Department: Artificial Intelligence

The workshop in brief:

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has expanded its influence beyond purely technical domains, shaping how humans understand cognition, creativity, and cultural identity. This international workshop, “The Human Side of AI: From Brain-Inspired Computing to Saving Kurdish Culture”, aims to examine AI through a human-centered lens, focusing on approaches that draw inspiration from the brain while addressing meaningful societal and cultural needs. The workshop positions AI as a bridge between computational innovation and human values rather than solely a technical tool. The workshop explores how brain-inspired computing models contribute to efficient and adaptive AI systems, while also considering how AI technologies can support the preservation and growth of underrepresented languages and cultural heritage, particularly Kurdish culture.

By combining these perspectives, the workshop provides a multidisciplinary forum to discuss how intelligent systems can be designed to align with human cognition and applied responsibly to real-world cultural challenges. The objective of this workshop is to foster interdisciplinary understanding of human-centered AI by examining brain- inspired computational methods alongside AI-based cultural and linguistic applications. It aims to encourage collaboration among researchers and educators, promote awareness of ethical and cultural considerations, and support the development of AI solutions that respect human intelligence, cultural identity, and social responsibility.

Place: Tishk International University, Education, Hall 302

Session topics: 

Session one: Using AI to Preserve and Expand the

Kurdish Language and Culture: Challenges and

Opportunities

Session two: Reservoir computing-based algorithms

and their applications

presenters

Assist. Prof. Dr. Hossein Hassani, University of Kurdistan –Hewler.

Dr. Zongying Liu, Dalian Maritime University – China.

1. Multidisciplinary Knowledge Exchange: The

primary outcome was a shared understanding of

how technical fields intersect with the

humanities.

2. Strategic Framework for Cultural Preservation: A

major tangible outcome was the exploration of

AI as a preservation tool. Specifically for Kurdish

culture and language, this likely included

discussions or project ideas regarding.

3. Ethical and Human-Centered Awareness: The

workshop moved the conversation away from AI

as “just a tool” and toward AI as a social

responsibility.

4. Cross-Cultural Technical Synthesis: Experts from

China and Kurdistan bridged the gap between

global AI theory and local application by

examining neural network mechanics alongside

their specific adaptation for the Kurdish

language