Aura Cifuentes's open data journey began in France with Etalab, the French Prime Minister's task force for open data.
Returning to Colombia, Aura worked on transparency initiatives and later became the Director of Digital Government, overseeing Colombia's national open data portal.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Colombia became the first country in Latin America to publish individual-level data on COVID cases, fostering innovation and transparency.
Aura aims to provide a regional perspective on open data discussions and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and trust in data reuse.
She advocates for open data as a foundational layer of digital public infrastructure, essential for public understanding and questioning of systems.
Aura envisions a future where open data is integrated into all facets of governance, empowering citizens and enhancing transparency.
In this future, AI complements human decision-making by leveraging open, accountable, and well-governed data systems.
Aura highlights the importance of responsible AI development and governance in conjunction with open data practices.
She admires initiatives like Chequeado in Argentina, showcasing how public data can be utilized for fact-checking and accountability through data journalism.
If Aura were to create a movie or book centered on open data and AI, she playfully suggests the title 'CSV Me: A Love Letter to Data'.