Jeddah's Hayy Jameel hosted a two-day workshop over the weekend exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming visual storytelling and content production. Organized by POD Media, the “AI-Powered Content Creation” workshop focused on teaching participants how to move beyond experimenting with AI tools toward producing professional commercial content.
Workshop Structure and Goals
“We built the two days around four connected capabilities rather than treating each AI tool as its own island,” podcast producer and creative AI systems specialist Abdullah Ghanem told Arab News. “The point throughout isn’t ‘here’s what tool X does,’ it’s one repeatable workflow connecting strategy to execution.” Participants learned how to create production-ready shot lists, maintain visual consistency across AI-generated scenes and combine multiple platforms into streamlined creative pipelines.
Emphasis on Creative Thinking
Art director and visual AI artist Rana Mahmoud said: “I wanted participants to understand the creative thinking behind every stage. Prompts change, tools evolve, but the creative process remains the same. The main goal was to help participants build a repeatable workflow that allows them to create professional, client-ready content instead of relying on random prompts or trial and error.” Both participants stressed that AI should support creativity rather than replace it.
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
“You are the director, AI is your crew,” Ghanem said, adding that the objective was to teach how to brief AI the way someone would brief a director of photography or editor. “The skill we’re after is judgment, not button-pushing.” Mahmoud echoed that philosophy, emphasizing that creative direction remains at the center of AI-assisted work. “The quality of what AI produces depends entirely on the clarity of your thinking. If your idea is weak, AI will simply generate a polished version of a weak idea.”
Hands-On Learning and Outcomes
The workshop emphasized hands-on learning, with every instructional segment followed by practical exercises. One of the most rewarding moments came for Mahmoud at the end of the workshop when participants presented projects they had created over the two days. “Seeing people who had never used AI tools before confidently creating storyboards, generating visuals and producing videos by the end of the workshop really showed the power of learning through practice,” she said. A major focus of the workshop was strategic pre-visualization that is planning ideas before generating images or video.
Common Pitfalls and Best Practices
She said many newcomers make the mistake of producing visually impressive AI images without first developing a coherent narrative. “Creating beautiful visuals isn’t the same as telling a great story. Planning first always leads to stronger creative results.” Looking ahead, both participants believe that AI will increasingly reshape content production across the Middle East by reducing logistical barriers while leaving creative direction firmly in human hands.
Future of AI in Regional Content Production
Ghanem said AI is removing production constraints such as location, weather and costly reshoots, making high-end campaign work more accessible across the region. “The studios that win regionally will be the ones treating AI as part of a hybrid human-plus-AI workflow rather than a replacement for production craft. Cultural fluency and direction still matter more than which model you’re calling.” Mahmoud agreed: “AI gives everyone access to the same tools, but not everyone has the same creativity. The tools will keep changing, but creativity and great ideas will always be what make the difference.”
