Marianna Capasso is a researcher specialising in the ethics and philosophy of AI. Her research expertise lies at the intersection of ethics of technology and political philosophy, with a particular focus on democracy, discrimination, and human freedom and responsibility in AI. On these topics, Marianna has published extensively in leading journals such as Big Data and Society; Philosophy & Technology; Minds and Machines; AI & Society; among others. In recognition of her contributions to the field, Marianna was recently named a Rising Star in AI Ethics for 2025 by Women in AI Ethics.
Her academic background includes postdoctoral positions at Utrecht University (UU), Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. At UU, Marianna contributed to the Inclusive AI Lab as lead of the Cross-cultural AI Ethics cluster and to the intercultural digital ethics team of the Horizon Europe FINDHR (Fairness and Intersectional Non-Discrimination in Human Recommendation) (project previously based at EUR). At Sant'Anna, she contributed to the Horizon 2020 TERRINet (The European Robotics Research Infrastructure Network). These academic roles highlight her ability to bridge her philosophy of technology expertise with applied, policy-relevant research, engaging diverse partners across academia, industry, and civil society.
Marianna obtained her PhD cum laude in Human Rights and Global Politics at Sant'Anna, with a philosophy dissertation on the social dimensions of freedom and control in AI. During her PhD, she spent a period as a visiting researcher at the section Ethics/Philosophy of Technology of TU Delft. She holds a MA in Philosophy from the University of Pisa and a Honours Diploma in Philosophy from the Scuola Normale Superiore.
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