Podcast Summary: "A brasileira que viraliza traduzindo o caos da IA: 'As pessoas estão perdidas'"

Podcast: BBC Lê — BBC Brasil
Episode Date: February 26, 2026
Topic: The rise of Catarina Doria, her viral work on AI literacy, and the urgent need to demystify artificial intelligence for the general public.

Episode Overview

This episode features a profile and interview with Catarina Doria, a Brazilian AI literacy specialist who has gained prominence on social media for her approachable, educational content on the risks, ethics, and realities of artificial intelligence. The discussion explores how widespread confusion and misinformation about AI transcends age and geography, and highlights Doria's mission to bridge the knowledge gap for ordinary people who feel left behind by the pace of technological change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Urgency of AI Literacy

• AI in Everyday Life: The host draws attention to how AI-generated images, deepfakes, and AI-related trends—once considered science fiction—are now everyday realities, raising fresh concerns about digital safety and misinformation.
• Viral Success: Catarina Doria is celebrated for creating accessible content about AI risks, amassing over 300,000 Instagram followers in less than a year ([01:27]).

2. Catarina Doria’s Path to AI Advocacy

• Personal Motivation: Doria recounts how her encounter with the book "Algorithms of Oppression" by Safia Noble reshaped her academic and professional trajectory:

  "Eu li aquele livro e quando eu terminei eu falei, é isso, eu vou mudar de carreira, eu quero trabalhar com inteligência artificial..." ([04:28])

• Hands-on Experience: After excelling in her studies, Doria chose to focus on the governance and fairness of algorithms, landing a job at an American AI governance company.
• Key Insight: She identified a significant disconnect between industry/academic discussions on AI and the everyday experience of ordinary people—even her own mother ([04:28]).

3. Making AI Understandable for All

• Content Approach: Doria positions herself as a friendly guide rather than a distant expert:

  "Eu tento ser o mais pé no chão possível, o mais sorridente possível... As pessoas precisam de um amigo que ajude a entender esse tema." ([08:11])

• Practical Warnings: Her content includes real-life examples, like privacy risks with robot vacuum cleaners:

  "Nunca confie no seu aspirador robô... você não quer ser a pessoa cuja foto no banheiro vaza." ([03:36])

• Topic Selection: Focused on "AI Safety" and current events, Doria also weighs in on pop culture controversies involving AI, such as deepfakes of Taylor Swift and the AI use of late celebrities like Robin Williams ([08:11]).

4. Who is Most Vulnerable?

• Everyone is Confused: Doria pushes back against the notion that only certain demographic groups (like the elderly or children) are at risk:

  "Está todo mundo perdido. Dizer que existe um único grupo demográfico mais perdido seria errado..." ([10:23])

• Global Reach: Her content, produced in both English and Portuguese, attracts a diverse, international audience ([10:23]).

5. Why is the Public So Lost?

• Too Fast, Too Opaque: She identifies two key problems: the rapid adoption of AI without proper education, and a lack of transparency from tech companies:

  "A adoção aconteceu de maneira muito rápida e sem o letramento. [...] Ninguém sentou com os usuários para explicar como esse algoritmo funciona." ([12:03])

• Transparency Gap: Doria points to the reluctance of companies to be open about how data is used, fueling further confusion and mistrust ([12:03–14:51]).

6. Whose Responsibility is AI Education?

• Collective Duty, Legal Imperative:

  "Cabe a todo mundo. Todo mundo é responsável, mas sabemos a realidade... mesmo com lei já é difícil, sem lei eu considero impossível que grandes corporações adotem por vontade própria uma versão mais transparente..." ([14:58])

• Key Point: She stresses the importance of robust regulation (e.g., EU AI Act) to enforce transparency and accountability.

7. Bridging the Fear-Knowledge Gap

• Turning Alarmism Into Empowerment:

  "Eu considero muito importante transformar medo em conhecimento. [...] Eu explico quais são os problemas e por que devem se preocupar e sempre tento terminar com o que a pessoa pode fazer para se empoderar..." ([16:22])

• Memorable Rhetorical Question:

  "Sou eu que tô assustando ou é a situação atual que é assustadora?" ([16:22])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why her work is needed:

  "As pessoas começaram a usar [inteligência artificial] de maneira errada, vários probleminhas apareceram e as conversas começaram a surgir. Hoje nós temos um algoritmo que define o que você vai ver ou não." – Catarina Doria ([12:03])

• On the collective nature of the problem:

  "Está todo mundo perdido, independentemente da nacionalidade e da idade. Eu acho que é por isso que o meu conteúdo funciona." – Catarina Doria ([10:23])

• On the need for regulation:

  "Mesmo com lei já é difícil, sem lei eu considero impossível que grandes corporações adotem por vontade própria uma versão mais transparente, correta da inteligência artificial." – Catarina Doria ([14:58])

Important Timestamps

• [01:27] – Introduction to Catarina Doria and overview of her viral reach
• [04:28] – Doria describes her journey into AI after reading "Algorithms of Oppression"
• [07:52] – Doria transitions to full-time content creation
• [08:11] – How she chooses themes for her educational videos
• [10:23] – Discussion on universal vulnerability to AI risks
• [12:03] – The rapid, confusing rollout of AI in society
• [14:58] – Accountability in AI education: companies, state, communicators
• [16:22] – Avoiding alarmism, empowering users with knowledge

Takeaways

• AI confusion is universal: Lack of education and transparency around AI impacts all demographics.
• Empathy & clarity are key: Doria’s approachable delivery helps people develop healthy skepticism and practical digital defenses.
• Structural change is necessary: Legal measures, not just goodwill, are necessary to ensure transparency and user protection.
• Fear can be transformed: Effective communication about AI must balance alerting the public to risks with providing clear, actionable steps to empower them.

This episode is a compelling portrait of how ordinary users can become informed digital citizens in a fast-changing technological world—if given the right tools and voices to guide them.