Participants and experts at the Billion Followers Summit, which concluded its fourth edition yesterday in Dubai, agreed that short-form video and artificial intelligence are reshaping audience reach and impact-building methods. They emphasized the importance of maintaining the human element and the educational value of content, stating that impact is more important than view counts. Melissa Lory, founder and CEO of Oysterley Media, stated that short video has become the main driver of what is now known as social search and digital discovery. She pointed out that the way audiences access information is undergoing a radical transformation led by the visual experience, adding that social media search is completely different from traditional search, as users now rely on video to understand experiences and services through real-life and behind-the-scenes footage. Football content creator Bashar Arabi confirmed that his participation in the summit was a significant learning experience despite having over 20 million followers. He noted that the real value lies in learning and building professional relationships, with fame being a means, not an end. Content creator Raghad Zamel considered the summit an inspiring annual experience that reinforced the importance of helping others and building a professional community based on knowledge exchange. She also highlighted the need to adapt to AI tools without losing one's identity. Mental health content creator Karim Ismail stressed that psychological pressure and burnout have become prominent challenges for content creators. He called for managing expectations and not being enslaved by algorithms, affirming that AI should be used as a development tool, not a substitute for thinking and creativity. Content creator Fares Al-Khaldi said that diverse experiences and knowledge exchange are the main gains of the summit. He noted that AI represents a supportive partner for the content industry when used consciously and professionally, not as a substitute for human creativity.
