International Study on Generative AI, Midjourney, and Sustainability Communication

Southern University College Scholar Publishes International Study on Generative AI, Midjourney, and Sustainability Communication

Dr. Mohammed Fadel Arandas (Department of Journalism and Communication Studies) has co-authored an international study in the Scopus-indexed Q2 journal Frontiers in Communication (Switzerland), Visual Communication section.

Titled “Visual metaphors for sustainability: Exploring digital media students’ practices through Midjourney,” the research explores how students use generative AI to depict complex environmental challenges, advancing digital media education.

The six-country collaboration spans North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, bringing together: Soufien Abidi (Manouba University, Tunisia), Hatem Alsridi (University of Bahrain, Bahrain), Mohammed Fadel Arandas (Southern University College, Malaysia), Abdulkrim Ziani (Al Ain University, United Arab Emirates), Suliman Saleh (Benghazi University, Libya), and Abdelmohsen Hamed Okela (Minia University, Egypt).

Grounded in conceptual metaphor theory and Peircean semiotics, the study analyzed student visual assets from a Midjourney workshop, identifying three user approaches: reproductive logic, documentary intensification, and transformative semiotic innovation.

The findings show that impactful AI-assisted visual communication requires creativity, conceptual depth, and semiotic competence over mere technical access. By promoting responsible AI in education, the study aligns with global UN SDGs and ESG frameworks.

Full Article: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2026.1849839

南方大学学院学者发表生成式人工智能、Midjourney 与可持续发展传播国际研究

 

南方大学学院新闻与传播学系的 Mohammed Fadel Arandas 博士合著了一项国际研究，该研究发表于瑞士出版、被 Scopus 收录的 Q2 期刊《Frontiers in Communication》的视觉传播（Visual Communication）栏目。

该研究题为《可持续发展的视觉隐喻：通过 Midjourney 探索数字媒体学生的实践》（“Visual metaphors for sustainability: Exploring digital media students’ practices through Midjourney”），探讨学生如何运用生成式人工智能呈现复杂的环境挑战，推动数字媒体教育的发展。

这项跨越六个国家的国际合作汇聚了来自北非、中东及东南亚地区的研究人员，包括 Soufien Abidi（突尼斯马努巴大学）、Hatem Alsridi（巴林大学）、Mohammed Fadel Arandas（马来西亚南方大学学院）、Abdulkrim Ziani（阿联酋艾因大学）、Suliman Saleh（利比亚班加西大学）以及 Abdelmohsen Hamed Okela（埃及米尼亚大学）。

该研究以概念隐喻理论与皮尔士符号学为基础，分析了学生在 Midjourney 工作坊中创作的视觉作品，研究指出生成式人工智能应用可分为三种路径：再现逻辑、纪实强化和变革性符号创新。

研究发现，具有影响力的人工智能辅助视觉传播不仅需要技术支持，更需要创造力、概念深度与符号学素养。通过倡导在教育中负责任地应用人工智能，该研究契合联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）及环境、社会与治理（ESG）框架。

全文链接：https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2026.1849839