UAE bans AI misuse of national symbols, public figures without approval
Displaying national symbols or public figures using generative artificial intelligence or similar techniques without approval is forbidden, the UAE Media Council confirmed on Thursday.
The Council said that using AI technologies to spread fake news, incite hatred or hate speech, libel others, or harm their dignity and reputation or the values and principles of society is a media violation, punishable by the provisions of the Media Violations Regulation, including fines and administrative punishments.
It called on social media users, media institutions and content creators to commit to fully implementing the provisions of the approved laws and standards and to exercise the highest level of professional and ethical responsibility.
The AI generated image showing the social media user alongside the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan had recently been shared, with other users of the platform criticising the original post, and saying the act of using AI to show the founding father with her was “distasteful” and “unnecessary”
The UAE has strict media regulations in place which aims to prevent the spread of misinformation and online bullying, and to promote cohesion and coexistence, in line with the country’s policy of tolerance. Article 1(17) of the Federal Decree Concerning Media Regulation states that all types of media must respect the state’s symbols, cultural heritage and national identity, among other things. The official UAE Charter for Responsible and Ethical Use of AI, which was issued in June 2024, also highlights responsible AI applications.
AI for media regulation
In May this year, UAE Media Council had entered a deal with a global big data AI-powered company Presight to develop a new regulatory platform. This platform will employ the AI tech to mine media content and then analyse and verify it for compliance with UAE laws, values and standards before it reaches the public.
“The app will bring together disparate datasets from agencies and licensing bodies across the media ecosystem to provide access to a centralized, AI-enabled capability for decision making efficiently and ethically. It also offers advanced tools for search, analysis, filtering and real-time collaboration,” Media Council said in a statement.
Comments