Artificial intelligence (AI) dominates headlines, boardrooms and political debates, often in equal parts excitement and confusion. For this special series, computer science students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) worked with L’Orient Today's editorial team to look past the noise. Drawing on classroom research, technical experimentation and newsroom scrutiny, we examine how AI actually works, its limits and real-world applications — from governance and corruption monitoring to psychological impact. We explore methodology, ethnographies and the ethical dimensions of AI, including bias, accountability and even questions of empathy. What can be simulated, and what remains uniquely human. The goal is clarity. To understand AI not as an abstraction, but as a practice situated in society.
Published on 25 May 2026 11:45
