David Hanson PhD is a pioneering researcher and innovator exploring the frontiers of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and human-robot interaction. As the founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics, he integrates robotics, AI, neuroscience, and the arts to create human-like machines capable of natural interactions and emotional intelligence. Hanson’s robots Sophia, Bina-48, Philip K Dick, and others, broke ground with their humanlike expressivity and AI powered interactivity, serving numerous developments in cognitive AI and social robotics, as well as exhibiting as fine art.
Dr. Hanson’s unique multidisciplinary approach combines figurative arts, cognitive science, and advanced engineering to develop robots with unprecedented realism and expressiveness. His most famous creation, Sophia the robot, has captivated audiences worldwide as an embodied AI platform for research and human-machine interaction.
Driven by the vision of AGI that can grow up among humans and achieve value alignment, Dr. Hanson pioneers the use of expressive humanoid robots as interfaces for AGI systems. His work explores how embodied AI agents can develop general intelligence through natural social interactions and experiential learning in human environments.
Dr. Hanson has published extensively on AI, cognitive science, robotics, material science, and human robot interactions, in journals including IEEE, SPIE, and the International Journal of Cognitive Science.
He holds numerous patents and has authored books on humanizing robots and the future of AI. Hanson received his PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas in Aesthetic Studies and Robotics, BFA in film/animation/video from the Rhode Island School of Design, and is currently completing an MSc in Applied Neuroscience at King’s College London. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California. His contributions to the field include co-winning a Best Paper Award at NeurIPS and receiving the AAAI First Place Prize for Open Interaction of an AI system. Hanson also received awards from NASA, NSF, the world technology award, and Edison Gold.
As a trailblazer in AGI research, Dr. Hanson continues to push the boundaries of human-AI interaction, working towards the development of benevolent machine consciousness that can collaborate with humanity to address global challenges.