UAE-based Pakistani Graduate Utilizes NLP-AI Against Social Media Propaganda

Muhammad Umar, a graduate of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, has made a substantial contribution to the detection of propaganda on social media platforms through his research in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This is particularly the case in situations when there is a blend of low-resource and high-resource languages.

While significant amounts of research and time are being spent on non-English languages all over the world for the purposes of linguistic models, education, and preservation, Umar, who is originally from Pakistan, is contributing in a number of other languages, including Roman Urdu, which is his native tongue.

Umar, a highly accomplished individual with a Master of Science degree in natural language processing (NLP), has a profound understanding of the significant role language plays in molding opinions and impacting public conversations.

In a recent observation, Umar highlighted the prevalence of code-switching within low-resource language communities. This linguistic phenomenon, characterized by the blending of multiple languages within a single text, poses a significant challenge to the detection of propaganda.

Umar is defying conventional norms by persisting in his research endeavors. He is currently engrossed in the pursuit of submitting a groundbreaking paper on the identification of propaganda techniques in code-switched text. Umar’s ambitious goal is to present his findings at the prestigious Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP) conference in 2023. Renowned as one of the foremost gatherings for NLP research, EMNLP holds significant influence in the realm of natural language processing and artificial intelligence.

It is possible to apply his concept to other languages that are either underrepresented or have limited resources.

“Because deep learning models can be trained on vast volumes of text data and then fine-tuned for particular tasks, this is one of the benefits of utilizing deep learning models for natural language processing (NLP) activities. I conducted a series of tests utilizing a number of pre-trained language models, including monolingual, multilingual, and cross-lingual models. I then fine-tuned these models using the code-switched dataset that I had prepared, and then I evaluated their overall performance. On our job and dataset, I discovered that XLM RoBERTa, which had been trained in Roman Urdu, performed better than any other baseline NLP model”, Umar said.

Umar expressed that he considers it a great honor to be a part of the innovative program, which is considered to be a pioneering effort in the field of NLP.

“Being a part of the first batch has given me the opportunity to work closely with world-class faculty members, cutting-edge technologies, and a diverse group of fellow students who share a passion for NLP.”

Positive and Negative Impacts of NLP

Umar pointed out that natural language processing is a field that is expanding rapidly and has a huge potential for both positive and negative outcomes.

In a remarkable advancement, the development of cutting-edge tools such as ChatGPT has revolutionized the way we approach various research-based tasks. Concerns Arise Over Potential Manipulation and Deception as NLP and Deepfake Technology Advance As natural language processing (NLP) continues to make significant strides, apprehensions regarding its potential for manipulation and deception have come to the forefront. Particularly, the emergence of deepfake technology has raised alarm bells among experts and the general public alike. While NLP has shown immense promise in various fields, including language translation, sentiment analysis, and chatbots, there is a growing unease about its potential misuse.

With deepfake technology rapidly advancing, the ability to create highly realistic and convincing fake audio and video content has become increasingly accessible. This has sparked concerns about the potential exploitation of NLP and deepfake technology to manipulate or deceive individuals. The implications of such misuse are far-reaching, as false information can be disse In the face of numerous obstacles, there is a steadfast conviction that Natural Language Processing (NLP) holds immense promise in molding a brighter future.

“I have had access to world-class resources and a supportive learning environment that has allowed me to develop my skills. The faculty and staff at MBZUAI are among the best in their fields, and their expertise and guidance have been invaluable to my growth as a researcher”, Umar said.

In a remarkable display of dedication and ambition, Umar has taken on the role of a voluntary intern at G42 Healthcare, where he is honing his skills as a data scientist. Demonstrating his exceptional talent and commitment, Umar has now transitioned into the position of a data engineer, continuing to make valuable contributions to the field of NLP.

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