Media Department Organizes an International Workshop on the Future of Artificial Intelligence

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the Media Department at Cihan University–Erbil, under the supervision of Assistant Lecturer Azwar Mahdi Qasim Agha, Head of the Media Department, organized an international workshop titled “Artificial Intelligence in Media and Society: Ethical Challenges and Future Risks.” The workshop was held at the Cihan Academy for Training and Development and was attended by a large number of students and faculty members.

At the opening of the workshop, Assistant Lecturer Ahmed Jamal Hama Karim delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the Head of the Media Department, outlining the objectives of organizing this international event. Following this, Dr. Mohammed Yaseen Abu Bakr, a researcher at the Meridian Center in Cambridge, UK, and a Master’s student at Anglia Ruskin University, delivered a session titled ‘The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Its Social Risks.’

Dr. Mohammed explained that artificial intelligence is progressing toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a stage at which AI may become faster and more intelligent than humans. He noted that humanity is no longer merely creating AI but rather planting it allowing it to develop autonomously which increases the risk of losing human control over these systems.

He further emphasized that one of the most immediate threats posed by AI is the rapid spread of fake news and misinformation. Additionally, he warned that advanced AI systems, in pursuit of their own objectives, could potentially influence or compel human behavior, posing serious risks to social and political stability.

At the end of the workshop, an open discussion was held among faculty members, students, and the presenter, highlighting the urgent need for scientific awareness and critical engagement to address emerging technological challenges.