PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Marina Jirotka

Marina Jirotka is an Oxford professor whose research connects social science with human-centred AI and responsible technology. She studied psychology and social anthropology at Goldsmiths, moved into computing and artificial intelligence, then joined Oxford for research on requirements engineering. Her work includes the ethical black box for robot investigations and the RoboTIPS project on responsible robotics. As of October 2026, she directs Oxford’s Responsible Technology Institute and coauthors research on how people use large language models in design and development.

Badges

Timeline

  1. 1985–1987

    Psychology, computing and AI

    She earns a BSc in psychology and social anthropology at Goldsmiths in 1985, then a master’s in Computing and Artificial Intelligence at the University of South Bank in 1987. In 1987, she joins the University of Surrey as a research fellow in its Social and Computer Sciences Research Group.

  2. 1991–2000

    A doctorate in requirements capture

    In 1991, she joins Oxford’s Department of Computer Science as a senior researcher. She completes a computer-science doctorate on contextual approaches to requirements capture at Oxford in 2000.

  3. 2003

    Research on e-Health systems

    From 2003, she focuses on e-Research applications, especially e-Health, and works as a requirements engineer on Oxford’s eDiaMoND e-Science project.

  4. 2004–2014

    Oxford research appointments

    She becomes a Governing Body Fellow of St Cross College in 2004 and an Associate Director of the Oxford e-Research Centre in 2006. In 2009, she becomes Deputy Director of ESRC’s National Strategic Directorate of the eSocial Science Programme; in 2014, Oxford promotes her to professor of Human Centred Computing.

  5. 2017

    An ethical black box for robots

    In 2017, she and Alan Winfield publish The Case for an Ethical Black Box, proposing a flight-recorder-style system that logs robot sensor and internal-status data to help investigate accidents and establish accountability.

  6. 2019–2024

    The RoboTIPS ethical black box

    RoboTIPS, an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship awarded to Jirotka, runs from March 2019 to February 2024. The project designs and trials an Ethical Black Box that records social robots’ actions in real time and context to help explain incidents.

  7. June 2025

    A UK AI Act panel

    In June 2025, she and RTI colleague Keri Grieman join a panel on whether the UK needs an AI Act. They call for clear AI governance to guide industry, protect public trust and prevent harm.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and institute director

    As of October 2026, she is Professor of Human Centred Computing in Oxford’s Department of Computer Science and Director of its Responsible Technology Institute. The institute combines social and computer science approaches to technology design. In 2026, she coauthors a CHI paper about how designers and developers position LLMs as tools or teammates.

Career

  1. Since 1991University of OxfordSenior Researcher, Governing Body Fellow
  2. From 2009UK Research and InnovationDeputy Director
  3. From 1987University of SurreyResearch Fellow

Education

  1. 1987University of South BankMaster's in Computing and Artificial Intelligence
  2. 1985Goldsmiths University of LondonBSc in psychology and social anthropology

From the biography.

  1. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Oxford. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  2. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Oxford. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  3. Companies supply the most prior-work hires at 7 of the 9 frontier AI labsIncludes University of Oxford. Our estimates of the organizations where 550 people worked directly before joining 9 frontier AI labs across 620 career transitions, comparing the main feeder organizations per lab.
  4. 84% of people shaping AI with recorded undergraduate and doctoral schools changed institutions for their doctorateIncludes University of Oxford. 84% of people shaping AI with recorded undergraduate and doctoral schools changed institutions for their doctorate. Across 2,116 people with both an undergraduate degree and a doctorate recorded, we trace which undergraduate schools feed which doctoral programs, how often students stay at the same school, and how paths differ by birth-country region.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Marina Jirotka yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Marina Jirotka - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Professor Marina Jirotka | St Cross College stx.ox.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Give robots an 'ethical black box' to track and explain decisions, say scientists | The Guardian theguardian.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. RoboTIPS - Project Information robotips.co.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. RoboTIPS (Responsible Robots for the Digital Economy) rti.ox.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. AI Governance – Does the UK Need an AI Act? rti.ox.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. People - Responsible Technology Institute rti.ox.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. To LLM, or Not to LLM: How Designers and Developers Navigate LLMs as Tools or Teammates arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.