Berenice Fernandez Nieto holds a BA and an MA in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She also earned an International Master's in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) from the University of Glasgow, Charles University, and the University of Trento. In 2016, she worked as a research fellow at the Center for Security Studies at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. In 2021, she served as a Cyber Policy Analyst at ETH Zurich, and from 2019 to 2022, she was a researcher at Data-Pop Alliance. Since 2022, she has been pursuing a Ph.D. in the National Cybersecurity Program at the IMT School of Advanced Studies Lucca and the University of Bari "A. Moro." Her research interests include digital rights, data governance, and cybersecurity.

Berenice's doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Danilo Caivano, Dr. Azzurra Ragone, and Dr. Tina Reuter, examines the social impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and seeks to design effective strategies for identifying and addressing potential threats. Her project proposes the AI Ethics Incentive Scheme (AIEIS), an innovative framework that bridges the gap between regulatory requirements and proactive ethical behavior in AI development. AIEIS provides AI companies with additional tools and voluntary mechanisms to better understand, address, and mitigate the societal impacts of their models. The proposal also includes the Human Rights Impact Assessment Framework for Generative AI, a post-audit tool that companies can use to design socially responsible models.

During her time at the Institute of Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Berenice aims to refine the AIEIS and gather feedback from diverse stakeholders on its utility and impact. She also plans to enhance the Human Rights Impact Framework to create a more effective tool for companies, guided by IHR's vast and outstanding expertise on human rights. This stay is also an opportunity to bridge the gap between technical experts and social specialists in shaping a future where AI empowers and uplifts humanity.