Pioneering AI Governance & Trust and Safety for MENA's AI Frontier.
A visionary AI Ethicist Product Policy leader with an exceptional record in architecting, implementing, and enforcing robust policies for cutting-edge digital platforms and AI technologies. Possessing deep technical understanding, regulatory foresight, and a proven ability to translate complex data privacy, user rights, and AI governance challenges into actionable, scalable solutions. Drives cross-functional consensus and leads high-impact initiatives in ambiguous, 0-to-1 environments. Eager to shape groundbreaking AI policy and ensure secure, ethical deployment of technology, aligning with the strategic national visions of the UAE and Saudi Arabia to build a trusted and responsible digital future.
AI Governance & Ethics
Strategic frameworks for responsible AI.
Trust & Safety Leadership
Mitigating high-harm content at scale.
Regulatory & Compliance
Navigating global AI policy landscapes.
Professional Experience
Product Policy Lead - High Harm Issues
TikTok US Data Security | New York, NY | June 2023 – Present
- Architected TikTok's AIGC Risk Framework for text, image, and video, proactively addressing deepfakes, disinformation, sextortion, and nonconsensual intimate imagery. Partnered with engineering teams to deploy AI-driven detection models, improving high-harm content removal accuracy by 30%.
- Slashed Sextortion Escalations by 35% by designing behavioral signal configurations for messaging, livestreams, and video uploads, coupled with AI-driven friction prompts and enhanced user reporting.
- Ensured Global Compliance by aligning multi-modal AI enforcement protocols with EU DSA, U.S. State laws, and platform governance standards, reducing post-launch policy violations by 25%.
- Operationalized Synthetic Content Detection (e.g., GAN-generated imagery) with data science teams, balancing scalability and ethical deployment.
- Represented TikTok in Cross-Sector Partnerships (Tech Coalition, Thorn, Tech against Trafficking) to co-develop safety-by-design protocols for generative AI tools, adopted by 10+ platforms as industry standards.
- Drove Alignment Across Legal, Operations, Government Relations, Safety, and Communications Teams to design enforcement protocols for high-risk AI features (e.g., text-to-video tools), reducing policy violations by 25%.
- Reduced Demographic Bias by 20% in automated moderation decisions by designing fairness audits for LLM training datasets.
- Enabled Real-Time Takedowns of policy-violating synthetic imagery by advising engineers on optimizing OpenCV-based computer vision models to comply with EU DSA's "trusted flagger" requirements.
- Pioneered robust policies and guardrails for AI-powered content creation tools, specifically mitigating misuse risks related to non-consensual content (NCII), sextortion, fraud, coercion, and synthetic impersonation, directly enhancing digital privacy and data integrity.
- Managed evolving threat landscape, monitoring and analyzing emerging privacy risks and adversarial abuse patterns (e.g., synthetic identity fraud, cross-platform harm, AI misuse), informing proactive policy interventions and driving scalable enforcement strategies.
Policy Analyst
UN Women | New York, NY | June 2019 – December 2022
- Contributed Significantly to the Development of UN Guidance on the Safe and Ethical Use of Technology, focusing on gender-based violence and harmful practices, directly informing ethical AI use and data protection globally.
- Managed the Generation Equality Portfolio, securing $40 billion in investments and engaging 700+ partners in global policy initiatives around tech and innovation, bridging policy and operational teams to scale evidence-based strategies.
- Spearheaded the RESPECT Framework Implementation across 17 countries, influencing regional policies and legislative reforms.
- Led Programmes under the Spotlight Initiative to End Gender-Based Violence, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to secure consensus on actionable policies and prevention strategies.
- Conducted Data-Driven Research and synthesized findings for high-level reports, including contributions to UN Secretary-General reports on violence prevention, shaping global debates on ethical tech deployment.
Evaluation Consultant and Field Work Manager
CARE International | New York, NY | November 2018 – May 2019
- Assessed intersections of financial inclusion with community integration and violence prevention initiatives, emphasizing community-level data sensitivity and protection.
Gender Team Intern
United Nations Development Programme | New York, NY | July 2018 – December 2018
- Enhanced collaboration for the Gender Equality Seal Programme, ensuring effective cross-functional implementation in six regions.
Legal Advisor
Law Offices of Omar Khawaja, PLLC | Houston, TX | January 2016 – August 2017
- Engaged in targeted policy advocacy, collaborating with diverse policymakers and industry partners to shape strategic legislation. Orchestrated successful advocacy initiatives that secured increased resources.
Postgraduate Legal Fellow
New Haven Legal Assistance Association | New Haven, CT | September – December 2015
- Conducted in-depth legal research and drafted robust court presentations, demonstrating rigorous analytical approach and ability to translate complex legal principles into clear, actionable arguments.
Portfolio: Impact Stories
Dive into key achievements where I've operationalized complex policy into tangible results, with direct relevance to the ambitions of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in responsible AI development.
I spearheaded the development and implementation of TikTok's comprehensive **AIGC risk framework** for text, image, and video, proactively addressing critical issues like deepfakes, disinformation, sextortion, and nonconsensual intimate imagery. This involved deep partnership with engineering teams to deploy advanced AI-driven detection models and establish nuanced policy guidelines.
- **Improved high-harm content removal accuracy by 30%**, enhancing platform integrity.
- **Reduced post-launch policy violations by 25%**, ensuring global compliance with major regulations (EU DSA, U.S. state laws).
- Operationalized synthetic content detection, balancing scalability with ethical deployment.
Relevance to MENA: This directly supports national digital sovereignty and content safety, particularly for entities like SDAIA and government bodies in the UAE, in combating misinformation and ensuring public trust in digital platforms.
Tackling pervasive online harms like sextortion requires innovative, data-driven solutions. I designed and implemented behavioral signal configurations across messaging, livestreams, and video uploads, leveraging AI-driven friction prompts and enhanced user reporting to prevent exploitation.
- **Slashed sextortion escalations by 35%**, demonstrating a significant, measurable reduction in a critical high-harm area.
- Successfully adapted to shifting enforcement priorities and managed high-priority escalations effectively.
Relevance to MENA: Crucial for the UAE Ministry of Interior's 'AI for Safer Children' and Saudi Arabia's 'Cyber Child Protection' initiatives, directly contributing to public safety and human rights in the digital space.
At the United Nations, I significantly contributed to the development of **UN Guidance on the Safe and Ethical Use of Technology**, focusing on gender-based violence and harmful practices. This work directly informed global ethical AI use and data protection.
- Managed the Generation Equality portfolio, securing **$40 billion in investments** and engaging **700+ partners** globally.
- Spearheaded the **RESPECT Framework Implementation** across 17 countries, influencing regional policies.
- Conducted data-driven research that shaped global debates on ethical tech deployment.
Relevance to MENA: This experience resonates with the UAE's AI Ethics Guide and Saudi Arabia's Principles and Controls of AI Ethics, bridging global best practices with regional values to build a human-centric AI future.
Ensuring fairness and compliance is paramount for AI systems operating at scale. I designed and implemented **fairness audits for LLM training datasets** and advised engineers on optimizing computer vision models to meet stringent regulatory standards.
- **Reduced demographic bias by 20%** in automated moderation decisions, fostering more equitable outcomes.
- Enabled real-time takedowns of policy-violating synthetic imagery, ensuring adherence to critical regulatory demands.
- Consistently advised on content classification systems, supporting accurate enforcement.
Relevance to MENA: Direct support for G42's 'Frontier AI Safety Framework', Mubadala's responsible investment mandate, and SDAIA's AI Principles, ensuring AI systems are just, accountable, and compliant.
Thought Pieces & Publications
My insights on AI ethics, governance, and societal impact, shaping the dialogue around responsible technology development. (Note: These are examples; replace with your actual articles/papers.)
The Geopolitics of AI: Navigating the Middle East's Rise
An analysis of how MENA nations are strategically positioning themselves in the global AI race, balancing innovation with sovereign interests and ethical considerations.
Read Article →Building Trust in Generative AI: A Policy Framework for Mitigation
Exploring best practices for developing regulatory and platform-level policies to ensure responsible deployment of generative AI technologies, particularly concerning misinformation and deepfakes.
Read Paper →Human Rights in the Algorithmic Age: Protecting Vulnerable Populations
A deep dive into the ethical imperatives of AI development, focusing on how policy and technical safeguards can protect human rights in areas like online exploitation and privacy.
Read Blog Post →Key Skills & Technical Proficiencies
AI & Generative AI Policy Development: Multi-modal risk mitigation (text, image, video), LLM governance, synthetic content detection, deepfake regulation, AI fairness auditing.
Trust & Safety Operations: High-harm content moderation, behavioral signal analysis, abuse prevention strategies, incident response, crisis management, post-enforcement review.
Regulatory & Legal Expertise: EU AI Act, GDPR, DSA, U.S. State AI Regulations, international human rights law, privacy law, constitutional law.
Technical Understanding: GPTs, OpenCV, AI-driven moderation tools, data-informed policy design, machine learning ethics, algorithmic bias mitigation.
Strategic Leadership & Foresight: Driving large-scale program management, leading complex cross-functional initiatives, advising senior leadership, and horizon scanning for emerging tech trends to inform proactive policy.
Data Analysis & Research: Data-driven strategy, policy testing, impact assessment, synthesizing complex research findings for high-level reports.
Advocacy & Communication: Crafting actionable policy frameworks, technical communication, translating complex concepts for diverse audiences, public speaking, multilateral discussion representation.
Subject Matter Expertise: Exploitation and Abuse, Human Exploitation (Trafficking, Smuggling, Migration Disinformation), Gender, Child Safety, Not Safe For Work Activity.
Education
Columbia University
New York, NY
- Master of International Affairs - Human Rights and Cybersecurity Policy
- Bachelor of Arts - Human Rights and Economics
- Honors: Gitelson Award for Human Values in International Affairs, Dean's List
University of London
London, UK
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) - Public International Law; Privacy Law; Constitutional Law
Contact & Languages
I'm excited about opportunities to contribute to the safe and ethical advancement of AI. Please feel free to reach out.
Languages
Fluent: English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Elementary: Arabic, Spanish
📍 New York, NY (Relocating to MENA Region)