Researchers highlight ethical AI solutions for health, education, and development
KARACHI: From AI-powered cough analysis for diagnosis of tuberculosis to machine learning models supporting maternal and child health, researchers across Aga Khan University (AKU) are harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Intelligence (DI) to address some of today’s most pressing challenges in health, education, and development.
These innovations took centre stage at the AKU Global Research Showcase: Harnessing AI and Digital Intelligence for Impact, organised by the AKU Research Office and attended by faculty, students, alumni, donors, partners, policymakers, and members of the public from across AKU’s global network. The hybrid event held in Karachi and online, highlighted how AI-enabled research is being applied in contextually relevant and ethical ways across low- and middle-income settings.
Opening the event, AKU President and Vice Chancellor, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin emphasised that universities must play an active role in shaping the future of AI responsibly. “At AKU, we are not bystanders in the age of AI,” he said. “We are innovators who are discovering how this powerful technology can advance health, education and scholarship, while working to ensure its use is ethical and reinforces the trust the public places in the health care and higher education sectors.”
The Showcase featured lightning presentations by AKU faculty and students on topics ranging from AI-assisted cancer diagnostics and digital twins in radiotherapy to AI-supported learning tools in nursing and mathematics education. Other presentations explored AI applications in respiratory disease diagnosis, maternal and foetal health, childhood development, public health hotlines, dementia research, and large-scale text transcription.
Delivering the keynote address titled Human-Centred AI in Action: Reimagining Research for Global Impact, Dr Ravi Pendse, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at the University of Michigan, underscored the importance of ensuring that AI innovation remains grounded in trust, ethics, and societal benefit.
“AI is not a replacement for human judgment, empathy, or responsibility,” said Dr Pendse. “Our opportunity is to build human-centered AI that strengthens research, expands what people can achieve, and helps solve important problems responsibly. Institutions that lead with a clear strategy and a strong sense of purpose will help shape the future of AI, rather than simply react to it.”
The programme included the presentation of AKU’s first institution-wide Digital Innovation Mapping Report, which identified 300+ digital and AI-enabled initiatives across the University’s education, research, health care, and operational functions. The report highlighted both the growing momentum around AI innovation at AKU and the need for stronger governance, ethical oversight, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional support to help scale high-impact innovations responsibly.
The event also featured a panel discussion on AI and Digital Intelligence for Ethical and Impactful Research, with experts from AKU, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and the NHS examining issues such as data governance, privacy, algorithmic bias, accountability, and the translation of AI research into scalable real-world solutions. Panelists stressed that universities must help shape governance frameworks that ensure AI technologies remain equitable, transparent, and socially responsive.
Professor Salim Virani, Vice Provost, Research at AKU, noted that the responsible use of AI can help universities create meaningful impact at scale. “AI offers tremendous potential to help institutions like AKU address complex challenges with greater precision and responsiveness,” he said. “But its true value lies in how responsibly it is applied to improve quality of life and give hope to the communities we serve. This Showcase reflects AKU’s continued evolution from a research-intensive to a research-led university focused on translating knowledge into meaningful impact.”
Closing the event, AKU Provost and Vice President, Academic, Dr Tania Bubela reflected that the work presented “demonstrates the strength of AKU as a global institution where researchers, clinicians, educators, and students innovate across boundaries to solve challenges relevant to the communities served by AKU.”
The Showcase reinforced AKU’s growing role in advancing collaborative, AI-enabled research that addresses real-world challenges while contributing to global conversations on ethical innovation, responsible technology use, and the future of research in an AI-driven world.
