Patricia (Patti) Kibenge - Multi Hyphenate

She grew up running around a veterinary college, spent three years in med school hating it, ran away to the circus for a bit, and now she's a PhD researcher in adversarial machine learning who doesn't really believe in AI. Meet Patti—a woman who refuses to be put in a box.

In this episode, Patti takes us on a journey through her winding career path: from microbiology and immunology to computer science, from fire-spinning festivals to DJing under the name DJ Patti.K. She breaks down what AI actually is (statistics on steroids), why she thinks the cons of AI outweigh the pros, and how she's using her research to stay sharp while questioning the technology she studies.

Patti also opens up about her passion for lowering the barriers to computer literacy, her work with Tech Girls Canada, and why she's launched a DJ collective called Freak Alantik to create space for racialised queer DJs in Halifax. She shares how she balances being a researcher, a musician, a parent, and a community builder—all by knowing her values and staying true to herself.

Whether you're curious about AI, looking to start a creative project, or just trying to figure out how to be in multiple places at once, this episode is for you.

Patricia (Patti) Kibenge is a 2nd-generation Ugandan-Canadian living and loving in Kjipuktuk, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people. She is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Dalhousie University in her final year of studies. Her research is in Adversarial Machine Learning (AML), which is an emerging field that combines cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, investigating attacks on machine and deep learning algorithms and defences against such attacks.

In her spare time, she is a DJ, host, promoter and now also a mermaid. She can most likely be found working on her laptop at a café in the North End, supporting her 5-year-old's multiple interests and always surrounded by music.

Find out more @patti.kibenge

@dj.patti.k

@freeqatl

@blk.itnetwork