The researcher from the Research Center in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC), part of the CIGUS Network, and professor at the Universidade da Coruña, María Amparo Alonso Betanzos, has been awarded the José García Santesmases National Computer Science Award. The ceremony marked the tenth edition of the Research Awards from the Spanish Scientific Informatics Society (SCIE) and the BBVA Foundation.
During her speech, Alonso, who works on developing "frugal artificial intelligence" models—capable of achieving high performance levels with fewer computational resources and thus a lower environmental impact—emphasized the ethical orientation that should guide the sustainable development of this technology. "We need powerful and innovative AI, but not at any cost. Explainable when we need it, responsible by design, and above all, a technology that we can understand, adapt, and control," she stated.
“"The future of AI should be determined not only by what technology can do, but also by what we decide it should do."
The jury highlighted her pioneering contributions to the development of scalable, explainable, and sustainable artificial intelligence, recognizing her research and teaching career and her role in promoting the discipline. The ceremony celebrated the social value of computer science as a tool for empowerment within an ethical framework.
In this edition, José Hernández-Orallo (Aritmel Award), Javier García Zubía (Ramón Llull Award), and the company INSITU, a spin-off from the Universidade de Vigo (Ángela Ruiz Robles Award), also received accolades. Additionally, works by young researchers in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality were recognized.
