A panel discussion hosted by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation Cultural Forum explored the future of narrative arts and how Arabic fiction may evolve as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly involved in writing, translation, image generation, and idea creation.
The event, titled “Transformations of Narrative in the Arabic Novel in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” featured Dr. Nabil Haddad, Dr. Razan Ibrahim, Dr. Nidal Al-Shamali, and Dr. Amani Suleiman. The discussion was moderated by Nizar Al-Hamoud, Director of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Public Library, and attended by a distinguished audience of writers, academics, and cultural professionals.
Dr. Nabil Haddad noted that AI is becoming increasingly integrated into daily life and highlighted the long-standing relationship between technology and storytelling. While emphasizing that creative writing remains rooted in individual imagination, he described AI as a useful tool for research, editing, and rewriting, though its role in genuine literary creativity remains uncertain.
Dr. Amani Suleiman stressed that AI cannot turn an ordinary person into a novelist or a weak writer into a strong one. She noted that AI-generated fiction often draws on existing content rather than creating original ideas and pointed to limitations in areas such as imagination and narrative coherence. At the same time, she encouraged writers to learn and engage with AI as a transformative technology.
Dr. Razan Ibrahim explained that AI learns from vast collections of human-produced texts, enabling it to recognize patterns and emulate writing styles. However, she argued that AI-generated narratives lack the emotional depth, personal expression, and conscious intent that define great literature. She emphasized that AI should be viewed as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for writers, while cautioning against overreliance on it.
Dr. Nidal Al-Shamali emphasized that novels reflect human experience, emotion, and imagination—qualities that AI cannot possess. While acknowledging AI’s value as a creative aid, he stressed that it remains dependent on human-generated content and called for ethical and legal frameworks to ensure its responsible use in literary production.