On February 23, 2025, Dr. Karwan Jacksi, Director of the Semantic Web Lab (SWLab) at the University of Zakho, participated as a panelist in a high-profile panel discussion organized by the Ararat Institute in Duhok. The panel focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Its Effects on Employability”, bringing together experts and professionals to explore how AI is shaping the future of work.
During the discussion, Dr. Jacksi addressed the profound impact of AI on the labor market, highlighting both the potential benefits and the challenges associated with automation and intelligent systems. He emphasized the importance of preparing future generations with the skills needed to thrive in AI-driven environments.
Dr. Jacksi also took the opportunity to introduce the Semantic Web Lab (SWLab) and its ongoing work. He explained how the lab is leveraging semantic web technologies and natural language processing (NLP) to support underrepresented languages, particularly Kurdish. He shared key achievements of the lab, including:
- The creation of annotated corpora for Badini and Central Kurdish dialects.
- The development of hybrid POS taggers for the Kurdish language.
- The construction of semantic ontologies to support intelligent applications.
- Successful publication of several research papers in high-impact journals.
The panel served as an excellent platform to showcase the lab’s contributions to Kurdish NLP and its vision for advancing AI research with regional and linguistic relevance.
