Meet 3MT Finalist Muhammad Ali
The 2026 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Jan. 29, from 4 to 6 p.m.
What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?
That’s the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Jan. 29, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
This event challenges each student to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges, which this year include Lori Bergen, dean of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information; Sammy Ramsey or "Dr. Sammy," an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a science communicator, and an international 3MT winner; Leopold Beuken, an assistant teaching professor in robotics and a former CU Boulder 3MT finalist; and Aaron Brockett, the City of Boulder mayor.
In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Muhammad Ali, a doctoral candidate in journalism, who researches AI impact on the field of journalism. His 3MT presentation's title is, "AI Anchors, Real Concerns: Journalism at Crossroads."
If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?
How AI news presenters are reshaping the field of journalism and how audiences perceive this change.
What do you feel is the significance of your research to the every day audience?
My research helps audiences become more aware of how AI news presenters influence what they see, trust, and believe thereby empowering them to question seemingly neutral news and protect themselves from subtle manipulation.
What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?
My PhD is profoundly shaped by my personal history. Growing up in a conservative region of Pakistan, I witnessed the high cost of advocating for girls’ education. In 1990, my father (a government contractor and social worker) was assassinated for establishing the first girls’ school in our village. Raised by my mother and grandparents, I learned that education is an act of resistance and transformation. Over the past 35 years, I have seen education reshape my community, and this conviction underpins my pursuit of a PhD.
What is your favorite thing about the research you do?
My favorite thing about my research is that it gives a voice to audiences who are often overlooked and reveals how emerging technologies like AI can quietly shape trust, truth and democracy in everyday life.
What did you do before coming to CU Boulder for graduate school?
I worked as a public relations officer for a government organization and as a columnist for English-language daily newspapers.
What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?
I enjoy playing badminton, cycling and hiking, and I also collect antique coins.
Tell us a random fact about yourself
Before coming to the US, I had never cooked before. The first time I made an omelet, I didn't know I needed oil; it burned completely and filled the house with smoke.