By Taqi Hasnain
Lucknow, August 12, 2026: Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way people learn, work, communicate and make decisions. But as technology advances, a fundamental question is becoming increasingly important: Will AI help reduce social inequalities—or could it create new forms of marginalisation?
This question took centre stage at Integral University, Lucknow, where Prof. Tania Hussain, Assistant Dean at Japan’s prestigious Waseda University, delivered a special lecture on “From Postcolonialism to AI: New Frontiers of Marginalisation.”
The lecture was organised by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, at the university’s Central Auditorium, Hall-2.
From Postcolonial Structures to Algorithmic Power
Speaking to faculty members and students, Prof. Hussain examined how marginalisation has evolved from traditional social and postcolonial structures into new forms shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
She explored questions surrounding social equality, representation, technological access and the risks of bias in AI-driven systems, highlighting the need to look beyond the technological capabilities of AI and examine its wider impact on society.
The discussion emphasised that technology does not operate in isolation. If existing social inequalities and biases are reflected in the data and systems used to develop AI, technology can potentially reproduce or even deepen those inequalities.
Prof. Hussain’s lecture therefore placed an important question before the academic community: Who gets represented in the technologies of the future, and who risks being left behind?
Putting People at the Centre of Technological Progress
The lecture encouraged students and faculty members to look at AI not merely as a technological revolution, but as a force capable of reshaping education, employment, journalism, public services and everyday life.
The discussion underlined the importance of developing AI systems that are not only efficient and innovative, but also inclusive, responsible and sensitive to the needs of diverse communities.
For students, the session offered an opportunity to connect emerging technologies with wider questions of society, culture, equality and human rights.
Integral University’s Growing Global Academic Outlook
Welcoming the gathering, Prof. Syed Aqeel Ahmad, Director, HRDC, highlighted the university’s growing academic and international outlook.
He said the institution’s development has been driven by the visionary leadership of its Founder and Chancellor, Prof. Syed Wasim Akhtar, whose commitment to meaningful contributions to the country has helped shape the university’s academic journey.
He noted that Integral University has consistently focused on academic excellence, research, innovation and emerging technologies, while creating opportunities for interaction with distinguished scholars from India and abroad.
The participation of an academic leader from Waseda University, he said, reflected the university’s expanding global academic engagement.
Strengthening India-Japan Academic Dialogue
The visit and lecture also carried a wider significance for India-Japan academic relations.
By bringing together perspectives from Japan and India around one of the defining technological and social questions of the 21st century, the programme created a platform for meaningful intellectual exchange.
The intersection of AI, humanities, journalism and social sciences was particularly significant, demonstrating how technological progress increasingly requires perspectives that go beyond engineering and computer science.
Strong Faculty and Student Participation
The programme was convened by Prof. Zeba Aqeel, Head, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, while Dr. Rashid Ansari, Head, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, served as Co-Convener.
Dr. Arafat Hasan Rizvi and Dr. Mohammad Shahwez coordinated the programme and played an important role in its successful execution.
The event brought together faculty members and students who engaged with emerging questions surrounding artificial intelligence, social inequality and the changing dimensions of marginalisation.
Dr. Rashid Ansari delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the programme.
A Conversation About the Future
The special lecture went beyond a discussion of technology. It opened a broader conversation about what kind of society humanity wants to build with AI.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, the challenge will not simply be to make machines smarter. It will also be to ensure that technological progress does not leave vulnerable communities further behind.
The programme at Integral University therefore carried a powerful message for the emerging generation of researchers, journalists and professionals: AI may transform the world, but ensuring that the transformation is fair, inclusive and human-centred remains a collective responsibility.
The event also reaffirmed Integral University’s commitment to international academic collaboration and strengthened the growing intellectual bridge between India and Japan.
In an age when algorithms are increasingly influencing human lives, the most important question may no longer be what AI can do—but for whom it works, whose voices it represents, and who gets to share in its future.
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