About
I'm a computer scientist and writer who enjoys building systems, studying their consequences, and making complex ideas accessible. Professionally, I've worked across machine learning, data engineering, automation, and production support — building Airflow pipelines for agricultural analytics, enterprise data products for Pakistan and Gulf markets, and multimodal deepfake-detection systems.
My research centres on trustworthy AI and the Global South — not just whether a model performs well, but who appears in its data, what it misses, and what happens when it meets a real social context. As a South Asian woman, that question is personal: my long-term goal is to connect technical research with public awareness and governance to make digital spaces safer for women in Pakistan, South Asia, and beyond.
Curriculum Vitae
Download CV — Research, publications, engineering experience, projects, leadership, and service.
Current interests
- Trustworthy AI
- AI Safety
- Multimodal Learning
- Synthetic-Media Detection
- Computer Vision
- Agentic AI
- AI Governance
- Data-Centric Evaluation
- Technology for Good
Bios
Reusable bios for conference programs, press requests, and speaker introductions — open the length you need.
One-line bio
Machine learning engineer and trustworthy AI researcher building culturally grounded systems for safer digital spaces in South Asia.
50-word bio
Itba Malahat is a machine learning engineer and researcher at the Colombo HCI Lab, where she works on deepfake detection and media literacy for the Global South. Her interests span trustworthy AI, multimodal learning, AI safety, computer vision, and the use of technology to create safer digital spaces for women.
100-word bio
Itba Malahat is a machine learning engineer and trustworthy AI researcher from Pakistan. At the Colombo HCI Lab, University of Colombo School of Computing, she works with Dr. Dilrukshi Gamage on deepfake detection, culturally grounded evaluation, and media literacy for the Global South. She earned a BS in Computer Science from GIKI. Her experience spans multimodal deepfake detection, production data pipelines, enterprise analytics, AI telematics, and technical support. Her long-term mission is to connect technical research, governance, and public awareness to create safer digital spaces for women in South Asia.
Speaker introduction
Itba Malahat is a machine learning engineer and trustworthy AI researcher whose work focuses on deepfake detection, multimodal learning, and the Global South. She is a researcher at the Colombo HCI Lab. Through her research and public-interest work, she aims to make digital spaces safer for women in Pakistan and across South Asia.
Get in touch
Let’s work on something meaningful
I'm always up for research collaborations, responsible-AI work, speaking opportunities, and engineering projects that sit at the intersection of AI, data, and social impact.
If you're working on trustworthy AI, deepfake detection, multimodal systems, digital rights, or making online spaces safer for women, I'd love to hear from you.
For collaborations: itbamalahat [AT] g**** [DOT] com
Location: Pakistan