Zain Verjee: Media Professionals Must Adapt To The Age of AI
According to this respected communicator (a former CNN anchor), mastering AI is no longer optional for journalists and brand builders—it's key to staying relevant in a fast-evolving tech-driven media landscape.
The Middle East aims to derive nine percent of its gross domestic product from artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030—it’s a US$150 billion bet on AI reshaping industries, governments, and daily life, and the UAE stands at the forefront of technology adoption.
For the country’s storytellers, journalists, and brand builders, this is a major opportunity. Having built a media career from Nairobi’s radio shows to CNN’s global newsrooms, I’ve learned one truth: communicators who grasp generative AI (gen AI) tools will thrive. Those who don’t will risk becoming as obsolete as the fax machine.
I have watched Al Jazeera Arabic launch Ebtekar, an AI news anchor. The UAE’s Al-Ain News introduced Aref Bin Teqani, a virtual robot writer producing weekly AI-generated articles. Kuwait News debuted Fedha, its first AI-generated anchor. Regional media players are also integrating gen AI across automated content production, chatbots, customized news feeds, and predictive intelligence.
I’m often asked if niche journalism will survive this transformation. And my answer is yes, it will. Journalism isn’t just about reporting news; it’s about insight and narrative and using human skills that transcend machine capabilities. In other words, specialist expertise remains a competitive edge, but it needs the boost of diverse tech-enabled tools.
it needs the boost of diverse tech-enabled tools. AI opens possibilities for tailored newsfeeds with narratives catering to specific segments across geography, nationality, and interests. The priority for newsrooms, communications leaders, and countries is thus general education and skillsbuilding in AI. Communications professionals need a blend of formal training and hands-on experience in AI fundamentals: data privacy, model selection, prompt engineering, and critical analysis. In my work developing a communications workflow course for emerging markets talent, I’ve observed how the UAE, notably through initiatives like IBM Skill Build, is leading in releasing core AI knowledge.
However, AI must be understood as a support tool, not a replacement. While it excels at collating data and managing social media channels, human talent remains crucial. My experience shows that while AI can generate media strategies and brand definitions, the results often lack authenticity and differentiation. (LLMs have scraped the same internet!) The true power lies in combining AI efficiency with human creativity, empathy, and vision.
According to my brother Irfan Verjee, who advises the UAE government on gen AI strategies, the UAE must address challenges in assimilating new technologies, ideas, and tools in organizations. He adds, “While gen AI pilots are common, there’s limited adoption in production with enterprise, government, or proprietary datasets.” Yet, he sees the UAE positioned to become the “new Switzerland,” providing a great place to live, create and store wealth.
The UAE’s communication professionals face unique challenges. With a domestic market of only 10 million people but powerful global communication ambitions, cultural understanding becomes critical—something AI cannot provide. The country’s pluralism is its strength, and it must be leveraged effectively.
Being irrelevant in the coming communications world is a real risk, but practical steps can mitigate it: upskill relentlessly, maintain a general grasp of diverse tools, and collaborate. Just as we’ve moved from mail carriers to email, and from DVDs to streaming, gen AI will transform communications roles. I encourage you to meet this change not with fear, but with boldness and a commitment to lifelong learning.
About The Author
A former CNN anchor and respected communicator, Zain Verjee is the CEO of global communications advisory theZVG and the cofounder of the AI-powered storytelling platform, The Rundown Studio. She is also an executive fellow at Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute.
Pictured in the lead image is Zain Verjee, the CEO of global communications advisory theZVG and the cofounder of the AI-powered storytelling platform.
This article first appeared in the April/May 2025 issue of Inc. Arabia magazine. To read the full issue online, click here.
