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Faith Meets AI: How Muslim Innovators Are Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech

By Daisy Khan

Oct 16, 2025

In this episode of WISE Women with Daisy Khan, host Daisy Khan and celebrated AI trailblazer and software engineer Waleed Kadous. With roots in Australia and deep ties to Muslim traditions, Kadous’s story cuts across academic breakthroughs, humanitarian tech, and global innovation. His journey from building sign language gloves for the disabled to leading code changes for billions of Android devices offers a fresh perspective on the intersection of faith and technology.

Daisy Khan, whose platform elevates voices often missing from mainstream tech conversations, guides listeners through the critical yet overlooked role of Muslim identity in driving algorithmic advancement, user advocacy, and ethical leadership. In this conversation, they unravel the deep connections between values and innovative breakthroughs, shedding light on the realities behind artificial intelligence, representation in STEM, and the vital role of mentorship for tomorrow’s change-makers.

 Roots and Routes: Faith, Upbringing, and the Making of an Innovator 
Kadous’s formative years in Australia were colored by cultural diversity and religious grounding, setting the stage for his outside-the-box approach to software engineering. Unlike many who enter tech for pure problem-solving, Kadous was motivated by questions of impact: how can code help real communities, bridge divides, and create tools for equity? His undergraduate projects introduced a humanitarian focus on coding advanced gloves that recognized sign language, powered by empathy for those who navigate disabilities.

The conversation on WISE Women with Daisy Khan emphasizes that faith and heritage can drive innovation rather than hinder it. For Kadous, the values instilled through Muslim tradition, compassion, stewardship, lifelong learning, became the foundation for tackling challenges in engineering and beyond. These lessons shaped his work at the Android engineering team, where each line of code had the potential to affect billions, from affordability and accessibility to security and user empowerment.

Highlighting representation in tech is critical. Too often, Muslim innovators are absent from mainstream narratives about STEM progress. Daisy Khan’s podcast aims to break this pattern, drawing listeners into the untold stories behind everyday technology and the rich tapestry of experience that feeds lasting innovation.

 AI: Beyond the Hype to Real-World Impact 
Artificial Intelligence may dominate global headlines, but its origin story full of skepticism, long-term research, and surprising turns rarely gets told. Kadous shares that when he completed his PhD, mainstream voices dismissed AI as impractical. Yet patience, curiosity, and faith in the process paid off: the same algorithms once underestimated now run the world’s most popular devices, guide healthcare, translate languages, and open new creative avenues.

Daisy and Kadous break down the myths that cloud public understanding of AI. Far from a mysterious “black box,” generative AI models represent humanity’s accumulated wisdom, encoded in billions of parameters and patterns. The shift from brittle, rule-based systems to models capable of recognizing, predicting, and adapting mirrors the evolution of human learning itself.

Their discussion makes clear that the biggest changes in AI are not just technical, but ethical. By reflecting on who gets to guide machine learning and whose stories are told, listeners are encouraged to challenge bias and push for inclusion. Here’s what sets impactful AI apart:

  • Prioritizing empathy and accessibility for all users, not just the majority

  • Building privacy as a principal feature, not an afterthought

  • Breaking the cycle of bias through constant reflection and course-correction

  • Empowering socially responsible decision-making in algorithm design

  • Raising tech literacy among underrepresented communities

 Wisdom in the Data: How Values Inspire Innovation 
Faith isn’t just a private practice for Kadous; it’s a guiding compass for innovation. By drawing on principles of justice, stewardship, and collaboration ingrained in Muslim heritage, he approaches engineering as a service not only for efficiency or profit, but for advancing the common good. His insights offer an alternative to trends and fads, pushing industry leaders to center humanity in every technological leap.

Daisy Khan connects this faith-driven vision to action, stressing that systemic change in tech will require mentors, allies, and upstanders willing to amplify new voices. Muslim professionals bring not only technical skills but philosophical depth, global perspective, and creative insight to the table. These contributions help confront persistent stereotypes and power more ethical, robust digital tools.

She advocates for relationship-building and real connection over isolated local fixes. For listeners interested in authentic tech progress, WISE Women with Daisy Khan is a source for stories that reveal how values and inclusion make digital transformation possible today and for the next generation.

 Rethinking Representation: Muslim Leaders in STEM 
The episode critically examines media narratives and popular assumptions that exclude Muslim achievements from the tech conversation. Kadous and Khan spotlight the record: Muslim engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs routinely break ground in fields from data science to clean energy, artificial intelligence to user experience.

WISE Women with Daisy Khan doesn’t just raise awareness but also proposes a path forward. Listeners are invited to reflect on media representation, challenge exclusion, and support spaces where diverse talent shapes the direction of technology. Success in STEM means expanding mentorship, rewarding collaborative work, and elevating ethical leadership at every stage.

Kadous and Daisy exchange real-world strategies for empowering new talent. Their advice?

  1. Connect with professionals from a range of backgrounds, ask questions, share experiences, and build your network.

  2. Support organizations and podcasts that feature underrepresented leaders.

  3. Engage in dialogue about ethical tech, user rights, and responsible innovation.

  4. Share resources and knowledge within your community.

  5. Seek out mentorship or become a mentor yourself to others entering the field.

 Bridge Building Starts Here 
WISE Women with Daisy Khan stands at the intersection of faith, facts, and technology. This episode’s exploration of AI through Muslim perspectives challenges old assumptions and opens the door to deeper, more informed conversations about the future. Coders, designers, and policymakers all benefit when wisdom drives innovation and when industry recognizes the strengths brought by every background.

#WISEWomen #AIInnovation #MuslimTech #FaithandTechnology #STEMLeaders #DiversityTech #GenerativeAI #PodcastSpotlight #DaisyKhan #Android #EthicalTech #InclusionMatters #MuslimVoices #TechForGood #BridgingCommunities

Connect with Dr. Daisy Khan:

  • Websites:

Connect with Waleed Kadous:

Ansari Project:

Where Muslim voices rise, bridges are built, and history's unsung heroines reclaim their light.

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