsaw Productions, helping to produce an upcoming feature film by Paramount about the war in Afghanistan. He has worked as a journalist and documentary filmmaker, primarily at Al Jazeera English, focusing on interactive and multimedia stories for AJ’s digital platforms. His work focuses on stories from or about the Global South, with an emphasis on challenging the skewed portrayals of the region in global media. He has received journalism and filmmaking grants from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (New York Chapter), the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), and the Pulitzer Center. 

Connect with Shakeeb Asrar 👉 https://instagram.com/shakeebasrar

Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 

https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

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THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK 
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