Artificial intelligence is becoming more powerful, more widespread and more sophisticated at an enormous pace. There are already areas where it has taken over work previously done by people, and there will be more and more of them in the future. Everyone will also use it more and more – and, above all, rely on it. Sally Hammoud, one of the leading experts on AI, describes precisely the advantages and disadvantages of such developments.
You have been deeply engaged with AI topics for many years. Where do you see the strengths and weaknesses of AI?
One weakness is inadequate governance frameworks, a lack of effective rules and regulation and above all the absence of technical mechanisms to enforce these rules. The EU is trying to regulate this area and protect users, but it is still not enough. Systems can behave unpredictably. For example, an offline system may find a way to connect to the internet and launch a cyberattack, even against a company trying to hide its interface. Another weakness is the widening gap between people. Those who have access to and invest in AI become extremely wealthy, creating inequalities similar to those seen during the Industrial Revolution. This new technological shift could replace both manual and office workers, and society, including the education system, will need time to adapt. AI also raises concerns about environmental impact and the loss of individual countries’ digital sovereignty. Ultimately, all these weaknesses are connected to governance and the way AI is organised and controlled.
And the strengths?
Human beings naturally seek progress, and technology helps us perform tasks more efficiently, quickly and with fewer resources. AI can greatly expand access to education, especially in rural areas. Investment in this area, however, remains limited. Instead, major companies focus on profit, government contracts and the weaponisation of technology. AI can support teachers by identifying individual student needs and creating personalised learning paths. I am currently working on an AI literacy platform for school students. They learn through videos and interactive lectures and use AI tools under controlled conditions to identify red flags. Based on this experience, I developed a similar platform for professionals who need targeted learning without studying entire fields. For example, if I need to understand the history of Slovakia for a policy paper, I can consult multiple AI systems and receive information tailored to the needs of my project. This approach is also valuable in journalism. It can significantly support the field, even though it also introduces new challenges.
Do you think AI will replace certain professions, such as journalists, marketers or PR specialists? Or will it remain only a tool to support their work?
This is one of the most common questions I receive, and it is also the focus of my current research. My hypothesis is that AI must be institutionalised within media companies, especially newsrooms. Advertising and marketing have already been transformed, but journalism is different and must be protected, particularly investigative journalism. If newsrooms fail to integrate AI properly, important roles may be affected. One major challenge is that people no longer visit news websites, but instead obtain information through AI tools. This disrupts the business model of media organisations and raises issues such as copyright and data use. Journalists should be allowed to use AI, but within clear editorial policies – verifying information through multiple sources, documenting the process and applying strict fact-checking. Without institutionalisation, AI becomes a “trial-and-error” tool that can harm journalistic standards.
Sally Hammoud at a workshop for female journalists on integrating AI into journalism.
Critical thinking is essential for both journalists and the public. How can people learn to think critically when using AI?
It is more difficult with older generations, who often trust written information without questioning it. Younger people are more adaptable, and working with them helps us develop methods for broader awareness. With my university students, I allow them to use AI for assignments, but then I ask them to write counter-arguments to everything AI produced. This forces them to challenge both their own ideas and the machine’s reasoning. With children, we use exercises inspired by puzzles. They receive a printed image and must recreate it through precise prompting. This teaches them to pay attention to detail and think in a structured way. I also teach international students in Barcelona, and many of them were surprised that someone so deeply involved in AI would emphasise governance, inequalities and risks. But these discussions are necessary, especially as AI reshapes geopolitics and affects jobs in many industries.
Journalists follow ethical guidelines and are subject to oversight bodies. But AI is not. How should AI ethics be handled?
This is why institutionalisation is essential. Every media company should have a chief AI officer. That means not only a technical expert, but someone who understands both media and technology and can assess their societal impact. Smaller organisations could appoint an adviser instead. An AI ethics committee should include journalists, legal experts and technical specialists. It should oversee how AI is used, ensure data protection and prevent mistakes such as publishing AI-generated text without review, something that has already happened in prominent newsrooms. This committee should also cooperate with public authorities responsible for technology, because AI ethics cannot fall solely under ministries of information. Content creators outside traditional journalism also influence public discourse, and current structures do not cover them.
Do you think communication will become more uniform if everyone uses artificial intelligence tools more often?
Yes, this is one of my biggest concerns. AI-generated content often looks similar, and people increasingly rely on machine-produced information. My fear is not so much for today as for the next decade. If young people obtain knowledge exclusively through AI and AI is trained on machine-generated data, we risk losing the human narrative. We must protect the narrative, the human perspective, because algorithms already shape how information is presented. This is a challenge for media, education and society as a whole.
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Sally Hammoud is an expert on the intersection of communication, media and artificial intelligence. As an academic and consultant, she helps institutions and their leaders navigate the business and organisational demands brought about by technological change.
She holds a PhD in Communication and Media Studies and is the author of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Reputation (2024).
Her advisory work spans the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the Gulf and Europe. Her clients include EY Bahrain, UNICEF and UN Women.
She also works with institutions such as DW Akademie in Berlin and the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute in Paris, where she serves as MENA Liaison Officer.
Across research, teaching and consulting, her focus remains the same – helping people and organisations think clearly and act wisely as technology reshapes how they communicate, decide and lead.
HOME, MUSIC AND SPORT
Sally Hammoud travels extensively across the Middle East and North Africa. What does she consider home? And does she have any time for hobbies? “I live between Lebanon and Spain. I travel frequently because my work requires mobility,” she confirms. “I do sometimes miss home, and I always try to maintain a balance between work and relaxation. I enjoy spending time with friends, going to the beach in Barcelona, visiting museums and exploring culture. I love classical music as much as techno, and I enjoy dancing. I am also physically active, although I recently had a serious ski accident while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. Otherwise, I prefer water skiing. Travelling inspires me and keeps me continue to grow.”
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