05/02/2026
*Centre for Islamic Knowledge in collaboration with Al Falah Islamic Centre presents:*
*CIK Talk - Tech and AI Sovereignty: Why the Muslim Community Can’t Afford to Wait*
Presented by: *Dr. Waleed Kadous*
(Islam and AI thought leader | Former Head of AI Engineering and Chief Scientist at StockApp, Canva, Anyscale, Uber, and Google)
Discussant & Host: *Dr. Nazir Khan*
(McMaster University / Centre for Islamic Knowledge)
*This Saturday, May 2, 2026 | 7:00 PM at Al Falah Islamic Centre*
Registration: cikedu.org/ciktalks
Artificial intelligence is rapidly emerging as the defining technology of our age, reshaping economies, knowledge production, governance, and global power structures. Yet, as Dr. Waleed Kadous, one of the leading Muslim authories on AI, argues, the Muslim community risks repeating a familiar historical pattern: a 10–20 year delay in adopting transformative technologies, a lag that, in the case of AI, may prove far more consequential than ever before.
This CIK Talk examines the concept of "AI Sovereignty", the capacity of a community to control its digital infrastructure and technological direction in a way that reflects its values. Moving beyond abstract concerns, the lecture explores how dependence on external platforms can translate into real vulnerabilities, including the distortion of Muslim voices in global digital spaces.
Dr. Kadous situates AI not merely as a technological wave, but as a "meta-technology" that reinforces inequalities between those who build it and those who merely consume it. Drawing on the Prophetic model of strategic engagement, the talk calls for a renewed vision of civilizational agency, one rooted in scholarship, ethics, and the pursuit of the common good.
*About the Presenter:*
*Dr. Waleed Kadous* is a leading expert in artificial intelligence with over 25 years of experience in building and deploying AI systems. He completed his PhD in AI in 2000 and has held senior leadership roles across some of the world’s
