Focus on AI rise in creative industries at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle
Panelists at the event, held at Abu Dhabi's Manarat Al-Saadiyat, included Riyad Joucka, founder and principal architect at the Middle East Architecture Network, a practice based in Dubai.
Others included Stephen King, senior lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai; Imad Mesdoua, director of government affairs for the Middle East and Africa at Spotify; and Dr. Patrick Noack, executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation.
A post shared by Culture Summit Abu Dhabi (@culturesummitad)
The panel examined AI's impact across multiple creative fields, exploring the opportunities AI presents as well as the challenges that arise when employing machine intelligence.
Joucka was keen to emphasize the importance of using AI as a tool to 'extend human creativity,' rather than replace it.
'I see technology as an important tool to extend human creativity and knowledge, and not necessarily as a substitute for the human touch in design,' he said, adding that human-AI collaboration was the ideal creative journey from ideation to finished product.
Mesdoua echoed the importance of the human touch at Spotify, saying 'there are two ingredients to the Spotify secret sauce, one is personalization … and the other one is discovery.
'Personalization is to a large extent driven by AI and technologies and algorithmic advances … it makes sure that your app fits you like a glove. The other ingredient to the secret sauce is what we call discoverability.
'And what that means is every now and then on your Spotify app, you will get a suggestion for a song or an artist or genre that you might not have typically listened to, and that's largely the work, not solely, but largely the work of human editors.'
That is 'very important, particularly for diversity,' Mesdoua noted, adding 'a big part of the work that the editors are doing to make sure that up-and-coming genres are being spotlighted and playlisted to global audiences in a unique way.
'So AI can reflect the user, but editors can help recommend new things to users.'
While human curators are key to promoting international music to global audiences, Mesdoua did note the importance of AI in the music industry, saying one of the most important positives is lowering the barriers to entry.
'If you think back to 70 years ago or 80 years ago, becoming a really established musician required you overcoming a ton of barriers and hurdles, particularly on the infrastructure side of things.
'You had to have an expensive studio at your disposal … now you can be all by yourself in your room with amazing AI software and amplify whatever creative spark you have in your mind and really go from ideation to production super-fast.'
It is something Noack was more cautious about, though, with the executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation saying 'a barrier to entry is not necessarily a bad thing.'
'I think a lot of people come into space that is not necessarily their calling or (they do not have a) high level of skill and suddenly they know how to do something and they're the expert in this space.'
A litmus test for good AI, he added, is 'whether it can be switched off or rolled back.'
Taking into account differences between various creative fields, the panelists took a nuanced approach and discussed whether AI's influence was similar across sectors.
There was one warning repeated across various creative fields — including architecture, marketing, education and music — panelists warned that practitioners need to 'know when to stop and when to bring the human element back into creativity,' as per Joucka.
Running until April 29 and organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the three-day summit includes policymakers, artists, scholars, and innovators.
The theme is 'Culture for Humanity and Beyond,' focusing on the intersection of culture, technology and global governance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Nadeen Ayoub to represent Palestine at Miss Universe for the first time
DUBAI: Nadeen Ayoub announced this week that she will represent Palestine for the first time at the 74th Miss Universe pageant, set to take place this November in Pak Kret, Thailand. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ She took to Instagram to write: 'Today, I step onto the Miss Universe stage not just with a title — but with a truth. As Palestine endures heartbreak — especially in Gaza — I carry the voice of a people who refuse to be silenced. A post shared by Nadeen Ayoub (@ 'I represent every Palestinian woman and child whose strength the world needs to see. We are more than our suffering — we are resilience, hope and the heartbeat of a homeland that lives on through us,' she added. Ayoub, a fitness coach and nutrition consultant now based in Dubai, previously held the title of Miss Earth Water at the Miss Earth pageant in Manila in 2022. A post shared by Nadeen Ayoub (@ She was also the first woman to represent Palestine at that event, which is considered one of the four major international beauty pageants, alongside Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss International. She was crowned Miss Palestine in 2022. A post shared by Olive Green Academy (@olivegreenacademy) Ayoub is the founder of Olive Green Academy, a content creation school that integrates sustainability with artificial intelligence.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Taylor Swift's Chat with the Kelces on 'New Heights' Marks a Milestone Moment for Podcasts
Since nothing Taylor Swift ever does is small, her two-hour conversation with boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce on their 'New Heights' podcast is a watershed moment for a media format that has already outlived the device it was named for. By Thursday afternoon, Wednesday night's talk had already been seen more than 11.7 million times on YouTube. But that's only a fraction of its circulation — clips distributed on Instagram, TikTok, X and elsewhere have received more than 400 million views, and the episode was also available for streaming on audio platforms. Swift, who infrequently gives interviews to journalists, revealed key information about her upcoming album, 'The Life of a Showgirl,' and talked about her relationships with Travis Kelce and her family, and her joy of gaining full control of her past work — a yearslong quest. It was a revelation for fans with whom she's primarily communicated through her music and social media Easter eggs, a treasure hunt of clues about what she's doing professionally. 'We have not heard Taylor speak in like a long-form interview like that in about five years,' Alex Antonides, a superfan from Dallas, told The Associated Press. 'She's never been in that comfortable of a situation, either. It's always been like more professional, like a professional interviewer asking her questions. And then this is like with her boyfriend and his brother. So that was ... an environment we've truly never seen her in before.' Celebrities like a friendly face for public talks Swift cemented a trend that's been seen in recent years among entertainers, sports figures and politicians who seek to deliver particular messages. A visit to friendly faces for a long-form conversation beats questions from nosy, prying journalists. In this case, Swift and Travis Kelce locked arms and cooed at each other between admiring queries. 'My boyfriend says,' Swift said in asides when Kelce laid things on too thick. 'The Kelce brothers have become the Barbara Walters of their generation,' said Nick Cicero, founder of Mondo Metrics, which studies the podcast industry. Fans ate it up. 'I think it's really nice and refreshing, especially for a woman whose primary fan base is young women, to see somebody that is so celebratory of their partner and also not self-deprecating in a bad way, but also really admires what they do, and they don't try to minimize that,' one fan, Britton Copeland, who goes by Britton Rae on TikTok, said in a Zoom interview. Swift interpreters immediately began online discussions about What It All Means. One fan discussed theories about the still-unheard song, 'The Fate of Ophelia,' listed as the new album's first cut. Others pointed out that the album release date of Oct. 3 coincided with National Plaid Day — apparently a Swift obsession — and National Boyfriend's Day. Such Easter eggs are likely to bring listeners back to the 'New Heights' interview again and again, meaning it could eventually stand as the most listened-to podcast episode on YouTube ever. 'It's got a chance,' Cicero said. Podcasts emerged in the 2000s as an audio-only programming format tied to Apple's now-defunct iPod. The New Oxford American Dictionary called 'podcast' its word of the year in 2005, even as many in the industry sought an alternative name almost as soon as it was coined. The well-regarded 'Serial' podcasts helped bring the format into the mainstream a decade ago. Particularly since the pandemic, and with the explosive growth of YouTube and personalities like Joe Rogan, video podcasts have become far more popular. Like most interview podcasts, 'New Heights' can also be enjoyed in an audio format — and it's background noise even for many who air it on YouTube — but being able to see Swift and the Kelces interact has its benefits. Will Swift outdraw President Trump's appearance with Rogan? Rogan's interview with President Donald Trump was a key moment in the 2024 presidential campaign, and has been seen 59 million times on YouTube in nine months. Certainly Swifties — and possibly Trump himself — will be eager to see if the 'New Heights' interview exceeds that number. Swift is among the celebrities who has drawn the president's ire. Swift's and the Kelces' teams were was particularly skillful in creating a huge demand for the interview with how its spread clips across various social media platforms, said Tom Webster, founder of Sounds Profitable, a firm that analyzes the podcast industry. By Thursday morning, Instagram highlights alone from the interview were viewed more than 350 million times, Cicero said.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez: From Madrid beginnings to a Riyadh engagement
DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez and her longtime partner, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, have shared a romance that has captured hearts for nearly a decade. The Saudi Arabia-based couple announced their engagement this week in Riyadh, with Rodriguez posting on Instagram: 'Yes I do. In this and in all my lives.' A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) This was alongside a photo of a breathtaking oval-cut diamond ring resting on Ronaldo's hand. A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) The ring has quickly become a topic of global fascination. Jewelry experts estimate the center stone to weigh between 22 and 37 carats, flanked by smaller side stones, all set in platinum or white gold. Messages of congratulations from friends, family and fans have poured in, filling the couple's comments section and, no doubt, their inboxes and phones. A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) Their story began in 2016 at a Gucci boutique in Madrid, where Rodriguez worked as a sales assistant. By late 2016, they went public, photographed strolling through Disneyland Paris. In 2017, they welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo, followed later that year by their daughter Alana Martina. In April 2022, the couple had another set of twins, Bella and Angel, though Angel tragically passed away at birth. Ronaldo's eldest son, Cristiano Jr., from a previous relationship, also lives with the couple. A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) When Ronaldo transferred to Juventus in 2018, the family moved to Turin. In 2022, Ronaldo made a career-defining move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, officially relocating to Riyadh in January 2023 with Rodriguez and the children. The couple have shared glimpses of their life in Saudi Arabia with fans, from romantic dinners in Riyadh to family getaways by the Red Sea. A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) Over the years, fans have repeatedly speculated about secret wedding plans, particularly in 2020 when Rodriguez was seen wearing a large diamond ring. A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) And again in 2024 at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, when Ronaldo referred to her as 'my wife' during his acceptance speech. Both have consistently brushed off the speculation. In her Netflix series 'I Am Georgina,' Ronaldo said he was '1,000 percent sure' they would wed when the moment felt right.
