PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Estela Aranha

Estela Aranha is a lawyer whose public work spans digital rights, data protection, and AI governance. She earned a law degree from the University of São Paulo in 1999, worked in government affairs at CSN from 2011 to 2020, and led OABRJ's data-protection commission. In 2022, she served on the Senate's AI regulation commission; in 2023, she became Secretary of Digital Rights and joined the UN Secretary-General's AI advisory body, which was tasked with recommendations on international AI governance. In October 2024, she was appointed a special adviser to President Lula; since August 2025, she is a minister of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court. In October 2026, she voted in a ruling over AI image prompts and Meta's treatment of presidential-candidate posts.

Timeline

  1. 1999

    Law degree at USP

    In 1999, she earns a law degree from the University of São Paulo's Faculty of Law. Her legal work spans digital law, data protection, artificial intelligence, and platform regulation.

  2. 2011–2020

    Government affairs at CSN

    From 2011 to 2020, she works in government affairs at the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN).

  3. 2019–2024

    Data protection at OABRJ

    In 2019, she chairs OABRJ's Data Protection and Privacy Commission. In 2022, she presides over the commission's 2022–2024 term.

  4. 2022

    AI regulation at the Senate

    In June 2022, she is a member of the Senate's commission of jurists, which prepares a draft proposal on artificial intelligence regulation in Brazil.

  5. 2023

    Secretary of Digital Rights

    In 2023, she becomes Secretary of Digital Rights at Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

  6. 2023–2024

    UN AI advisory body

    In 2023, she joins the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Body on AI. The body sets a 2024 deadline for final recommendations on international AI governance.

  7. October 2024

    Special adviser to President Lula

    In October 2024, she becomes a special adviser to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

  8. Since August 2025

    Minister of the Superior Electoral Court

    She takes office as a minister of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court in August 2025. In October 2026, she votes to uphold an order barring Meta from reducing distribution of presidential-candidate posts after a complaint that AI image prompts excluded Lula.

  1. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI from 1961 to 2025, with a year-by-year chart.
  2. The United States employs an estimated 53% of people in our data with a known employment countryOur estimates of where AI careers are concentrated now and how countries’ shares of dated positions changed over time.
  3. 46% of living people in our data with known birth and employment countries work outside their birth countryOur estimate of cross-border careers in AI, from country of birth and the country of each current organization.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionOur estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.

Sources and credits

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  1. Quem é ministra do TSE que barrou púlpito de Lula em debate | SBT News sbtnews.sbt.com.br. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. Posse de comissão traz palestras e debate sobre regulamentação do uso de dados pessoais | OABRJ oabrj.org.br. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. Comissão de Proteção de Dados e Privacidade toma posse na OABRJ oabrj.org.br. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. 7ª Reunião, Ordinária - CJSUBIA - Atividade Legislativa - Senado Federal legis.senado.leg.br. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. UN Secretary-General launches AI Advisory Body on risks, opportunities, and international governance of artificial intelligence | United Nations in India india.un.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Demitida por Lewandowski, advogada assume posto no Palácio do Planalto | CNN Brasil cnnbrasil.com.br. Checked 19 October 2026.
  7. TSE decide manter ordem para Meta garantir isonomia a candidatos | Agência Brasil agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br. Checked 19 October 2026.