Making human behaviour central to responsible AI
AI risks and opportunities often emerge through human interaction, yet these are frequently overlooked by purely technical or compliance-led approaches.
HCRAI brings together behavioural and social sciences, human-computer interaction, and AI governance to help organisations understand how AI affects people, evaluate its effects and make informed and compliant decisions about its use.
The people behind HCRAI
Sara Portell
Sara is an applied behavioural scientist specialising in AI governance, ethics and human-centred AI. She has over 17 years of experience working across behavioural research, product, innovation, UX and AI in global technology organisations, including Shopify, Expedia, F-Secure, Unit4, and start-ups in Health, Mental Health, Wellbeing, Longevity, Education, Gaming, Travel, Research and HRTech.
Her work combines academic rigour with real-world practice. She holds an MSc in Strategy and Management of International Business (ESSEC), an MSc in Behavioural Science (LSE), and is completing doctoral research in Psychology at Universidade Católica Portuguesa where her research explores the intersection of AI, human behaviour and wellbeing.
Sara is an Oxford-certified AI ethicist and an ISO/IEC 42001 AI Management Systems auditor. She's also a Co-Founder at the AI Ethics Consortium (AIEC). Through HCRAI, she supports organisations in understanding how people interact with AI systems in real-world settings, and supports the design and governance of AI that is safe, trustworthy and human-centred.
Yasmina El-Fassi
Yasmina is a PhD researcher in the Psychology of Emotions and Wellbeing at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, with a research focus on the psychological impact of empathic AI and human-AI interaction.
She holds a master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, bringing together expertise in data analysis, psychology, and user experience. Her research contributes to understanding how AI systems shape emotional experience, trust, and wellbeing in real-world use.
Alongside her academic work, Yasmina works as a consultant at a leading AI company focused on customer experience, contributing to the development of intelligent systems that support organisational insight and decision-making. She collaborates with HCRAI on selected research and advisory projects.