Rewatch the JournalismAI Festival 2024

Generative AI Lead, Süddeutsche Zeitung Digitale Medien

Alessandro Alviani is the Lead for Generative AI at Süddeutsche Zeitung Digitale Medien, the digital publishing division of Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany. With a background in journalism and product development, he has been active in the media industry for nearly twenty years. His previous roles include Product Lead for AI at Ippen Digital, Editorial Director of the Microsoft News Hub in Berlin, and Germany correspondent for La Stampa.

Product Manager, Podmorph

Former JournalismAI Fellow Clare Spencer is a product manager for Podmorph, a generative AI tool for podcast marketing. With hands-on experience using generative AI in newsrooms, she built and led a 15-person team to ensure AI accuracy in article production. At BBC News Labs, Clare worked with engineers and designers to develop tools for content creators, driven by her passion for automating repetitive storytelling tasks safely and effectively.

Head of Special Projects, The Conversation

Khalil is an advocate for more audience-informed approaches in the media industry and an audience development expert. He works to reconnect the industry with people by bringing newsrooms closer to audiences, with a focus on user needs, product work, and AI. He works with teams spanning six continents at The Conversation; consults and mentors teams and individuals at media organisations around the world; and regularly speaks about audience-centricity at conferences.

Specialist: Constitutional Law, Media Freedom and Digital Rights

Avani, a South African human rights lawyer, specialises in media freedom, digital rights, and emerging technology. She chairs Media Monitoring Africa, serves on the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, and advises on social media’s impact on African elections. Co-founder of ALT Advisory and Power Singh Inc., Avani’s work spans litigation, advocacy, and policy to promote access to information and democratic participation.

Professor of Law and Digital Technology, Director, AI, Media and Democracy Lab, University of Amsterdam

Natali Helberger, University Professor at the University of Amsterdam, specializes in AI's societal impact and governance. She co-directs the AI, Media & Democracy Lab and leads the AlgoSoc Gravity Consortium, mentoring young researchers. Helberger co-founded the 'Human(e) AI' initiative at UvA and is a member of several national and international expert groups. An elected member of KHMW and KNAW, she advises on AI and freedom of expression for the Council of Europe and the European AI Office.

Senior Research Associate, Research ICT Africa

Scott Timcke, PhD, is a political economist specialising in AI and democracy. He is a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg and an Affiliate at UNC Chapel Hill. Formerly a LUCAS-LAHRI Fellow at the University of Leeds and a Lecturer at The University of the West Indies, he serves on the editorial board of the African Journal of Information and Communication. His books include Algorithms and The End of Politics (2021) and The Political Economy of Fortune and Misfortune (2023).

Editor of Audio Programming, The New York Times

Mukul Devichand is a journalist and digital media leader, known for his work as launch editor of NYT Audio at The New York Times and for creating platforms like BBC Sounds and BBC News for smart speakers. He co-developed a BBC AI Assistant with Microsoft and founded BBC Trending and People Fixing the World, the BBC’s first global Solutions Journalism newsroom.

Interim Chief Product Officer, The Texas Tribune

Darla Cameron is the interim chief product officer at The Texas Tribune, overseeing product development, engineering, and design to deliver innovative journalism. Previously, she was managing editor for visual journalism and data visuals editor, leading teams in photo, multimedia, and data graphics. Darla has also worked at The Washington Post and the Tampa Bay Times and served on the board of Investigative Reporters and Editors.

COO,  Africa Uncensored

Emmanuel Chenze is the Chief Operating Officer at Africa Uncensored, where he has led the organisation’s digital growth, reaching over a million users monthly. With over a decade of experience, he oversees operations, strategic planning, and technology. Chenze co-founded the SMS-based news crowdsourcing tool and Wizileaks, a corruption indexing platform. He is also the founding editor of Piga Firimbi, a data and fact-checking platform.

Co-founder and executive director, Aos Fatos

Tai Nalon is the executive director and co-founder of Aos Fatos, a Brazilian organization tackling disinformation through tech-driven journalism. With over 15 years in the field, she leads a multidisciplinary team and has won numerous awards, including the 2020 Gabriel García Márquez Award. Tai previously worked at Folha de S.Paulo, focusing on national politics, and holds a degree in Social Communication from the State University of Rio de Janeiro.

Founder, FACTLY

Rakesh Dubbudu is the founder of Factly Media & Research, a civic-tech and fact-checking initiative in India. With over two decades of experience, he focuses on transparency, information access, and combating misinformation through AI-driven solutions. Rakesh has been a strong advocate for the Right to Information legislation, promoting better public access to information. He has worked extensively on improving data literacy and empowering citizens to critically engage with information.

Visual Investigative Journalist, Financial Times

Peter is a reporter and developer on the Financial Times’s award-winning visual investigations team — an interdisciplinary group of journalists harnessing new computational methods alongside traditional reporting to break new stories in visual formats. Before joining the FT, Peter designed data visualisations for elections at the Washington Post and The Guardian and completed master's degrees at the Oxford Internet Institute and the Blavatnik School of Government as a Rhodes Scholar.

Geospatial Intelligence Specialist, HumAngle

Mansir Muhammed is an OSINT specialist who works with HumAngle Media as a researcher and data journalist. He is an expert in using technological and innovative resources to report on news issues, with a special interest in information technology, geographic research, and open-source data. He reports on conflict, climate, and development issues in Nigeria. He is a 2024 Sigma Award winner. He is currently working on applying and integrating Artificial Intelligence in the HumAngle newsroom.

Head of Data Visualisation, The National News

Fadah Jassem is the Head of Data Visualisation at The National News in Abu Dhabi. She is a data and information integrity expert with years of experience across newsrooms and tech companies, where she became involved in AI-driven content solutions and data-driven newsgathering.

Editorial Director, Media 24

Charlene has worked as a journalist and editor for most of her 20-year career. She started as an intern at a women’s magazine before moving to weekly publications YOU and DRUM as a journalist. She’s worked in various editorial roles over the years and was the editorial director of YOU and DRUM before taking on her current role. Charlene heads up Media24’s AI initiatives, exploring generative AI opportunities and driving awareness, training and adoption.

Head of Data and AI, Brut

Clément has over 10 years of experience in AI and data analytics. He joined Brut in 2022 to drive AI initiatives, creating generative solutions for the newsroom, including video translation and repost recommendations. He is passionate about advancing AI in journalism to enhance content accessibility and engagement. Clément will discuss Brut’s AI vision and the technical, ethical, and legal challenges involved in developing these products.

Data Scientist & Journalist

Nikita Roy is a data scientist, journalist, and AI futurist. She is a Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists and hosts the Newsroom Robots podcast. Nikita leads the AI Journalism Lab and advises on AI strategy at CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School. She has taught AI at top institutions and her work has been featured by BBC, CBC News, and Quartz. Nikita is also president of the Canadian Association of Journalists' National Capital Region chapter.

Manager, Aapti Institute

Ava, a Political Science graduate, researches women’s digital trust in India and global digital safety. She has crafted regulatory frameworks for secure digital ecosystems and explored the intersection of art, politics, and digitization in India. Previously, she was a Teaching Fellow at Ashoka University, teaching political theory and developing online curriculums.

Deputy Managing Editor, Aftonbladet

Martin Schori is the Deputy Managing editor and Associate Publisher of Aftonbladet. He is also the Program Lead for Aftonbladet's AI initiatives.

Audience Development Manager, Daily Maverick

Alet Law is the Head of Audience Development at Daily Maverick, a leading news, analysis, and investigative publisher in South Africa. She is a former LSE JournalismAI fellow.

AI Editor, Aftonbladet

Elin Wieslander is an AI editor at Aftonbladet and member of Aftonbladet's AI Hub.

Software developer, Helsingin Sanomat

Elisa is a software developer who focuses on creating tools for newsrooms, along with crafting personalised storytelling and data visualisations. Currently wrapping up her Master's in Data Science, she's diving into AI, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing to broaden her skills.

Fact-checking Editor/Developer, DPA

Arne Beckmann worked several years as a news editor and anchor for different radio stations before he decided to join the dpa-factchecking team where he is able to bring in the skills he achieved while studying IT.

Senior Web developer, The Irish Examiner

Web development veteran with deep understanding of editorial outputs and existing editorial flows; has already prototyped assisting web preview of articles with suggestions. Existing Power Automate/Dataverse experience.

Editorial Client Coordinator for Middle East/North Africa, AFP

Experienced journalist for 20 years, transitioned to an editorial client coordinator role 5 years ago. Expert in promoting content for client retention through newsroom influencer engagement. Skilled in marketing initiatives such as newsletters, and surveys. Adept at leveraging data for analysis and insights, and holding certifications in Google Data Analytics, Prompt engineering, and advanced data analytics using ChatGPT.

Digital Project Manager, Danish Broadcasting Corporation

Aida Kokanovic is a digital project manager and experienced journalist based in Denmark, specialising in integrating technology with journalism. Skilled in Python, AI, and OSINT, she develops tools for investigative reporting, including chatbots and genAI applications. With expertise in social media tracking, network analysis, and technical domain analysis, Aida enhances investigative work through public data. Her international collaborations have broadened her perspective on global journalism. She leads teams to create AI and OSINT tools that transform investigative reporting and improve efficiency.

Science and Technology Editor, The Economist

Alok Jha is The Economist's science and technology editor, overseeing coverage from cosmology to AI and climate change. He also hosts the weekly science and tech podcast "Babbage." Previously, Alok was a science correspondent for ITN and the Guardian, with over a decade of experience in daily news and current affairs. He has written and presented multiple BBC documentary series and podcasts for the Guardian. In 2018, Alok was a Wellcome fellow researching storytelling formats for complex topics. He has reported globally, including live from Antarctica, and authored three popular science books, including The Water Book (2015).

Head of Innovation, CJID

Monsur Hussain is a Computer Scientist specialising in Intelligent Automation, Web Development, and Project Management. He leads the Innovation team at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and also manages projects at Aspilos Foundation. Monsur has experience as an RPA Developer at Waje Smart Solutions, a Machine Learning Facilitator with Google Crowdsource, and a Google DSC Lead at the University of Ilorin, where he built a community for aspiring developers

Senior Manager and Deputy Head of GMA Integrated News' Digital Strategy and Innovation Lab, GMA Network

Bernice Sibucao is the Senior Manager and Deputy Head of GMA Integrated News' Digital Strategy and Innovation Lab, where she has helped position GMA Network as a leading online news organization with award-winning programs. Previously, she was Assistant Manager of GMA Public Affairs' Social Media Team, building its strong online presence. A magna cum laude graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, Bernice is a fellow of the AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program and The Poynter Institute’s 2022 Leadership Academy for Women in Media. She also serves as the Secretary of AAJA-Asia.

Project Officer, CJID

Nicholas Adeniyi is a youth advocate, environmentalist, and journalist with over 6 years of experience. He holds a certificate in Conservation Science and Tourism and has worked as a health reporter and freelance journalist. Nicholas is pursuing a degree in Environmental Management, led youth climate initiatives, and is a former president of the Association of Campus Journalists at Ekiti State University. He currently works at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.

Multimedia Journalist, Il Sole 24 Ore

Silvia Martelli is a multimedia journalist with Il Sole 24 Ore. She has previously worked for Law360, BBC in North America, the Pulitzer Center, Vice and various other news organisations. She holds a Msc in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Editor, India Today Group

Piyush Aggarwal is an Editor at India Today Group. He works with the Data Intelligence Unit of the group, where he works on data-driven journalism and uses code to tell interactive stories. He likes building bots to automate mundane tasks. He has worked with leading Indian dailies like The Indian Express and Hindustan Times and is a computer science graduate. The domain of computational and data journalism fascinates him. He loves mining data and building bots.

Application Architect, Bloomberg

Atthar Mirza is an award-winning interactive graphics developer and web application architect at Bloomberg Industry Group, specializing in data visualization, interactive storytelling, and 3D modeling. He was an investigative reporter at The Washington Post, where he won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the January 6th insurrection. Previously, he worked as a video journalist at The Wall Street Journal and an animator at The Atlantic. Atthar holds a degree in Architecture and Design Thinking from the University of Virginia and a certificate in Applied Data Science from MIT.

Assistant Head of Audience, The Sun

As Assistant Head of Audience at The Sun, Nadine specialises in editorial innovation for the newsroom, working closely with product managers, tech and data teams to identify opportunities and launch new products to enhance The Sun’s digital experience. Nadine has spearheaded The Sun’s approach to AI, highlighting opportunities to improve workflows and processes and create better experiences for readers. Nadine is currently working closely with the News UK innovation teams on several bespoke AI POCs, tailored to the specific needs of The Sun’s newsroom and audience. Nadine has spoken on an NCTJ panel about the impact of AI on the newsroom and how it should fit into journalism training.

Senior Data Scientist, The Globe and Mail

Zahra Naghsh is a senior data scientist at The Globe and Mail, specializing in AI, machine learning, NLP, and language models to enhance journalism. Before this, she conducted postdoctoral research on respiratory data at the University of Toronto, building on her PhD work in wireless network scheduling. Zahra holds a master's and undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology, Iran, and has a passion for reading and writing, particularly at the intersection of language and technology.

User Data and AI Lead, E24

Journalist at heart. Have been working for 20 years plus as a journalist, first in a local paper then in the online edition of Norway's biggest tabloid. The last 12 years in E24, the biggest financial paper in Norway. Experience as a journalist, front page editor, news editor, product manager, and development editor. For the last few years, I've been working in the cross-section of journalism, product and technology, data, and AI.