Hanan Salam Keynote Speaker

Co-founder of global non-profit Women in AI (2016– )
Assistant Professor & SMART Lab Director, NYU Abu Dhabi
Most Influential Leader in AI Development – 2020 award

Hanan Salam's Biography

Dr Hanan Salam is an AI and robotics expert, academic and entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of technology, ethics and human behaviour. She is Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Social Machines and Robotics (SMART) Lab at New York University Abu Dhabi, and co-founder of Women in AI, a global “do-tank” launched in Paris in 2016 that now connects members in more than 140 countries.

Her research spans human–machine interaction, social robotics, affective computing, AI bias and AI for mental health. By combining machine learning, computer vision and behavioural science, Hanan and her team design socially aware systems that interpret human emotions, understand context and support learning, wellbeing and care in classrooms and clinics.

Recognised as Most Influential Leader in AI Development at the Corporate Excellence Awards 2020, Hanan has also earned international recognition in facial expression and affective computing challenges, including first place at FERA 2011 and second place at AVEC 2012. A highly cited researcher with more than 1,000 academic citations, she has contributed influential work on engagement detection, affective computing and ethical, personalised AI.

Hanan is a member of UNESCO’s AI Ethics Experts Without Borders network and a regular voice at global forums, from the Knowledge Summit in Dubai to the AAAI 2025 Summer Symposium on Context-Awareness in Cyber-Physical Systems. Within Women in AI, she leads education and research initiatives such as the WAI2GO programme, mentoring young women and supporting organisations to build inclusive AI talent pipelines. On stage, Hanan brings complex AI topics to life with clarity and warmth, giving audiences practical frameworks to deploy AI safely, inclusively and in ways that amplify human potential.

Human-centric AI and the future of human–machine interaction

Social robotics and emotional AI in education and healthcare

Bias, fairness and inclusion: building trustworthy AI systems

Women in AI: closing the global gender gap in technology

AI for mental health, wellbeing and the future of work

She brings deep authority at the frontier of AI and robotics as Director of NYU Abu Dhabi’s SMART Lab, shaping how socially aware machines interact with humans in learning, health and care settings.
She translates complex research on human–machine interaction, affective computing and AI bias into practical frameworks leaders can use to deploy AI responsibly and effectively.
She combines academic rigour with global influence as a co-founder of Women in AI, helping organisations build inclusive, ethical AI strategies and future-ready talent pipelines.
She equips audiences to design AI systems that understand context, emotion and human behaviour, enabling technology that enhances wellbeing, trust and performance.
She helps leaders navigate the ethical and societal implications of AI with clarity and confidence, connecting cutting-edge innovation to real-world impact and human potential.