Ismael - Kairoi

Ismael Kherroubi Garcia, FRSA

Ismael is the Founder and CEO of Kairoi. He is also the Founder and a Co-lead of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Network (RAIN), Associate Director of We and AI, and Participant Panel and Ethics Advisory Committee member at Genomics England. He has worked across fintech, museums, theatre and academia; in sales, human resources and research. His career in responsible AI allows him to draw on his rich experience and diverse interests.

Ismael holds a bachelor’s in Business Management and Administration, and a master’s in Philosophy of the Social Sciences. His philosophical studies sought to uncover the conditions that enable multidisciplinarity in scientific projects. A key tenet of his work is to advocate for an epistemic humility that encourages us to bring in voices from different backgrounds where we find gaps in our own knowledge.

Ismael’s work in responsible AI has enabled him to engage with and develop AI frameworks and practices across sectors, from charities and universities, to standards development organisations and government bodies. Underpinning all his work is Kairoi’s AI Ethics Canvas and the Four Pillars of Responsible AI for organisational practices: better communications, relevant technical standards, meaningful public engagement and robust governance.

Ismael Kherroubi Garcia, FRSA

Positionality Statement

Key to how we grow as a society is celebrating diverse forms of knowing. As a light-skinned male, I have enjoyed many privileges that have enabled me to access spaces and people far beyond my own socioeconomic background. As an individual of mixed race, I have learned of different worldviews from my own family. And my experience living in different countries and working with different communities of practice enables me to ground my actions in empathy and humility: we can always learn new things from the people we meet. These are some of the experiences and traits I bring to the table when reflecting and acting on AI, a field I have worked in for the better part of my professional career.

Publications

Peer Reviewed

Zelenka, N. et al. (2025) ‘Data Hazards: An open-source vocabulary of ethical hazards for data-intensive projects’, Journal of Responsible Technology, 21, p. 100110. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100110.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. et al. (2025) ‘Ten simple rules for good model-sharing practices’, PLOS Computational Biology. Edited by R. Schwartz, 21(1), p. e1012702. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012702.

Bennett, A. et al. (2023) ‘A Manifesto for Rewarding and Recognizing Team Infrastructure Roles’, Journal of Trial and Error, 4(1), pp. 60–72. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36850/mr8.

Hastings Ward, J. et al. (2022) Research participants: critical friends, agents for change. European Journal of Human Genetics, 30, pp. 1309–1313. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41431-022-01199-3

Blogs

Substack: https://ismaelkherroubigarcia.substack.com

Kairoi’s Blog: https://kairoi.co/blog

Medium: https://medium.com/@ismaelkg

Some highlights from Medium:

Rare Disease & Me
Non-technical Intro to Digital Twins in Towards Data Science
Data Science, Meaning and Diversity in Towards Data Science
A Metadata Story in Analyst’s Corner

Writings in other blogs:

We must act on AI literacy to protect public power, co-authored with Tania Duarte; Joseph Rowntree Foundation
An AI-first Economy may be Unsustainable and Undemocratic; We and AI
Challenging Power in Data Science; The Alan Turing Institute Blog

Preprints

Leslie, D. et al. (2023) AI Fairness and Sustainability in Practice, The Alan Turing Institute. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=6518117.

NASA TOPS Open Science 101 Curriculum Development Team et al. (2023) NASA TOPS Open Science 101, Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.10161526.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2022) On the Ontology of Multidisciplinary Epistemic Groups, MSc thesis, Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.7323712.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2021) An Incomplete History of Research Ethics, Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.5731453.

Community, T.T.W. (2021) ‘The Turing Way: A handbook for reproducible, ethical and collaborative research’. Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.6533831.

Event Recordings

RAIN & Graphic Artists Guild (2025) Generative AI & image creators: the future of artists’ rights. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/@RAINRSA [Accessed 29 May 2025]
RAIN (2024) Might AI change how we perceive nature? Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KF0zpmSgw_wOJcJqpeQE-ES1tv6jQcG/view?usp=share_link [Accessed 29 May 2025]
RAIN (2024) Is AI as intelligent as us? Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1knWeXV6ohFXgY2ZTnYA-VY6R4obDUh19/view?usp=share_link [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Presentations

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2024) Automating Safety, Industrialising Ethics; A critical lens on AI ethics solutions for research integrity, FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute (FSCI2024), Zenodo. Available at https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.12788335.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2023) Introducing Kairoi’s AI Ethics Canvas at the RSA, Kairoi. Available at: https://kairoi.co/blog/introducing-kairois-ai-ethics-canvas-at-the-rsa/ [Accessed 14 May 2025]

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2022) CW22 Lightning Talk: Learning from An Incomplete History of Research Ethics, Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.6384393.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2022) An Incomplete History of Research Ethics: Fostering a Responsible Research Ecosystem through Historical Narratives, LSE Knowledge Beyond Boundaries, Zenodo. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.6616736.

Kherroubi Garcia, I. et al. (2021) ‘Hacking’s Human Kinds and the Ethics of Participatory Science’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.4603091.

Reports

Guler et al. (2024) Grassroots and non-profit perspectives on generative AI, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Available at: https://www.jrf.org.uk/ai-for-public-good/grassroots-and-non-profit-perspectives-on-generative-ai [Accessed 14 May 2025]

Pimentel, J. & Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2024) International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) AI Framework for Advancing Healthy Built Environments, IWBI. Available at: https://resources.wellcertified.com/tools/international-well-building-institute-s-iwbi-ai-framework-for-advancing-healthy-built-environments/ [Accessed 14 May 2025]

Paterman, M. et al. (2022) ‘Looking before we leap: Expanding ethical review processes for AI and data science research’, Ada Lovelace Institute. Available at: https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/looking-before-we-leap/ [Accessed 14 May 2025]

Responses to Consultations

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2025) RE: Input for the terms of reference and modalities for the establishment and functioning of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Kairoi on Github. Available at: https://github.com/KairoiAI/Resources/blob/main/Static/20250221_Response.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2025) RE: Consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence, Kairoi on Github. Available at: https://github.com/KairoiAI/Resources/blob/main/Static/20250120_Response.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2024) RE: AI skills for business framework feedback, Kairoi on Github. Available at: https://github.com/KairoiAI/Resources/blob/main/Static/20240104_response.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2023) RE: Large language models inquiry, Kairoi on Github. Available at: https://github.com/KairoiAI/Resources/blob/main/Static/20230905_Response.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Kherroubi Garcia, I. (2023) RE: Consultation on policy proposals for UK’s pro-innovation approach to AI regulation, Kairoi on Github. Available at: https://github.com/KairoiAI/Resources/blob/main/Static/20230621_Response.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2025]

Social Media Links

In the Media

20th April 2025

This podcast episode highlights the challenges of data quality in AI, the risks of deploying AI without proper consideration, and the societal pressures surrounding hashtag AI Adoption. The conversation emphasises the role of organisations in shaping responsible AI practices and the need for critical thinking in the face of AI Hype.

29th December 2024

What do legislators need to know about AI? Do lawmakers need to understand the complex inner workings of AI models? Or is the key to know how individuals and organisations make decisions about AI? Discover some of the answers on this podcast episode.

10th September 2024

In this podcast episode, Norman Valdez and Ismael Kherroubi Garcia discuss AI ethics and responsible AI practices. They explore the importance of ethics and responsibility in AI development and the need for clear processes. They also touch on the challenges of power dynamics in AI governance, and the role of civil society in shaping AI policy.

31st January 2024

On this episode of the G Word, Francisco Azuaje and Ismael Kherroubi Garcia —hosted by Dr. Natalie Banner— delve into the promising advances that artificial intelligence (AI) brings to the world of genomics, exploring its potential to revolutionise patient care.

9th November 2023

In an interview for the BMJ, Ismael analyses the demise of Babylon in the UK as a result of the hype that surrounds AI, and an indicator of the need for greater AI literacy among decision-makers in the NHS.

14th July 2023

In this post, Andy Gordon from Torchbox speaks with Ismael Kherroubi García about how nonprofits can build and nurture a responsible culture of AI Innovation.

21st May 2023

What does responsible AI look like? The EAIDB lists organisations in the ethical AI startup ecosystem and provides in-depth analyses of the booming business area. As a recognised Governance, Risk and Compliance consultancy, we have provided analysis about the future of responsible AI solutions.

14th July 2023

In this post, Andy Gordon from Torchbox speaks with Ismael Kherroubi García about how nonprofits can build and nurture a responsible culture of AI Innovation.