Visual Media Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review of Research Trends in Iraq

Abstract

The study aimed at monitoring and analyzing the trends of Iraqi scientific research dealing with visual media in the context of AI technologies from 2015 to 2024. The review process was based on the PRISMA protocol and included Arab and international academic databases. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, 46 studies were included in the final analysis. The results indicate five key themes: the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms, deepfakes and their impact on credibility, algorithmic analysis of visual content, audience interaction with AI-generated content, and ethical and legal issues. The results also indicate that descriptive and qualitative approaches dominate, there are few computational and experimental studies, and theoretical background is poor in most studies. The study recommends developing a multidisciplinary Iraqi research agenda, building visual data infrastructure, and upgrading Arabic language processing tools for media research.