Arab Journalists' Evaluation of the Role of Employing AI Technologies in Newsrooms in Light of the Theory of Acceptance and Employment of Technology (UTAUT)

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate the attitudes of Arab journalists towards employing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in newsrooms, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The research problem focuses on assessing the readiness of Arab journalistic institutions to adopt AI technologies, their impact on journalistic work, and the challenges journalists face in this context. The study employed a survey methodology using questionnaires and in-depth interviews, targeting a sample of 294 journalists and technicians from Arab and international journalistic institutions, The findings revealed that 50.3% of journalists moderately rely on AI technologies, while 33.7% of journalistic institutions are highly prepared to adopt these technologies. The expected performance of AI technologies was positively associated with improving the quality of journalistic work, and a strong correlation was found between the readiness of journalistic institutions and the positive impacts of AI usage. However, journalism faces challenges related to the lack of specialized training, ethical concerns, and weak infrastructure in some institutions.

The research concluded that AI contributes to enhancing journalistic efficiency by accelerating editorial processes and improving content quality, but it requires clear strategies to overcome challenges. The study recommended providing comprehensive training programs for journalists, strengthening technical infrastructure, and establishing regulatory policies to address ethical concerns associated with AI usage.