Tell us a little about yourself. What does your job at Telefónica involve?
I work at Telefónica Innovación Digital as Head of Software in a team of about 50 people dedicated to the development of solutions based on Artificial Intelligence.
It is a multidisciplinary team, in charge of creating a platform so that multiple teams in the company can develop AI-based experiences, as well as the creation of core experiences and capabilities, ranging from data generation and processing, model training and design, to their deployment and maintenance in production.
My career at Telefónica began as an intern on work experience programmes. I started as a developer on cybersecurity projects within Eleven Paths, where I participated in initiatives such as Faast and Metashield.
Later on, I had the opportunity to lead the Data Science and models part of Aura, a particularly exciting project. Along the way, I have moved through different roles to reach my current one, and one of the things I am most proud of is the team we have built: diverse, competent and exceptionally talented.
How do you see the evolution of AI in recent years?
The emergence of Deep Learning represented a paradigm shift, and the arrival of generative models has once again revolutionised the landscape. The ability of these models to generalise and adapt to multiple tasks has opened doors that were previously unthinkable.
In recent years, we have seen a change in focus: from the development of new models — something increasingly concentrated in large technology companies due to the computational cost — to the use of these models by companies and end users.
At the same time, we are in a moment of transition in terms of public perception. On the one hand, people are beginning to see real value in the daily use of AI; on the other, there is still a certain fear of potential misuse and unwanted consequences. It is a delicate balance that will define much of what is to come.
Where do you think it will continue to advance?
On a technical level, I believe multimodality will shape the immediate future of AI. Although natural language currently has a clear advantage over audio or artificial vision, we will see great advances in systems that combine multiple sources of information to offer more contextual and powerful responses.
On the other hand, applications based on general AI will become increasingly relevant, especially in sectors such as services, transport or security, where automation can have a major operational impact. On the other hand, in environments such as medicine, where data is more sensitive and scarce, advances may proceed at a different pace. In any case, the development of clear regulatory frameworks, as well as the ethical and transparent management of data, will be essential.
How can the evolution of artificial intelligence change people’s daily lives?
Until recently, interaction with AI systems was so costly and limited that it did not make sense to use them for everyday tasks. But that is changing. Today it is already possible to use AI to generate documents, automate code or summarise information, and soon we will see its more direct integration in areas such as personal financial management, shopping, travel planning or entertainment.
At Telefónica, through initiatives such as Aura, we are working to bring this technology closer to our customers, facilitating more natural, efficient and personalised interactions, such as searching for content by voice or resolving queries in our customer services, as well as to employees, so that they can interact with data using natural language or resolve incidents more quickly.
The way we work has also changed: for example, our researchers can now spend more time developing and less time documenting, thanks to AI-based support tools. The impact on productivity is clear, and we’re only just getting started.
On a different note, why do you think it’s important to promote the presence of women in STEM careers?
I have always been a strong advocate of pluralism, but not from the perspective of ‘pluralism for the sake of it’, but because I sincerely believe that diverse teams make better decisions.
Just as we value technical, communication and problem-solving skills, we should also value the different perspectives that people bring with them, whether due to gender, nationality or life experience.
An inclusive approach not only enriches the creative process, but also helps to design solutions that encompass a more diverse and realistic user base.
How can the trend of women being in the minority in these types of university degrees be reversed?
I think the most important thing is to guarantee freedom of choice. I don’t think it’s so much about changing figures as about eliminating stereotypes that can stop someone from following their vocation. There should be nothing to stop a woman from studying a technology degree if that’s what she wants, or a man from going into the healthcare sector if that’s his vocation.
In my experience, I have had the opportunity to participate in events such as Quiero ser ingeniera de la UAM (I want to be an engineer at the UAM) or internal initiatives such as Mujeres Hacker (Women Hackers), where I have been able to share this vision with other young girls. I like to tell them that the challenges in STEM projects are fantastic, and that the most important thing is to follow what you are really passionate about.
How important is it to have female role models in the fields of science or technology to change this dynamic?
It’s key. I don’t consider myself a role model, but I feel very proud to lead a team with a percentage of women well above the sector average. What’s more, many of these women are now team leaders and managers, and they have demonstrated their abilities without the need for quotas or special measures. Seeing that recognised by their colleagues, men and women alike, is what I feel most proud of.
I think that showing that natural and effective female leadership is possible is what really inspires. The so-called ‘glass ceiling’ is sometimes no longer a real barrier, but a mental one, and showing concrete cases of women who have grown professionally in technical environments helps to break it down.
Furthermore, I would love to think that my role has influenced more women to join my team. Representation matters, a lot.
Who do you nominate from among the people who work at Telefónica for this interview that you consider excellent in their work?
I would like to nominate Francisco Milagro Lardiés and Irene Gómez Luque because they take teamwork and their projects to another level. They are definitely worth working with.
