Stockholm university

Clàudia Figueras Julián

About me

I am a doctoral student at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) at Stockholm University. My research focuses on understanding the ethical and social consequences of the deployment of AI systems in the public sector. Specifically, I investigate how AI practitioners interpret and address ethical issues in their everyday work practices. By exploring diverse perspectives, I aim to shed light on the challenges faced and the strategies practitioners employ in this domain. My work is at the intersection of technology ethics, CSCW, critical data studies, and STS.

Before the PhD, I did an MSc in Health Informatics from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University and a BSc in Human Biology at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. I also worked as a data scientist and data analyst in the public and private sectors.

Teaching

Teaching Experience:

  • Teaching Assistant for “Ethics in Computer and Systems Sciences Research” (HT 2023).
  • Teaching Assistant for “Empirical Research Methodology for Computer and Systems Sciences” (HT 2020-2024).
  • Teaching Assistant for “Scientific Methodology and Communication in Computer and Systems Science” (HT 2024).
  • Teaching Assistant for “Scientific Communication and Research Methodology” (HT 2023 & HT 2024).
  • Bachelor’s and Master’s Thesis Supervision (2022-2023).

Research projects

Publications

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

  • Exploring tensions in Responsible AI in practice. An Interview Study on AI practices in and for Swedish Public Organizations

    2022. Clàudia Figueras Julián, Harko Henricus Verhagen, Teresa Cerratto-Pargman. Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems 34 (2), 199-232

    Article

    The increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems has sparked discussions regarding developing ethically responsible technology. Consequently, various organizations have released high-level AI ethics frameworks to assist in AI design. However, we still know too little about how AI ethics principles are perceived and work in practice, especially in public organizations. This study examines how AI practitioners perceive ethical issues in their work concerning AI design and how they interpret and put them into practice. We conducted an empirical study consisting of semi-structured qualitative interviews with AI practitioners working in or for public organizations. Taking the lens provided by the “In-Action Ethics” framework and previous studies on ethical tensions, we analyzed practitioners’ interpretations of AI ethics principles and their application in practice. We found tensions between practitioners’ interpretation of ethical principles in their work and ‘ethos tensions.’ In this vein, we argue that understanding the different tensions that can occur in practice and how they are tackled is key to studying ethics in practice. Understanding how AI practitioners perceive and apply ethical principles is necessary for practical ethics to contribute toward an empirically grounded, Responsible AI.

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  • Trustworthy AI for the People?

    2021. Clàudia Figueras Julián, Harko Henricus Verhagen, Teresa Ceratto Pargman. AIES '21, 269-270

    Conference

    While AI systems become more pervasive, their social impact is increasingly hard to measure. To help mitigate possible risks and guide practitioners into a more responsible design, diverse organizations have released AI ethics frameworks. However, it remains unclear how ethical issues are dealt with in the everyday practices of AI developers. To this end, we have carried an exploratory empirical study interviewing AI developers working for Swedish public organizations to understand how ethics are enacted in practice. Our analysis found that several AI ethics issues are not consistently tackled, and AI systems are not fully recognized as part of a broader sociotechnical system.

    Read more about Trustworthy AI for the People?

Show all publications by Clàudia Figueras Julián at Stockholm University