Thanks for the question Jason! My work in AI prototyping over the years in a lab environment, the waves coming and going in the ocean, and mainly...a need to mix the following ingredients:Â nine ounces of AI and ethics, nine ounces of raw emotions, nine ounces of machine learning, and a pinch of Porto city. I mixed all the ingredients, then wrapped the mixture in a veil of spirituality and added a generous sprinkle of humor, and to my surprise, Teaching Machines how To Cry happened :).
I have worked in the field of AI for the last eight years. I was responsible for managing the development, testing, and deployment of AI prototypes to advance the work of the United Nations and its partners to tackle issues such as poverty, climate change, and conflict around the world.
Every day I advocated for the ethical design and use of AI technology whether I was in the office or on the world stage.
A few months back, my son Alan asked me (as he does every other night) "Mommy, tell me a story." As I told him the story of a child pirate who navigated the Caribbean Sea, something clicked inside me – why not share my thoughts and beliefs about AI and ethics by telling a story about it? The day after, I woke up before my alarm clock, and I wrote the first paragraphs of Teaching Machines How to Cry.