Maria Luciana Axente

Making the invisible visible. AI adviser to NATO, UNICEF and Cambridge. Founder, Responsible Intelligence.

United Kingdom

About

I founded Responsible Intelligence to help AI companies, investors, and enterprises turn Responsible AI into growth, not red tape. My work today is centred on advisory - supporting AI builders to prove they are enterprise-ready, helping investors protect and grow their portfolios, and guiding leaders who need to bring trust into their systems without losing momentum. Alongside this, I am shaping the roadmap for a platform that will set Responsible AI as the new standard for growth. The advisory work funds it, informs it, and keeps me close to the real challenges companies face. Every engagement, every blind spot uncovered, every conversation with leaders becomes part of the foundation for what I’m building. I’ve spent years at the frontlines of this field leading Responsible AI at PwC, advising NATO, UNICEF, and governments, and working with global enterprises navigating AI risk. The same truth emerged everywhere: when Responsible AI is treated as paperwork, companies stall, but when it is embraced as strategy aligned with organisational goals and vision, they scale and grow. Sustainably Responsible Intelligence is how I act on that truth. It delivers impact for clients today, while quietly building the platform that will carry this vision forward in the years to come.

Experience

  • Founder and CEO at Responsible Intelligence
    Jun 2025 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

    Responsible Intelligence helps leaders make the invisible visible in AI. We advise organisations adopting AI, and the companies building or backing it. For boards, executives, and AI implementers, we help turn AI pressure into governed action by revealing the risks, accountability gaps, procurement issues, and strategic decisions that determine whether adoption can scale. For AI founders, entrepreneurs, and investors, we help turn AI capability into enterprise trust by identifying the governance gaps, buyer concerns, and procurement blockers that stop promising products moving beyond pilots.Our work blends strategy, governance, and execution to help clients build AI decisions, products, and systems that earn trust, withstand scrutiny, and create durable value.

  • AI strategic advisor at IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

  • Intellectual Forum Senior Research Associate at University of Cambridge
    Feb 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 6 mos

    Cutting through AI hype to shape real-world strategy and policy. Co-editing Human-Centred AI and driving conversations on responsible AI, governance, and sustainable growth — where business, tech, and ethics collide.

  • Member of Advisory Group on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs) at NATO
    Oct 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 10 mos

    At NATO, I’ve been at the table where the future of defence tech gets decided—helping shape how Responsible AI, quantum, and biotech can strengthen security without sacrificing ethics. From drafting NATO’s Responsible AI Framework to advising on dual-use innovation risks, I’ve worked to embed governance and strategic foresight into military AI adoption. I’ve also lent my voice to NATO DIANA and the Innovation Fund, ensuring billions in emerging tech investments fuel sustainable growth and resilience, not just new weapons. My mission: help NATO turn disruptive technologies into a strategic edge that’s both powerful and principled.

  • Advisory Board Member at UK Open Multimodal AI Network (UKOMAIN)
    Feb 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos