Amman, Feb. 13 (Petra)-- Mohammad Al-Quran - Under the slogan "Radio and Artificial Intelligence: AI Is Tool, Not Voice," radio stations around the world marked World Radio Day on Friday, February 13, 2026, a date proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The date commemorates the anniversary of the launch of United Nations Radio in 1946, underscoring radio’s enduring role as a trusted medium capable of keeping pace with rapid digital transformations particularly artificial intelligence without compromising its human essence and professional values.

In this context, Radio Jordan of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan celebrated World Radio Day 2026, reaffirming its national and media mission and its commitment to keeping up with global technological advancements.

Radio Director Muhannad Al-Safadi told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that Jordan Radio has served as a unifying national platform since its establishment, strengthening Jordanian identity, defending national causes, and supporting the country’s political, economic, and social development efforts.

He noted that the awarding of the Order of Independence, First Class, to the station by His Majesty King Abdullah II reflects the Hashemite leadership’s appreciation of its ongoing media role and its deep impact on Jordanians.

Al-Safadi said the station recognized early on the importance of modernization, adapting to the communications and information revolution and transitioning smoothly into the digital sphere while maintaining listeners’ trust. He emphasized that AI is viewed within the station as a supportive tool for creativity and development not a substitute for the human voice or the professional values that define radio work.

He added that the station’s various networks including the General Program, the Holy Qur’an Radio, Amman FM, the Foreign Language Service, and Greater Irbid Radio operate under a unified media vision that employs modern technology to serve its message, while adhering to transparency, accuracy, and credibility.

To mark the occasion, Al-Safadi said the station, in cooperation with the Arab States Broadcasting Union, produced a special four-hour radio broadcast addressing AI and the future of radio. The program featured experts and academics and was aired across member stations of the union, as well as on its digital platforms and those of UNESCO, reflecting strong Arab participation in the global event.

He also noted that Jordan Radio has finalized preparations for its Ramadan programming cycle, which will include religious and awareness programs, radio dramas, and social and cultural content tailored to the holy month and diverse segments of society.

Former President of the Jordanian Broadcasters Association Hatem Al-Kasawani said Jordan Radio has played a key role in shaping collective awareness since its launch in 1959, delivering constructive messages that uphold state principles and values, guide public opinion, and strengthen national belonging.

He explained that the station’s programming structure was designed to meet community needs, with specialized departments addressing agriculture, family and children, youth and sports, religious, developmental, economic and cultural affairs, as well as drama and variety programming bringing the station closer to citizens and their daily concerns.

Al-Kasawani said the station successfully leveraged technological developments, turning challenges into opportunities by utilizing the internet and digital platforms to broadcast audio and video content and expand its audience locally and internationally.

Despite AI’s ability to generate text, voices, and music, he stressed that it cannot replicate the human emotions conveyed by presenters through their voice, performance, and interaction with listeners. Public trust in radio, he said, has historically been tied to credibility and accuracy values that must not be compromised amid the rapid spread of AI-generated content.

For his part, media professional and former broadcaster Mohammad Al-Adayleh said radio has endured and remained influential for nearly a century, despite the proliferation of media platforms, thanks to its simplicity, accessibility, low cost, and ability to address people’s concerns and promote social awareness.

He described AI as a genuine opportunity to enhance radio operations by automating routine tasks, improving audio quality, accelerating content production and translation, serving people with disabilities, and archiving radio heritage. However, he called for clear regulatory and ethical frameworks to govern the use of these technologies.

AI, he added, can simplify the relationship between media outlets and audiences, enable instant translation, provide audio content for people with disabilities, enhance sound quality under various conditions, archive radio heritage, convert audio into written text, accelerate news production, and assist in correcting linguistic errors.

Al-Adayleh said AI also broadens radio’s presence across digital platforms and helps presenters and technicians become more versatile and digitally skilled.

From an academic perspective, Ali Al-Hadid, a media professor at Yarmouk University, said the theme of "Radio and Artificial Intelligence" requires media faculties in Jordanian universities to review their curricula and integrate AI into theoretical and practical courses to meet the demands of the modern media job market.

This includes training students in audio data analysis, speech-to-text technologies, AI-assisted production of news bulletins and radio programs, as well as fact-checking, countering misinformation, and reinforcing professional ethics, he said.

Al-Hadid concluded that the radio of the future must be both "smart and human" at the same time combining technological innovation with cultural and social responsibility to preserve its status as one of the most influential and trusted media platforms.

//Petra// MF

13/02/2026 15:19:32