From student to AI analyst: “I develop responsible AI and raise awareness about it.”

Knowledge, friendships, and fun.

The Master’s programme, while research-oriented, is very practical, with many course projects in which I could put theory into practice. One example is research I did on whether the autonomous, humanoid robot Nao could express remorse, and how this might affect its interactions with people. I programmed the robot, which required some basic coding knowledge, and tested it in interactions with people. My findings showed that people tended to trust the robot more when it showed remorse, for example, by saying sorry when it made a mistake. The paper was even published in a journal, and I travelled to Naples to present my research.

One great memory is receiving the annual award for the most impactful graduation project during my Bachelor’s in Creative Technology. That was for my design of a companion robot for elderly people, which would assist them in their daily lives. The robot would, for example, remind them to drink water, exercise, or sing songs that I had recorded myself singing and converted into a robotic voice. As part of this research, I conducted a lot of interviews with elderly people and healthcare professionals, which is an essential part of human-centred design.

At Brush AI, we focus on responsible AI, which means ethical and transparent development and use of AI. For instance, if we build an AI image generator for a client, we try to reduce biases such as returning only images of white middle-aged men when searching for an AI engineer.

When I started here, I worked as an AI engineer and was involved in the technical side: writing Python code and deploying it to a cloud computing platform. Although this is still part of what I do, my role has evolved. Now I work mostly with clients, translating what they need into the most suitable AI solution that will make their work more efficient. That could mean building an automated dashboard or running a responsible AI scan. I also give AI literacy training sessions and workshops at companies, helping employees understand the potential and risks of AI.

Sharing my knowledge of AI with other people is fulfilling. I love raising awareness about how AI can save time, but also about the mistakes it makes and the inherent biases: all this feels meaningful and necessary.

The basic programming, machine learning, and deep learning principles I learned during my Master’s helped me a lot at the start of my job. Also, the knowledge I gained on how people interact with technology has been invaluable. This is basically what I do every day: understanding people's needs and goals so that we can build an AI system that supports them in their work. During my Master’s, I also learned to think from a user's perspective and translate human needs into technical requirements: these skills are essential in my work.

Starting as an AI engineer gave me a solid technical foundation. Besides, I have gained a lot of soft skills, such as confidently presenting in front of C-level executives and explaining complex AI concepts to them.

I have realised that I enjoy helping people and sharing knowledge, so I would like to take on a managerial role. I also hope that in 10 years, I will have contributed to the development of AI solutions that have a positive impact on society.

After graduation, you might be confused about what jobs to search for. My advice is to start in an area you already find interesting or enjoy. And remember that once you land a job, you can grow in different directions. When I started as an AI engineer at Brush AI, I wasn’t aware of all the opportunities. With time, I gained experience and discovered what I like, and now I am doing what I really enjoy: connecting people and technology.