AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

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Updated 05 November 2024
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


KSrelief humanitarian works continue

KSrelief humanitarian works continue
Updated 23 February 2025
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KSrelief humanitarian works continue

KSrelief humanitarian works continue

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continues its philanthropic activities continue in Yemen, Kosovo, Sudan, Bangladesh and Lebanon through the distribution of food and provision emergency medical services.

In Yemen, the Saudi agency on Friday distributed 98 tonnes of food boxes as part of the Kingdom’s commitment to enhance food security and alleviate suffering in Yemen.

In Kosovo, KSrelief handed out 900 food baskets in several cities, benefiting 4,500 individuals.

In Sudan, 227 food boxes were given to vulnerable displaced families in Gezira State as part of the third phase of KSrelief’s 2025 Food Security Support Project.

In Bangladesh, 500 food parcels were distributed in Dhaka, benefiting 2,500 individuals, as part of KSrelief’s humanitarian gesture to ensure food security in many brotherly and friendly countries around the world.

Meanwhile in Northern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ambulance Service funded by KSrelief carried out 71 emergency missions between Feb. 14 and Feb. 20 included administering first aid, transporting patients to and from hospitals and treating burn victims of Syrian and Palestinian refugees as well as members of the host community.

This initiative is part of the project to support emergency services and transportation in refugee areas and host communities in Lebanon.


Shoura Council speaker leads Saudi delegation at Arab Parliament conference

Shoura Council speaker leads Saudi delegation at Arab Parliament conference
Updated 23 February 2025
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Shoura Council speaker leads Saudi delegation at Arab Parliament conference

Shoura Council speaker leads Saudi delegation at Arab Parliament conference
  • The conference focused on strengthening Arab parliamentary unity, with a key agenda item dedicated to supporting the Palestinian people

CAIRO: The speaker of the Shoura Council, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh, led Saudi Arabia’s delegation at the 7th Conference of the Arab Parliament and the Presidents of Arab Councils and Parliaments.

The conference, held at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo on Saturday, focused on strengthening Arab parliamentary unity.

One agenda item was dedicated to supporting the Palestinian people and rejecting any proposals for their forced displacement. As part of the discussions, participants worked on formulating a unified Arab parliamentary stance to advocate for Palestinian rights. The outcome was the planned issuance of a unified Arab parliamentary action plan outlining concrete steps Arab parliamentarians could take.

Ahead of its official approval, the Presidents of Arab Councils and Parliaments held a closed consultative session to finalize the main aspects of the plan, which will be submitted to the Arab Summit for adoption.

The Kingdom’s conference delegation included the secretary-general of the Shoura Council, Mohammed bin Dakhil Al-Mutairi, along with council members Saad bin Salib Al-Otaibi, Tariq bin Saeed Al-Shammari, Hanan bint Abdullah Al-Sammari, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Aifan and Amal bint Abdulaziz Al-Hazani.


King Salman orders the naming of 15 Riyadh squares after Saudi imams and kings

King Salman orders the naming of 15 Riyadh squares after Saudi imams and kings
Updated 22 February 2025
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King Salman orders the naming of 15 Riyadh squares after Saudi imams and kings

King Salman orders the naming of 15 Riyadh squares after Saudi imams and kings
  • The initiative followed a proposal by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and coincides with Saudi Arabia’s celebration of Founding Day

RIYADH: King Salman on Saturday issued a directive to name 15 squares in Riyadh after notable imams and kings of the Saudi State, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The initiative followed a proposal by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and coincides with Saudi Arabia’s celebration of Founding Day on Feb. 22, SPA added.

The move reflects the leadership’s commitment to honoring the legacy of the rulers who, for more than three centuries, have played a pivotal role in the Kingdom’s foundation, unification, and development.

These leaders safeguarded Saudi Arabia’s resources, ensured its security, and contributed to the prosperity of its people.

The newly named squares, located along Riyadh’s main roads, will commemorate historical figures from the Saudi State, including Imam Muhammad bin Saud, Imam Abdulaziz bin Muhammad, Imam Saud bin Abdulaziz, Imam Abdullah bin Saud, Imam Turki bin Abdullah, Imam Faisal bin Turki, Imam Abdullah bin Faisal, and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal.

The list also includes modern Saudi rulers King Abdulaziz, King Saud, King Faisal, King Khalid, King Fahd, King Abdullah, and King Salman.


Saudi embassy in Syria celebrates Founding Day

Saudi embassy in Syria celebrates Founding Day
Updated 22 February 2025
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Saudi embassy in Syria celebrates Founding Day

Saudi embassy in Syria celebrates Founding Day
  • Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha held high-level meetings with senior executives from major global companies at the Future Investment Initiative in Miami

DAMASCUS: Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in the Syrian Arab Republic held a reception on the occasion of the Kingdom’s Founding Day at its headquarters in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The celebration was attended by the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Yasser Al-Jundi, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Syria, and a group of businessmen and intellectuals, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha held high-level meetings with senior executives from major global companies at the Future Investment Initiative in Miami to bolster partnerships in technology, artificial intelligence, investment and the space sector.

 


Saudi Arabia arrests 21,222 illegals in one week

Saudi Arabia arrests 21,222 illegals in one week
Updated 22 February 2025
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Saudi Arabia arrests 21,222 illegals in one week

Saudi Arabia arrests 21,222 illegals in one week
  • The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years and a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000)

RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 21,222 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

A total of 13,202 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,911 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 3,109 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 1,376 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 58 percent were Ethiopian, 40 percent Yemeni, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.

A further 86 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 22 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators, the SPA reported.

The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years and a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000).

Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.