Noëlle Cicilia
Noëlle Cicilia is a data scientist, an expert in the field of responsible AI, and the founder of Brush AI. Brush AI is a Dutch company that helps organizations develop and use artificial intelligence in a responsible and ethical way. Their mission is to use AI technology to contribute to a fair and safe data-driven future.
During her studies at TU Eindhoven, Noëlle noticed something she couldn’t ignore. Solution after solution was built using the most complex techniques, but the questions that truly mattered were always asked afterward. Is anyone actually waiting for this? Should we have built this in the first place? She decided things had to change. In 2021, she founded Brush AI, an agency where ethics is not the last item on the agenda, but the first.
AI deployment
Noëlle understands better than anyone how valuable AI is. AI is a very powerful technology. We don’t need to be afraid of it — we mainly need to learn how to apply it and under what conditions. And perhaps even more importantly: what to use it for, and what not to use it for. Not every problem is an AI problem, and not every application that is technically possible is desirable. This conviction is reflected in everything she does.
In her talks, she reveals how organizations, despite the best intentions, still build AI systems that make mistakes, exclude people, or unintentionally cause harm — because ethical questions are systematically asked too late. But she doesn’t stop at analyzing the problem: identifying problems is interesting, solving them is even more so. She shows how to translate abstract principles into concrete software choices, and how to turn an intuitive feeling of “this isn’t right” into a technical requirement that can actually be built and tested. Talking about responsible AI is one thing—implementing it is another.
She has spoken at the National AI Debate, the Dutch Data Protection Authority, DNB, ABN AMRO, and NOS, as well as at the European Parliament. In addition to her role at Brush AI, she is a member of the Personal Data Committee of the Municipality of Amsterdam, an independent body that assesses municipal AI applications at the intersection of law, ethics, and technology. In 2024, she received the Responsible AI Leader Award. In 2025, she was named AI Person of the Year.
Noelle on NOS Stories about ChatGPT: