The Utilization of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Palestinian Television Channels: A Study from the Perspective of Industry Professionals

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the extent to which artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are employed in Palestinian television channels from the perspective of their employees. To achieve this objective, the researcher used the descriptive-analytical method and relied primarily on a questionnaire as the main tool for data collection, in addition to semi-structured interviews as a supporting tool to gain deeper insight into the phenomenon under study. The study population for the questionnaire tool consisted of 1,185 employees working in 11 Palestinian television channels (official, community-based, partisan, and private). A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed, and 290 valid questionnaires were retrieved for analysis, representing a 96.3% response rate. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The researcher also conducted seven semi-structured interviews with employees from various professional levels (administrative, editorial, and program-related) to enrich and qualitatively interpret the questionnaire results in light of the practical reality of the Palestinian media environment. The study results showed that the degree of employing AI technologies in Palestinian television channels, from the employees’ perspective, was high, with an overall mean score of 3.78%. The dimension of “intention to employ AI” ranked first, with a mean of 3.9006, reflecting an increasing awareness among media professionals of how AI knowledge can enhance their employability. This was followed by “effort expectancy”, “performance expectancy”, “social influence”, “availability of training programs”, and finally “organizational conditions”, which ranked last. These findings indicate that all dimensions achieved a “high” level, demonstrating a strong and positive relationship between the use of AI technologies and the performance of Palestinian television channels, as perceived by their employees. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found at the significance level of (α ≥ 0.05) in participants’ responses attributed to demographic variables (gender, years of experience, educational qualification, TV channel, channel type, job department, work nature, and age group). The study also revealed several challenges in integrating AI technologies, the most prominent of which were the lack of qualified personnel, weak infrastructure, and high costs. Results from the semi-structured interviews indicated a clear awareness among Palestinian TV channel employees of the necessity of employing AI technologies in media work, while also acknowledging financial, technical, and administrative obstacles that hinder implementation. Nevertheless, there was a prevailing belief in a promising future for expanding the use of these technologies in the Palestinian media landscape. The study concluded with several recommendations, the most important of which were: strengthening the use of AI technologies in television channels by training employees on various AI tools, addressing financial and human resource challenges (training, funding, infrastructure), and promoting an organizational culture that supports the adoption of AI.