Richard Benjamins
Co-founder and CEO, OdiseIA; CEO, RAIght.ai; former Chief Responsible AI Officer, Telefónica
From AI research to corporate data leadership
Dr Richard Benjamins began his career in academic AI research, with posts at the Technical University of Madrid, the University of Amsterdam, the University of São Paulo and the University of Paris-South[1]. He has more than 150 scientific publications[1].
In 1999 he co-founded iSOCO, where he was a director and board member, and the company received Spain's National Award for Computer Science[1]. He later worked as Group Chief Data Officer at AXA[1].
At Telefónica he held executive roles in big data and analytics, and he became the company's Chief AI and Data Strategist[1][2]. He also founded Telefónica's AI for Society and Environment area, which covers the ethical use of AI[2]. He served as Chief Responsible AI Officer at Telefónica until March 2024[1]. DataIQ named him one of the 100 most influential people in data-driven business in 2018[1].
OdiseIA and RAIght.ai
Benjamins is co-founder and CEO of OdiseIA, the Spanish observatory for the ethical and social impact of AI[1][3]. OdiseIA's own board page lists him as founder and CEO[3].
In 2025 he represented OdiseIA at UNESCO's Global Forum on the Ethics of AI[4]. El Derecho also reports that UNESCO's Global Observatory on AI Ethics and Governance recognised OdiseIA as a leading organisation in AI ethics[4].
He is also CEO of RAIght.ai, a startup for the responsible use of AI[5]. The AI & Big Data Expo describes him as founder and co-CEO of the company[6]. Fundación Telefónica lists further roles: president of 28Digital, and board member of Flowminder, ACAPS and CDP Europe[5].
Policy and advisory work
In July 2024 EIT Digital appointed Benjamins as Chairperson of its Supervisory Board[1]. At his appointment he said that digital innovation is "about building bridges between education, start-ups, corporates, and public bodies"[1].
He has sat on advisory boards for the Centre for Digital Culture at the Vatican and for MIT Sloan's panel on responsible AI[1]. He is an external expert to the European Parliament's AI Observatory and a member of the World Economic Forum's expert group on AI governance[1].
Benjamins co-founded UNESCO's business council for its recommendation on the ethics of AI[5]. He has also been a member of the GSMA task force on AI for Impact and of the OECD expert group on the OECD AI Index[1].
The AI-Driven Company
In 2026 LID Publishing released The AI-Driven Company: Lessons for organizations to create value from AI and data, an edition updated for generative AI[7]. The first version of the book was published in English, Spanish, Turkish and Chinese[7].
The book covers how to select use cases, measure economic impact, fund and scale AI initiatives, and set up AI Centres of Excellence[7]. It also covers ethics and responsibility[7].
On 3 September 2026 he discussed the book at Espacio Fundación Telefónica in Madrid with Jaime García Cantero of El País Retina[5]. The event page summarises his argument: creating value from AI is a business transformation, not a technology project[5]. He argues that success depends on leadership, governance, use-case selection, measurement and scaling[5]. He also argues that responsible AI must move from principles into practice through risk assessment, governance and regulatory compliance[5].
Benjamins is listed as a speaker at AI & Big Data Expo Global in London on 3 and 4 February 2027[6].
Known for
- Chief Responsible AI Officer at Telefónica until 2024
- Co-founder and CEO of OdiseIA
- Chair of the EIT Digital Supervisory Board
- Author of The AI-Driven Company (2026)
Sources
- EIT: Welcoming Dr Richard Benjamins as Chairperson of EIT Digital's Supervisory Board, 4 July 2024 — checked 8 Nov 2026
- Telefónica: Richard Benjamins author page — checked 8 Nov 2026
- OdiseIA: Quiénes somos (Spanish) — checked 8 Nov 2026
- El Derecho: UNESCO recognises OdiseIA in AI ethics, 2025 (Spanish) — checked 8 Nov 2026
- Espacio Fundación Telefónica: Encuentro con Richard Benjamins, 3 September 2026 (Spanish) — checked 8 Nov 2026
- AI & Big Data Expo Global 2027: speaker profile — checked 8 Nov 2026
- LID Publishing: The AI-Driven Company — checked 8 Nov 2026