Social media in the Arab world: When the Syrian president becomes a meme

In recent months, a satirical video has sparked discussion across the Arab world, featuring a digitally generated image of Syria's current president, Ahmed al-Scharaa, delivering a speech reminiscent of his predecessor, Hafis al-Assad. The video, created using artificial intelligence, shows al-Scharaa making a statement similar to one delivered by al-Assad in 1975, where he declared his desire to reclaim the Golan Heights and the Sinai. However, in this new version, al-Scharaa says, “I want Qamishli and Hasaka completely,” referencing areas currently under Kurdish control. This creation highlights the evolving role of AI in media production and raises questions about trust in traditional news sources across the region. The video was produced by a multimedia producer who used AI tools to recreate the scene with precision. Every gesture, head movement, and pause was meticulously crafted to appear authentic. The process involved comparing each frame of the original footage and restarting whenever even a minor detail felt off. This effort underscores the complexity of integrating AI into journalistic work, particularly in satire, which relies heavily on context and timing. The satirical piece does more than mock individual leaders; it critiques the consistent political rhetoric emanating from Damascus over decades. Whether the claim is about territories lost in 1967 or regions governed by Kurds, the underlying demand for territorial completeness remains unchanged. This example illustrates how AI lacks the ability to grasp historical context, emphasizing the continued need for human judgment and expertise in media production. A report by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism supports the notion that AI is not yet capable of replacing journalists in complex tasks. According to the study, AI is primarily used in newsrooms for routine tasks rather than as a quick solution for journalistic content creation. Its effectiveness depends significantly on the specific task, context, and the skills of the individuals using it. The report also notes the importance of maintaining skepticism regarding the reliability of AI-generated outputs. As someone working daily with AI tools, the gap between what AI promises and what it can actually deliver becomes evident. While AI can generate voices, animate faces, or assemble visual sequences within seconds, it cannot determine why these elements are meaningful or which pauses enhance the humor of satire. The ability to judge relevance and appropriateness comes exclusively from the person controlling the model. Satire, in particular, is a form of journalism that reacts to specific political moments, targets a defined audience, and requires a sense of what is happening globally. A machine can mimic this form but cannot feel the frustration, sense the timing, or assess the risks that make satire effective. AI models lack awareness of recent developments in the region, further highlighting their limitations in understanding contemporary issues. Across the Arab world, trust in local media continues to decline, with less than half of Lebanese citizens trusting domestic news reports. This erosion of confidence creates an environment where alternative forms of information dissemination, including AI-generated content, gain traction. As such, the intersection of technology and journalism presents both challenges and opportunities, demanding a careful balance between innovation and critical human oversight.