Ivan Debono

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT IVAN DEBONO

I am an AI scientist with a background in astrophysics, cosmology, machine learning and data science, currently leading product development at Opus2. My expertise spans NLP, recommender systems, and algorithmic auditing, with a track record of delivering AI-driven solutions across industry, academia, and policy. With experience in large-scale data engineering, statistical modelling, and AI ethics, I have contributed to cutting-edge research on LLMs, AI subversion, and generative models.Key experience highlights- AI & Machine Learning Research: Leading AI research at Ofcom, focusing on LLMs, algorithmic audits, and content moderation. Seconded to The Alan Turing Institute, published research on LLM fine-tuning, cross-domain learning, and text similarity- Natural Language Processing (NLP): Developed systems for text data analysis, including topic modelling, hate speech detection, and confidential data identification. Built synthetic text generation packages using LLMs and Generative Adversarial Networks- Recommender Systems & Predictive Analytics: Led research on recommender systems, implementing collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and deep learning algorithms on an agent-based system- Data Engineering & Software Development: Designed and deployed data pipelines, real-time analytics dashboards, and statistical models to predict user behaviour and engagement- Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Experienced in leading research teams and providing line management. Managed cross-functional teams to deliver impactful research for stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, policy teams & news outlets translating data insights into strategic decisions and publications- Academic & Scientific Research: PhD research scientist at the Paris Centre for Cosmological Physics, specialising in Bayesian inference and astrophysical data analysis. Published multiple peer-reviewed papers and developed an open-source Python toolkit for cosmology- Strategic Policy & Advisory Experience: Provided scientific advisory support to the Malta Enterprise Corporation and the Ministry of Finance, influencing policy decisions through R&D investment analysis and technology forecasting- Language Proficiency:o English (Native)o Maltese (Native)o French (Bilingual Proficiency)o Italian (Bilingual Proficiency)o German (Basic)o Russian (Basic)