Ibrahim Maniku

I achieved full marks across my design coursework, receiving recognition for my CAD work and earning an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. This period shaped the way I think: with precision, creativity, and a belief that engineering should ultimately serve people.

Through the scholarship, I gained early industry exposure with organisations including Arup, Sir Robert McAlpine, Transport for London, and FM Conway. These experiences gave me a first-hand view of how engineering, infrastructure, and design come together in the real world.

I trained as a mechanical engineer with a drive to build systems that help society evolve. During my degree, I became increasingly interested in how engineering knowledge could be extended through computation. Many classical engineering equations had already been translated into digital tools, but I wanted to go further — applying predictive models to problems such as bridge maintenance, environmental failure, and infrastructure resilience.

Alongside my studies, I served as Head of Operations for Queen Mary Formula Student, helping coordinate the logistics of running a student motorsport team. This gave me practical experience in leadership, project management, teamwork, and building under pressure.

I graduated with Distinction in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, studying machine learning, natural language processing, statistics, and applied AI.

This degree opened up deeper questions for me. Machine learning models can be powerful, but they can also fail in critical systems, depend on vast quantities of data, and raise serious issues around privacy, consent, governance, and accountability. It was here that my interest moved beyond simply building AI systems, towards understanding their wider impact on people and society.

At Maldives.com, I apply data science within a real commercial environment. My work has included customer behaviour analysis, web scraping for content population, statistical SEO optimisation, pricing and market analysis, and data-driven improvements to digital travel experiences.

I am also involved in designing a loyalty scheme that connects travellers with environmentally conscious local experiences. The aim is to use technology not only to improve travel discovery, but also to raise awareness around sustainability, local culture, and responsible tourism in the Maldives.

I trained and worked in cybersecurity during the early rise of widely accessible generative AI. This was a turning point: tools that could assist productivity could also be used to generate malicious code, automate attacks, and lower the barrier to cyber misuse.

My work with OXIQA gave me insight into how organisations understand, prepare for, and respond to threats. It also raised a larger question that now shapes much of my research: what happens when powerful technical capabilities become available to almost everyone, regardless of intent, expertise, or safeguards?

My current PhD research examines the impact of Artificial Social Agents on human behaviour and society. I am particularly interested in how large language models act as cognitive mediators: systems that can shape trust, influence judgement, distort interpretation, and alter decision-making.

My work sits at the intersection of AI, psychology, cybersecurity, and governance. Current research includes LLM personality modelling and work on AI for cyber situational awareness, exploring how AI systems may support, influence, or mislead human judgement in high-stakes environments.