Shusha Global Media Forum wraps up with urgent call for media literacy in AI era PHOTO

The 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum, held under the theme “Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI,” wrapped up on July 21.

Moderated by Mariam Zaidi, TRT World news anchor, the last panel discussion on “How Social Media Evolution Affects Public Trust: Embracing Media Literacy” brought together Serguei Sokolov Director, Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Mongolia of TikTok / ByteDance, Seamus Clancy, Head of Public Sector, Healthcare & NFP Sales at LinkedIn EMEA & LATAM, Dennis Yu, Google and Youtube expert; CEO of BlitzMetrics, Seamus Clancy, Head of Public Sector, Healthcare & NFP Sales at LinkedIn EMEA & LATAM, and Dr. Karen Sutherland SFHEA, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations, Social Media Educator & Researcher at School of Business and Creative Industries, UniSC, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Serguei Sokolov Director, Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Mongolia of TikTok/ByteDance, said that this platform is completely different from traditional social media platforms. “Unlike conventional media and social platforms where content is editorially driven, showing users what they should see, TikTok's feed is shaped by the content that users want to see,” he added.

In his remarks, Dennis Yu, Google and Youtube expert; CEO of BlitzMetrics, noted that searching for authentic and objective sources of information is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest challenges of the information age. “AI’s ability to generate diverse forms of content is a profound technological revolution. However, this advancement is accompanied by growing ethical and security challenges,” he noted.

Seamus Clancy, Head of Public Sector, Healthcare & NFP Sales at LinkedIn EMEA & LATAM, emphasized that LinkedIn is a platform designed for business and professionals, handling 5 million queries per second. Noting that the company is committed to creating economic opportunities, Seamus Clancy underlined that the content they create is focused on developing new skills.

Dr. Karen Sutherland SFHEA, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations, Social Media Educator & Researcher at School of Business and Creative Industries, UniSC, stated that while some users behave ethically on TikTok, others share scandalous content, using diverse tools to capture audience attention.

Emphasizing that many use AI to generate content, the researcher stressed the importance of understanding its evolution. "We must ensure AI is used properly, as it poses a significant threat to the dissemination of personal data."

By Vafa Guliyeva