
021 Is Barcelona's AI boom good for Barcelona? - with Stephany Oliveros
Barcelona was third in the world for foreign investment in AI last year, and the question of this episode is whether the city itself gets anything from it. In the first live taping of the Artificial Intelligence series, recorded at One Parc Central, Daria Gavrilova talks with Stephany Oliveros, founder of Lyra AI and one of Forbes España's 30 Under 30. Stephany arrived in Spain ten years ago with 100 euros, worked as a waiter and a street fundraiser, and now researches what AI does to behaviour and society. She explains why she wants to stop the way AI is being developed rather than AI itself, and why the unpaid work of migrant women led her to build Lyra AI. The conversation ends with the three books she thinks everyone should read about AI.0:00 Welcome to HCD Barcelona: four forces of change0:53 Meet Stephany Oliveros, founder of Lyra AI1:17 What does "doing AI" actually mean?2:38 Daria's work: AI adoption through a journalist's method3:16 Why chatbots are not AI4:21 Stephany's most controversial opinion on AI5:09 Forbes 30 Under 30 and the phone call she almost ignored7:20 Barcelona's nine names, and the only one born abroad9:32 100 euros, a broken leg and the odd jobs12:20 Doing automations before the AI boom12:54 A city that is now 36% foreign-born14:05 Why Barcelona is third in the world for AI investment16:08 Who does the AI boom benefit: the city or the people in it?18:44 AI startups working on city problems20:30 Why the way AI is being built should stop23:33 Barcelona in 2031: what gets better, what gets worse26:10 Decentralising power beyond Barcelona27:49 Lyra AI and the invisible economy of women's work30:44 Women were 26% of AI hires. Are they less interested?34:13 Is AI a door into tech for women?36:03 Three books to read about AI37:46 Thanks, credits and the look39:02 ClosingBooks Stephany recommendsEmpire of AI – Karen HaoTechnofeudalism – Yanis VaroufakisWhy Nations Fail – Daron Acemoglu and James A. RobinsonData Feminism – Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. KleinRecorded live at One Parc Central, Barcelona, 17 September 2026. Styling: Ekaterina Shaposhnikova. Photography: Vera Baranova.Video: La Fábrica Podcast (Gràcia)🔹 https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephany-oliveros-9311a615a/ - Stephany Oliveros on LinkedIn🔹 https://www.justlyra.com/ - Lyra AI🔹 https://forbes.es/forbestravel/967140/listas-forbes-espana-barcelona-lidera-el-talento-joven-de-la-lista-30-under-30/ - Forbes España 30 Under 30: Barcelona leads🔹 https://www.barcelona.cat/promocioeconomica/en/news/news/barcelona-ranks-third-worldwide-in-attracting-foreign-investment-in-ai-1552794 - Barcelona ranks third in the world for foreign investment in AI🔹 https://oneparccentral.com/en/ - One Parc Central🔹 https://www.instagram.com/lafabricapdc/ - La Fàbrica Podcast🔹 https://share.google/q9P2LzwWrhhsNN543 - La Fàbrica PodcastHCD BARCELONA:🔹 Follow HCD Barcelona on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hcdbarcelona/🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hcdbarcelona🔹 Substack: https://ladaria.substack.com/🔹 Website: https://podcast.dariagavrilova.info/🔹 Daria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgavrilova/





