Artificial Intelligence and You 303 - Guest: Virginia Dignum, Responsible AI Expert, part 1
Apr 6, 2026
Virginia Dignum, professor of responsible AI and author advising global organizations, discusses AI paradoxes and ethics. She traces her 40-year path into AI. They explore why developers must ask why, how generative systems blend data and language, the gap between conversation and intelligence, and risks from ungoverned autonomous agents.
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Early Municipal AI Project Revealed Social Risks
- Virginia Dignum began building AI in 1986 as an undergraduate, creating a system for Lisbon's municipality to prioritize social housing allocations.
- That early project exposed data quality problems (assigned already-occupied houses) and shifted her focus from pure engineering to socio-technical impacts.
Always Ask Question Zero Before Building AI
- Do start AI projects by asking question zero: why are we building this system and are there alternatives.
- Virginia warns engineers often skip who decides values, what choices matter, and whether non-technical options exist before building.
Book Aimed at Public to Counter Misleading AI Narratives
- Virginia wrote The AI Paradox for the general public to correct misleading narratives and increase public understanding of AI's limits and power dynamics.
- The book covers intelligence, power, fairness, and the risk of techno-solutionism pushed by powerful storytellers.
