Expert spotlights key impact of AI in media realm

Doha, Qatar: An industry expert examined the intricate dynamics between news organisations and AI companies, discussing the challenges and opportunities arising from the increasing use of AI-powered tools, during Web Summit Qatar 2025, yesterday.

In a session entitled ‘The future of journalism in the age of AI’, Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and Publisher of The Wall Street Journal, highlighted the significant influence of AI on the future of journalism.

“It’s really the recognition of the value and so it can’t speak specifically to perplexity or even to the ins and outs of the deal with OpenAI,” he said. 

He emphasised that media leaders need to ensure that the monetary value of the information being used is recognised, including compensation for information that may have been used without permission for an extended period. “If we give up on this, we’re not doing our job as a publisher, nor are we supporting the news industry at a time when reliable information is crucial,” Latour said.

“We can’t allow the publishing and news industries to suffer just because it might be too challenging to address these issues beforehand. We need to be willing to stand our ground,” he said. The market expert underscored that Dow Jones is fortunate to carry this responsibility due to its size in the industry.

“As one of the leading media and news organizations globally, we have the resources to take on these battles, but it’s important to understand that these efforts must be based on commercial agreements,” Latour remarked.

"That is incredibly important to have a mutual understanding and respect for the value of the archives, the journalism, the reliable information, the data, and the analytics that we have built up over the years.”