Rawabet Conference Series

Shaping The AI-Empowered Future of Knowledge, Scholarship, and Creativity

As an international platform allowing varying perspectives to intellectualize both enduring issues and emerging challenges,” NU-Q RAWABET Conference on Artificial Intelligence  (“Shaping the AI-Empowered Future of Knowledge, Scholarship, and Creativity”) will bring thought-leaders in academia and industry experts together to address globally pressing issues of the profound impact of transformative AI on scholarly systems, arts, communication, liberal arts education, media industries, media production, journalism, and more. Thought-leaders from a wide spectrum of expertise areas and backgrounds will present cutting-edge research, development, and entrepreneurial projects as well as engage in sophisticated critiques to provide deeper insights on AI ethics and AI (in)equality in shaping the AI-empowered future of knowledge, scholarship, and creativity.

Day 1: Monday, September 1, 2025

Theme 1: Shaping The AI-Empowered Future

 

Humane AI Starts Here: Humane AI Ecosystem for Technology-Empowered Future

  • S. Venus Jin
    Associate Dean for Education, AIM-Lab Director

 

AI-Augmented Scholarly System

  • Noshir Contractor
    McCormick School of Engineering, Kellogg School of Management, School of Communication, Northwestern University

 

AI-Augmented Scholarly System

  • Noshir Contractor
    McCormick School of Engineering, Kellogg School of Management, School of Communication, Northwestern University

 

AI-Powered Future of Research

  • V.S. Subrahmanian
    McCormick School of Engineering, Kellogg School of Management, School of Communication, Northwestern University 

 

Theme 2: AI For a Better World

 

From AI Sloperations to Slopaganda: How is AI Changing Disinformation?

  • Marc Owen Jones
    NU-Q Communication Program

 

Theme 3: AI and Creativity

 

Transformative Impact of AI on the Future of K-Content and Entertainment Industry

  • Young Cha  
    CEO, ODK Media

 

Entrepreneurs’ Application of AI in Producing Viral Social Media Content: A Case Study on Instagram Reels and ChatGPT

Faculty Mentor:

  • S. Venus Jin
    Associate Dean for Education; AIM-Lab AURORA Mentor

Speakers: 

  • Shugyla Karshygakyzy
    AIM-Lab AURORA Grantee

 

Beyond the Trope: Cinematic Creativity in AI-Powered Docudrama Production

  • Spencer Striker 
    NU-Q Communication Program; AIM-Lab Faculty Affiliate

 

Human-Centered AI Design and Responsible AI for Younger Generations
  • Shahzad Ahmed 
    Co-Founder, Hoja AI

 

AI.Vant-Garde: Reimagining Creativity at the Intersection of Art and AI

  • Jesse Payne
    VCU-Q

 

Typewriters Ate My Skull Stew: Practical Gen-AI Transformations for the Writing Classroom
  • Sam Meekings
    NU-Q Liberal Arts Program; AIM-Lab Faculty Affiliate

 

Interactive Poster

 

Interactive Poster: "Localizing Microsoft Cloud: – AI-Driven Strategic Communication Campaign

Faculty Mentor:
  • Mohammed Ibahrine
    Journalism and Strategic Communication Program
Speakers: 
  • Maureen Wu
    Communication student, Media and Politics minor
  • Lama Turki Al Khater
    Communication student, Strategic Communication and Film & Design minor
  • Maryam Rubaih Al Kubaisi
    Communication student, Strategic Communication and Film & Design minor

Day 2: Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Theme 4: AI and Journalism

 

AI-Powered Journalistic Storytelling

  • Jeremy Gilbert
    Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University

 

AI Unleashed for Game-Changing Strategic Messaging

  • Ilhem Allagui
    Journalism and Strategic Communication Program Director

 

Impact of AI Bylines on Sports NewsAudience Perceptions of Credibility and Comprehensibility of Sports News

  • Claudia Kozman 
    NU-Q Journalism and Strategic Communication Program; AIM-Lab Faculty Affiliate

 

Theme 2: AI For a Better World

 

Designing AI We Can Trust

  • Wajdi Zaghouani 
    NU-Q Communication Program; AIM-Lab Faculty Affiliate

 

AI-Driven Forecasting and Explainability for Mental Health Trends and Intervention Planning

  • Zaid Jamal Saeed Almahmoud  
    AIM-Lab Postdoctoral Scholar

 

TreatMind: A Structured Dataset for AI Evaluation and Analysis of Mental Health Treatments

Faculty Mentor:

  • Zaid Jamal Saeed Almahmoud  
    AIM-Lab Postdoctoral Scholar

 

Speakers: 

  • Farhan Saleh Rafid
    Digital journalist
  • Hannah Ahmad SA Al Mannai
    Communication student, Strategic Communication and Film & Print journalist

Theme 5: AI Ethics

 

Inclusive AI and GEN(der) AI Safety

  • K.V. (Kiran) Bhatia
    Digital anthropologist, AI lead, Utrecht University’s Inclusive AI Lab

 

Triple Jeopardy: Gendered Algorithms and the Invisibility of Non-Western Women

Faculty Mentor:

  • Rajiv Mishra  
    Assistant professor in residence

 

Speakers: 

  • Fatima Al Naemi
    Undergraduate student researcher, Northwestern University in Qatar
  • Tayama Rai
    Undergraduate student researcher, Northwestern University in Qatar

 

Ethical AI
  • David Leslie
    Director of Ethics, Technology and Society, Queen Mary University of London

 

AI Bias and Digital Inequalities”: Algorithmic Erasure and Journalistic Countermeasures in the Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Gregory Gondwe
    Assistant Professor at Cal State San Bernardino

 

Detecting the Undetectable: AI Challenges in Arabic Fake News Detection

Faculty Mentor:

  • Mohammed Ibahrine
    Professor in residence

 

Speakers: 

  • Sabeeka Al-Kuwari
    Journalism and Strategic Communication student

Theme 3: AI Behind the Scenes

 

Detecting the Undetectable: AI Challenges in Arabic Fake News Detection

Faculty Mentor:

  • Mohammed Ibahrine
    Professor in residence

 

Speakers: 

  • Houra Hussain Haji
    Student filmmaker, Communication student

Theme 6: AI and the Global South

 

Data Colonialism and Labor Extraction in the Global South

Faculty Mentor:

  • Rajiv Mishra
    Assistant professor in residence

 

Speakers: 

  • Ayushi Jha
    Journalism and Strategic Communications student

 

Explainable AI from the Global South

  • Jake Okechukwu Effoduh
    Assistant Professor, Lincoln Alexander School of Law

 

Special Exhibits

 

AI and (In)Justice: AI-Generated Art Display in Pakistan

  • Shakeeb Asrar
    Assistant professor in residence