Known as the 'Abogamer', Micaela stands as an international authority on digital ethics, XR policy, and the intertwining of generative AI with creativity and copyright. With an unique intersection of expertise, she is recognized as a videogame scholar and activist who brings a powerful voice to the frontier of digital realities.
As a TED Fellow, she challenged the world with the question, "How to stop the metaverse from becoming the internet's bad sequel?", in a talk that garnered over 1.5 million views worldwide. A very sought after speaker, on stage Micaela is an inspirational powerhouse. She has spoken across the globe in conferences like GDC, TED, GamesBeat Summit, Ada Lovelace Festival, More Than Just a Game, RightsCon and many more, reaching audiences in over 28 countries.
An influential thought leader shaping AI and metaverse policy at international forums, Micaela currently serves on Chatham House’s AI Taskforce, and as a member of the World Economic Forum’s 'Global Council on the Future of the Metaverse'. Her work and insights echo across global platforms, having been featured in prestigious outlets like The Verge, WIRED, GamesBeat, IGN, DW, Gamernet Japan, and Le Monde.
Result of over 6 years of research, her debut book, "ARTficial: Creativity, Artificial Intelligence, and Copyright" (2022) is a deep dive into the intricate world of AI, art, ethics, and copyright law, which accurately predicted a lot of the current questions and problems posed by the rise of Generative AI.
Her forthcoming book, "Braindancing in the Metaverse : a capitalism of cognitive surveillance" (2024), unpacks the trajectory of the metaverse as an evolution of digital capitalism, -as opposed to the post-scarcity future promised by generative AI and web3 ideals-; connecting the dots between neurotechnology, XR, AI and the role of intellectual property in regulating digital ownership, to paint the picture of a dystopian future that challenges human agency, mental privacy and dignity.
Micaela's unique blend of expertise is frequently sought after by institutions and governments, being the lead drafter of Argentina's National AI Plan's “Ethics and regulation” chapter in 2019. She has also contributed to OpenAI's DALL·E 2 external red teaming process in March 2022, and was consulted by France’s Digital Council and the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center, for their metaverse reports.
Holding a Master's degree in Intellectual Property from the World Intellectual Property Organization and San Andres University, Micaela also teaches AI Governance and Ethics at San Andres' Center for Technology and Society (CETyS). Recognized for her research on algorithmic governance, she was awarded the 2017 Google Policy Fellowship.
A passionate advocate for inclusion, she founded Women In Games Argentina (WIGAr), aiming for a more equitable gaming industry. As a testament to her trailblazing career, she was honored by Women in Games International (WIGJ) as their 2021 “Outstanding Individual Ambassador of the Year”, being also spotlighted as a “Gamechanger” by GameIndustry; and recognized as “Women in games Academy Alumni” by WIPO.
Proving the transformative impact of video games on her journey and her profound connection with 'Mass Effect' , one of the highlights of her career as the Abogamer is being featured by EA Games in their 'Legendary Edition Community Tribute'. The game's exploration of synthetic life and the evocative question 'Does this unit have a soul?', has been the catalyst for her pursuit of AI ethics, guiding her academic and professional trajectory. Aligned with her admiration for the ethos of Star Trek, Micaela advocates for a future where artificial intelligence can lead us towards a post-scarcity society. She underscores the need for diligent governance and ethical practices now to steer our path towards such an equitable future, a message she passionately communicates through her work.
Keeping a finger on the digital pulse, she curates the popular Substack newsletter “This week in the ➡️ #Metaverse”, offering weekly insights into the latest trends and policy developments on the metaverse, AI, neurotech, crypto and gaming.
As an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center, she started and is co-leading the “Video Game and XR Policy Working Group”.
