WAIA'26: Blockchain, AI, and Network Security, Muhammad Shahzad - BU

Building Resilient Infrastructure: Blockchain, AI, and Network Security in Emerging Economies As emerging economies accelerate digital transformation, the infrastructure supporting AI is becoming just as important as the intelligence itself. At World AI Assembly, Muhammad Shahzad, Senior Lecturer and PhD Scholar at Bahria University, joins the Cybersecurity track to explore how emerging economies can build more resilient, secure and scalable digital infrastructure. Modern AI systems depend on massive data flows, centralized control mechanisms and interconnected networks. These same characteristics can also create vulnerabilities, particularly in environments where resources are limited and traditional security models are difficult to scale. This session explores how Software-Defined Networking, or SDN, can be combined with lightweight blockchain consensus to strengthen network security. The discussion will examine how decentralized validation mechanisms can help: • Protect network control planes • Reduce single points of failure • Prevent unauthorized disruptions • Secure AI data pipelines • Strengthen cross-domain security • Build resilience against modern cyber threats Rather than focusing only on theory, the session looks at the practical realities of deploying secure AI infrastructure in developing technology ecosystems. Because for emerging economies, the challenge is not simply adopting AI. It is building infrastructure strong enough to support it securely. Speaker: Muhammad Shahzad Senior Lecturer & PhD Scholar, Bahria University Pakistan Host: Sarah Peracha Founder, World AI Assembly Track: Cybersecurity Session: Building Resilient Infrastructure: Blockchain, AI, and Network Security in Emerging Economies World AI Assembly 2026 Where the Intelligent World Meets.