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Social Media Platforms Are Top News Sources for British Teens, Report Reveals

The Instagram app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
The Instagram app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
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Social Media Platforms Are Top News Sources for British Teens, Report Reveals

The Instagram app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
The Instagram app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)

Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are the top three news sources for teenagers in the UK, according to a report on news consumption patterns.

The report by regulator Ofcom found that “British teens are increasingly ditching traditional news outlets, and resorting to Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to keep up with the latest news.”

The regulator also found that Instagram is the most popular news source for teenagers, used by 29 percent, followed by TikTok and YouTube used by 28 percent of teens.

It noted that BBC One and BBC Two, which were historically the most popular news sources for teenagers, have moved from the first to fifth place. Only a quarter of teenagers – 24 percent – have used these channels for news in 2022, compared to 45 percent, five years ago. ITV ranked in fourth place with 25 percent of the teens using it.

The report revealed that “TikTok has seen the largest uptick as a news source among the other social media platforms. Two years ago, 0.8 million UK adults used the video platform as a news source, and 3.9 million adults - or 7 percent - in 2022.” The increase is mainly driven by younger age groups, with half its users aged 16 to 24.

Fadi Ramzi, expert in digital media affairs, believes that “these findings conform with the results of a report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released earlier this year. Reuters’ report highlighted a decline in people’s interest in news because of the negative Covid-19 developments, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and many other issues.”

“This decline has been accompanied by a higher turnout for social media platforms, which according to Reuters, have been used as news sources, topped by YouTube at the time,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Ramzi suggested that Instagram leads other platforms as a news source because “it’s used by many journalists and media figures.”

The Ofcom study showed that news organizations are having to compete with non-journalist TikTokers as a news source on the platform. For those who consume news on TikTok, their main source is other people they follow (44 percent), followed by friends and family (32 percent) and then news organizations (24 percent).

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Technology

OpenAI's Altman Says World 'Urgently' Needs AI Regulation

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
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OpenAI's Altman Says World 'Urgently' Needs AI Regulation

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, told a global artificial intelligence conference on Thursday that the world "urgently" needs to regulate the fast-evolving technology.

An organization could be set up to coordinate these efforts, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), AFP quoted him as saying.

Altman is one of the hosts of top tech CEOs in New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit, the fourth annual global meeting on how to handle advanced computing power.

Frenzied demand for generative AI has turbocharged profits for many companies while fueling anxiety about the risks to individuals and the planet.

"Democratization of AI is the best way to ensure humanity flourishes," Altman said, adding that "centralization of this technology in one company or country could lead to ruin".

"This is not to suggest that we won't need any regulation or safeguards," he said. "We obviously do, urgently, like we have for other powerful technologies."

Many researchers and campaigners say stronger action is needed to combat emerging issues, ranging from job disruption to sexualized deepfakes and AI-enabled online scams.

"We expect the world may need something like the IAEA for international coordination of AI," with the ability to "rapidly respond to changing circumstances", Altman said.

"The next few years will test global society as this technology continues to improve at a rapid pace. We can choose to either empower people or concentrate power," he added.

"Technology always disrupts jobs; we always find new and better things to do."

Generative AI chatbot ChatGPT has 100 million weekly users in India, more than a third of whom are students, he said.

Earlier on Thursday, OpenAI announced with Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a plan to build data center infrastructure in the South Asian country.

Technology

Saudi Arabia Showcases Responsible Use of AI at AI Impact Summit in India

Saudi Arabia took part in a high-level session on harnessing artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India.
Saudi Arabia took part in a high-level session on harnessing artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India.
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Saudi Arabia Showcases Responsible Use of AI at AI Impact Summit in India

Saudi Arabia took part in a high-level session on harnessing artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India.
Saudi Arabia took part in a high-level session on harnessing artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India.

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), took part in a high-level session on harnessing artificial intelligence for people, planet, and progress on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India, the Saudi Press agency reported on Wednesday.

The event drew participation from more than 70 countries and 25 international organizations, as well as senior decision-makers and technology experts.

The Saudi delegation, led by SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah Alghamdi, included Saudi Ambassador to India Haitham Al-Maliki and officials from relevant government entities.

The session aimed to launch a global network of specialized AI scientific institutions, accelerate discovery through advanced technologies, strengthen international cooperation among states and research bodies, and support the deployment of artificial intelligence to address global challenges and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.

Deputy Chief Strategy Officer at SDAIA Dr. Abdulrahman Habib emphasized the need to unify international efforts to promote the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence, ensuring a sustainable, positive impact on societies and economies worldwide and supporting the 2030 SDGs.

He also reviewed Saudi Arabia’s data and AI initiatives, highlighting efforts to develop regulatory frameworks and national policies that balance innovation with the governance of emerging technologies, as well as applied models that have enhanced quality of life, improved government service efficiency, and advanced environmental sustainability.

SDAIA's participation in the summit underscores Saudi Arabia’s role in shaping the global future of AI and in strengthening its presence in international forums focused on advanced technologies, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritizes digital transformation and innovation.

Technology

Google Says to Build New Subsea Cables from India in AI Push

A logo of Google is on display at Bharat Mandapam, one of the venues for AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 17, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra
A logo of Google is on display at Bharat Mandapam, one of the venues for AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 17, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra
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Google Says to Build New Subsea Cables from India in AI Push

A logo of Google is on display at Bharat Mandapam, one of the venues for AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 17, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra
A logo of Google is on display at Bharat Mandapam, one of the venues for AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 17, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra

Google announced Wednesday it would build new subsea cables from India and other locations as part of its existing $15 billion investment in the South Asian nation, which is hosting a major artificial intelligence summit this week.

The US tech giant said it would build "three subsea paths connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia; and four strategic fiber-optic routes that bolster network resilience and capacity between the United States, India, and multiple locations across the Southern Hemisphere".