Dr Maria Aretoulaki

Dr Maria Aretoulaki has been working in AI and Machine Learning for the past 30 years: NLP, NLU, Speech Recognition, VUI & Conversational Experience Design. Having started in Machine Translation and Artificial Neural Networks for Automatic Text Summarisation, she has focused on natural language conversational human-machine interfaces, mainly for Contact Centre applications across all the main verticals for organisations worldwide. She has designed, built and optimised conversational Speech IVRs, Voicebots, Chatbots, Voice Assistants and Digital Assistants in several languages for large Enterprises worldwide and Government saving clients up to $10 million annually.

In 2018, Maria coined the term “Explainable Conversational Experience Design”, which later morphed to “Explainable Conversational AI” and more recently – with the explosion of LLMs and the ChatGPT hype – to “Explainable Generative AI” to advocate for transparent, responsible, design-led AI bot development that keeps the human in the loop and in control.

Maria joined GLOBALLOGIC / HITACHI in 2022, where she has been working with the Consumer Solutions & Experiences Capability in the UK, the global Generative AI Practice and the AI/ML and Web3/Blockchain Practices, helping shape the company group’s Explainable Conversational AI and Responsible Generative AI strategy. She regularly contributes to METHOD and HITACHI Design projects and initiatives and recently contributed to the HITACHI official response to the US Dept of Commerce NTIA proposal on Accountability in AI as a new member of the HITACHI AI Policy Working Group.

Maria holds a Post-Doc in Voice AI & Conversational AI, a PhD in Machine Learning (Neural Networks) for Text Summarisation, an MSc in Machine Translation & a B.A. Hons in Linguistics & English.