Knowledge economy, artificial intelligence and media industries: pathways to organizational sustainability in the era of digital transformation

Abstract

This study examines how media organizations in the Gulf region mobilize knowledge economy principles and sustainable innovation frameworks to enhance organizational sustainability amid rapid digital transformation and the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Grounded in an integrated theoretical framework that synthesizes knowledge economy theory with sustainable innovation perspectives, the research investigates institutional readiness to transition toward knowledge-based models, AI's role in supporting operational and economic sustainability, structural knowledge transformations associated with digitization, and the ethical–social dimensions of technological change. A descriptive-analytical design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 400 media professionals in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, yielding 390 valid responses (97.5% response rate). The instrument demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α  = 0.84) and a confirmed five-factor structure. Descriptive and inferential analyses—including chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Spearman's rank-order correlations—were conducted to examine associations among the study's empirical axes. Findings reveal strong consensus regarding insufficient supportive regulatory policies for AI (69.0%) and significant concern about AI's potential impact on traditional jobs (62.8%). While respondents report high agreement that digital transformation improves knowledge management (82.9%) and that AI enhances efficiency and cost reduction (86.7%), persistent training gaps (75.7%), infrastructural constraints (61.3%), and substantial ethical uncertainty (only 39.0% agree that ethical considerations are adequately addressed) remain salient. Inferential analyses confirm a statistically significant negative association between perceived ethical adequacy and job-security anxiety, and a positive association between training availability and perceived organizational readiness. The paper proposes a three-pathway conceptual model—capability, governance, and cultural—that operationalizes the joint predictions of knowledge economy and sustainable innovation theory, and formulates practice-oriented recommendations for policymakers and media leaders.