Iran starts trial of female journalist who covered Amini’s death

Iran starts trial of female journalist who covered Amini’s death
A Revolutionary Court in Iran on Tuesday began the trial of a female journalist behind closed doors on charges linked to her coverage of Mahsa Amini whose death in custody last year sparked months of unrest. (AFP/File)
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Updated 30 May 2023
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Iran starts trial of female journalist who covered Amini’s death

Iran starts trial of female journalist who covered Amini’s death
  • Hamedi, along with another female journalist, Elaheh Mohammadi, who went on trial on Monday, face several charges including "colluding with hostile powers"
  • Iran's intelligence ministry in October accused Mohammadi and Hamedi, both imprisoned for over eight months, of being CIA foreign agents

DUBAI: A Revolutionary Court in Iran on Tuesday began the trial of a female journalist behind closed doors on charges linked to her coverage of a Kurdish-Iranian woman whose death in custody last year sparked months of unrest, her husband said on Twitter.
Mahsa Amini’s death while held by the morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code unleashed a wave of mass anti-government protests for months, posing one of the boldest challenges to the country’s clerical leaders in decades.
A photo taken by Niloofar Hamedi for the pro-reform Sharq daily showing Amini’s parents hugging each other in a Tehran hospital where their daughter was lying in a coma was the first sign to the world that all was not well with 22-year-old Amini.
Tuesday’s trial session “ended in less than two hours while her lawyers did not get a chance to defend her and her family members were not allowed to attend the court,” Hamedi’s husband, Mohammad Hossein Ajorlou, said on Twitter.
“She denied all the charges against her and emphasized that she had performed her duty as a journalist based on the law.”
Hamedi, along with another female journalist, Elaheh Mohammadi, who went on trial on Monday, face several charges including “colluding with hostile powers” for their coverage of Amini’s death.
Iran’s intelligence ministry in October accused Mohammadi and Hamedi, both imprisoned for over eight months, of being CIA foreign agents.
Iran’s clerical rulers have blamed the protests on an array of enemies, including the United States, aimed at destabilising the Islamic Republic.


Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum
Updated 26 September 2023
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Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum
  • 21st annual conference opens in Dubai
  • ‘Technology is not the enemy of journalists,’ Sky Arabia’s head of news says

DUBAI: AI experts, analysts and journalists gathered on Tuesday for the 21st annual Arab Media Forum.

In a session titled “The Future of Journalism in the Web3 and Metaverse Era,” Mohammed Al Hammadi, chair of the UAE Journalists Association, said it was vital for those working in the industry to learn how to use artificial intelligence and ChatGPT.

“Journalists should be worried if they cannot keep up with the progress,” he said.

“Twenty years ago when social media first started to take hold, some continued to romanticize the old ways of publishing and the smell of newspapers. Those in question did not make it, their careers stalled and were replaced by those who knew how to handle progress. This technology will allow media to compete further on a global stage.”

Islam Al-Shatnawy, CEO of iApply Global, said during the session, which discussed the threats AI poses to journalism and journalists, that “money can be made if and once AI is utilized properly, allowing for complications in technicalities and productions to be resolved in record time and for less cost.”

In contrast, Abdu Gadallah, head of news at Sky Arabia, said the technology could lead to the loss of jobs, especially in areas like translation and production, though he doubted it would ever replace human presenters on TV.

“While technology is not the enemy of a journalist, there will be those who will be sacrificed in its pursuit,” he said.

“Technological advancement will not kill the message but might kill those who bring it about.”

Political analyst Yasser Abdulaziz described the new technology as “scary” and said job losses were inevitable.

It was possible that AI might one day also be responsible for making final decisions on editorial matters, he said.

Despite the threats, the panel urged journalists to view technological advancement and AI as a friend rather than a foe and to acknowledge the role it has to play in improving content production and profitability.


Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill
Updated 26 September 2023
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Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill
  • Information Minister Al-Mutairi said changes address some of public’s concerns
  • Bill reportedly set to introduce new provisions, warnings and penalties

LONDON: Kuwaiti Information Minister Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi on Monday defended a new draft of a controversial media bill aimed at regulating the industry in the country, the Kuwait Times reported. 

Al-Mutairi, who was speaking at a meeting of members of the media to explain the draft law, said he welcomed feedback from journalists, editors and others industry professionals, adding that authorities are “ready to hear all remarks … all with the intent of enhancing Kuwaiti media and promoting conscientious freedoms.”

The draft law, first unveiled in August, introduces a raft of new restrictions including outlawing criticism of the crown prince, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. It would also prohibit the publication or display of content considered blasphemous, and the infringement on the private life of a public employee or National Assembly representative.

The bill also stipulates punishment for those who publish reports on official secret communications or agreements and treaties concluded by the Kuwaiti government before they are announced officially, without permission from the concerned ministry.

Journalists found to have breached the new regulations would be punished with hefty fines — between no less than 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars (over $3,200) and 100,000 dinars — and in some cases prison.

Al-Mutairi said the changes seek to address public concerns, noting that the new draft eliminates the harshest punishments and introduces clear articles.

He noted that penalties, in most cases, are personal and will not affect editors-in-chief of publications or automatically lead to closing those publications or suspending their licenses.

Experts have labeled the proposed law as a “suppression of freedoms and liberties,” warning that this might mark a “retrogressive step and a blow to the progression of democracy,” a concern voiced by parliamentarians who have vowed to reject it.

The new draft, which is currently being studied by six government agencies and is expected to be voted on in October, also regulates social media advertising, media licensing, and the removal of the requirement for media organizations to have physical offices.

Kuwait is currently chairing the Arab Media Excellence Award and is one of the sitting countries on the Council of Arab Information Ministers.


Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO
Updated 26 September 2023
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Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO
  • There are valid uses of AI in the industry, such as tools that improved music, said Ek

LONDON: Streaming service Spotify has said it will not impose a blanket ban on its platform of all music created by artificial intelligence.

Daniel Ek, the company’s CEO, explained in a BBC interview on Monday that there were legitimate uses of AI in the music industry, including tools that improved music, such as auto-tune.

However, he stressed it was unacceptable to use AI to impersonate real artists without their consent.

Several music-streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, in April removed songs that used AI to clone the vocals of artists Drake and The Weeknd.

Ek also cited a middle ground in which AI-created music is influenced by existing artists but does not directly impersonate them.

He said the use of generative AI to create music was likely to be the subject of debate for “many, many years.”

Asked about the challenges the music industry was facing, he added: “It is going to be tricky.”

Artists across several disciplines, including music, have been speaking out against the use of AI in the creative industries, while voicing concerns about the unpaid use of their work to train such technology.

Irish musician Hozier said last month he would consider going on strike to protest at the threat of AI, stressing in a BBC interview he was not sure the technology met the definition of art.


Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
Updated 26 September 2023
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Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
  • Presence of Saudi Arabia at BRICS and UAE at G20 proves how 'vital and important their participation is not only economically but in terms of coexistence, humanitarian aid and trade,' said Al-Balawi

DUBAI: The Gulf Cooperation Council is on the right path towards positive political and economic progress and cooperation, Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, the secretary-general of the GCC, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the annual Arab Media Forum held in Dubai, Al-Budaiwi touched on points of progress and the challenges that member countries face. 

He said the presence of Saudi Arabia at BRICS and the UAE at the G20 Summit proved how “vital and important their participation is not only economically but in terms of coexistence, humanitarian aid and trade.”

Al-Budaiwi also touched on the subject of Iran and its relationship with the member countries, reiterating the main agenda is to get Iran to stop meddling in the region and to respect international laws.  

“Re-opening ties with Iran or attempting to is not necessarily new, there have been multiple attempts throughout the years; the late Saudi King Abdullah even tried,” he said.

“We are asking for a ‘normal’ relationship, after all, we are neighbors on the western frontiers,” he added.  

While Iran has some good relations with certain member countries, such as Kuwait and Oman, “the proof is in the pudding,” Al-Budaiwi noted. “The bigger and most important point is: do not meddle.” 

Ties were seeing progress until the recent Houthi-backed drone attack which claimed the lives of two Bahraini soldiers by the Saudi-Yemeni border on Tuesday morning. 

In terms of economical cooperation and numbers, the GCC’s budget amounts to $2.4 trillion, with $170 billion allocated for trade with each other.  

“These are not small numbers nor are they easy to achieve. But our cooperation with each other and the steps we are taking in transparency help,” Al-Budaiwi said.

He added that the GCC members have outstanding cooperation between each other in terms of political and security issues, but that economic plans require more effort and sacrifices and there is where the main challenge is.  

“You can’t win them all, you can’t lose them all” he noted during the session.  

The GCC is undergoing modernization of laws and regulations which is cementing its place in the global stage.   

On media and journalism, the GCC handles topics rather than dictation, preferring to discuss how to better promote their plans, like backing Saudi Arabia’s bid to hold Expo 2030 and the UAE hosting COP28, as well as how to tackle sensitive topics like the burning of the Qur’an in Europe.  

GCC member countries include: Saudi Arabia, The UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.


Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment
Updated 26 September 2023
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Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment
  • Amazon is to leverage Anthropic’s technology to power its cloud, other services

PARIS: Amazon said on Monday it would invest up to $4 billion in AI firm Anthropic, as the online retail giant steps into an AI race dominated by Microsoft, Google and OpenAI.
The success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot released last year that is able to generate poems, essays and other works with just a short prompt, has led to billions being invested in the field.
Amazon had already announced it aimed to soup up its Alexa voice assistant with generative AI, which the firm said would allow users to have smoother conversations.
San Francisco-based Anthropic is seen as a leader in the field and has its own chatbot, Claude, a competitor to ChatGPT.
“We have tremendous respect for Anthropic’s team and foundation models, and believe we can help improve many customer experiences, short and long-term, through our deeper collaboration,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
The giant firms and wealthy investors of Silicon Valley have poured money into artificial intelligence as they seek to find a killer application to justify the interest.
ChatGPT’s instant success threw much of the focus onto chatbots and sparked imitators and rivals, not least from Google with its Bard chatbot.
Chinese titans Tencent and Baidu have also launched bots they claim can rival ChatGPT.


As part of Monday’s deal, Anthropic will use Amazon’s chips to develop its next models.
The AI firm will also use Amazon’s cloud services — the data centers that store and process data on a vast scale — for “mission critical workloads.”
Amazon said it would take a “minority ownership position” in the AI firm, which has already raised more than $1 billion since it was set up in 2021.
The statement announcing the deal focuses on the benefits to clients of Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
It promises that “Claude,” which is the name of the Anthropic’s chatbot and its model, will “help customers of all sizes to develop new generative AI-powered applications to transform their organizations.”
The deal intensifies competition between Amazon and Google, which had earlier opened its cloud services to Anthropic and invested $300 million to acquire 10 percent of the company.
AI models require huge computing power so AI firms rely on data centers provided by the likes of AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
As tech giants push their own AI ambitions, they have been increasingly looking at tie-ins with smaller AI firms — Microsoft leading the way with a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI.