Shohail Ismail

Shohail, a British student from one of England’s most socioeconomically deprived regions, is an award-winning AI innovator and social technologist whose work bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and community-driven impact. Inspired by Alan Turing, his early fascination with cryptanalysis evolved into a mission to use artificial intelligence as a tool for equity, education, and justice.

At the University of Sheffield, Shohail leads diverse efforts to make technology work for underserved communities. As Chair of Sheffield Volunteering, he oversees 40+ student-led initiatives and a network of over 2,000 volunteers tackling loneliness, food insecurity, and digital exclusion. He also founded Educ-AI-tion, a grassroots AI literacy programme offering weekly workshops to disadvantaged communities, with expansion talks underway with the Sheffield City Council.

His projects – including AtomicDefake (an AI text-misinformation classifier), AquaSentinel (real-time vital sign monitoring for scuba divers), and TaxGenie (an automated workflow for tax compliance) – have earned global recognition at hackathons such as IBM TechXchange and the prestigious Idiap Create Challenge. Today, he is researching audio-based deepfake classification – part of a broader goal to build trustworthy AI systems that are useful for all.

He is also the architect of Career Compass, a tool that maps the career journeys of underrepresented graduates using alumni data – a personal response to the years he spent navigating education without a roadmap and seeking to close gaps he once fell through.

Internationally, he represented the UK at the 8th Arab-European Youth Forum in Egypt, where he co-authored the Luxor Declaration on ethical AI. He later contributed to the European Youth Foundation’s “Independent Living in Society 5.0” campaign on disability-inclusive technology and advised youth leaders across Europe, Armenia, and Georgia.

Shohail’s academic record is equally outstanding: he has been a Global Summer Scholar at the National University of Singapore, where he published research on China’s AI rise; a Sir Ralph Robbins Scholar; and a Royal Academy of Engineering Leaders Scholar. 

Despite facing financial hardship and undiagnosed neurodivergence during his formative years, Shohail continues to break barriers. His upcoming ventures include StartPilot, an AI-powered platform that lets students with no technical background prototype startup ideas in minutes.

Shohail’s story is one of turning small beginnings into systemic solutions. Whether in global summits or local food banks, he champions a future where AI doesn’t just replicate intelligence – it uplifts humanity.