8.2 STARS OF SCIENCE, MOROCCO In 2020, Moroccan engineer Ouail Abroun participated in a program called Stars of Science, which was broadcast on many Arabic television channels. Abroun’s project consists of an electronic platform that uses AI to help detect false news written in Arabic by analyzing a set of data that is divided into several sections, such as data that are out of context, and so forth. This was an individual initiative by Abroun, because he realized that an idea like this “could make a big difference to people, especially during the corona[virus] outbreak and the massive spread of fake news” (interview, June 2021). Abroun designed the project and collected data for it. It has not yet been implemented, nor has anyone invested in it. Abroun faced financial challenges while working on the project. He also had issues with the lack of data and research resources in Arabic. He stressed that Arabic is still an obstacle in the development of AI, due to the complexity of the language and the multitude of dialects, as well as the lack of data in the language. However, as Abroun pointed out, this also means that there is a good market for investment and development of the field in Arabic. 8.3 CHALLENGES IN THE USE OF AI IN THE REGION Ali Srour, a data scientist and AI innovation consultant, confirmed that there are no prominent initiatives in the Arab world that use AI to combat mis- and disinformation, despite the current focus on research and studies related to the field. Srour stressed that the Arabic language remains a major obstacle, especially given the diverse dialects found among the countries of the region and among the different regions within each Arab country (interview, August 2021). Other AI-related challenges in the region include a lack of the necessary expertise and a lack of awareness about the topic. Other AI-related challenges in Srour believes that organizations should create opportunities for the region include a lack of the the development of AI solutions necessary expertise and a lack by educating the public and the of awareness about the topic. market about the importance of using AI tools to combat mis- and disinformation. In conclusion, it is clear that the region is lagging behind in the use of technology and AI to combat information disorder. However, the importance of AI in the Arab world is increasing. It is therefore both required and expected that in the future the I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH focus will be on developing tools that use AI to combat the spread of mis- and disinformation in Arabic. Currently, the challenge remains to develop objective media content, develop the work and methodologies of fact-checking organizations, and promote media literacy. In the next section of this study, we present a brief overview of the training available on information disorder and fact checking in the Arab world, and the studies that have been conducted on this topic. 9. TRAINING AND STUDIES ON INFORMATION DISORDER AND FACT CHECKING Besides the ARIJ network, several organizations in the Arab world provide training on fact checking and combating disinformation. They include the Maharat Foundation in Lebanon, the Center for Studies and Economic Media in Yemen, the Kamal Adham Center of the American University in Egypt, and the Al Jazeera Media Institute in Qatar, in addition to many others.40 These organizations provide workshops on issues related to mis- and disinformation as well as exercises on the concept and tools for verifying information. In addition to the Al Jazeera Media Institute’s recent efforts and investment in training, the institute has developed many manuals about disinformation and fact checking in Arabic, including the following projects: • “Finding the Truth amongst the Fakes” (Dubberley, Marai, and Larrea 2017) is a publication that aims to help journalists improve their news verification and social newsgathering skills by drawing on the experience of Arab journalists and experts in the Arab world. • “News Verification: A Practical Guide for Journalists to Verify Digital Content” (Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center 2017) is a guide that aims to help journalists enhance their skills in news validation and verification. Other sources include “Verification Handbook for Disinformation and Media Manipulation” (Silverman 2020), a definitive guide for investigating platforms and online accounts in order to reveal inauthentic activity and manipulated content. Furthermore, the Tunisian Association for Electronic Governance Middle East and North Africa – 57