Marina Jirotka

"I was very interested in why people did what they did [and so took a degree in Social Anthropology and Psychology]. I found it really rewarding. It opened my eyes"

"We didn’t see my mother much during that time, she remained in Scotland, In my teenage years, I was desperate to get away from Westgate."

"[After taking her degree] I spotted in a newspaper this conversion course, where you learned about computers and artificial intelligence. I enrolled. I was one of only three women on the course...It was the first AI really"

"People may not know what they want from a system. But I was interested in watching what people did and working out from that what they needed. It’s very interesting"

"There are a lot of ethical issues in computing and AI: AI has also become an ever-present feature of computer programs – deciding who is called for interviews, who is granted a loan and who is seen at risk of reoffending when considered for parole."

"I’m more and more interested in Responsible Innovation…the trouble is, the industry is all about running fast and breaking things, it’s the mind-set. People often don’t think about negative or unintended consequences"

"We are a long way, she says from robots taking over the world...[but she] is championing the installation of ‘black box’ recorders for responsible robotics...[to] provide some accountability and information, in the event that something goes wrong."