David Hanson

Presentation - Humanistic AI and Robotics -- how developing humanlike robotics as a human-AI interface may align AI values towards a better future for life

By integrating figurative arts with cognitive science, robotics engineering and collaborative developments in AI, David Hanson develops robots regarded as the most
human-like in the world. Hanson founded and serves as CEO of Hanson Robotics, a company whose most extraordinary outcome is Sophia, a humanoid created in 2016;
Sophia is the world’s first robot citizen and the first robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.

With Sophia, Hanson promotes an optimistic vision of the future of AI by demonstrating that it is possible to combine the capabilities of humans with AI. As the founder of the Global Artificial Intelligence Association, he strives for this AI to help solve many global problems.

Hanson received awards from NASA, NSF, Tech Titans’ Innovator of the Year, RISD, Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial. He also co-received the 2005 AAAI first place prize for open interaction of an AI system.