About the Session
In this session, we will introduce the course, talking about each of the themes and describing how participants will be engaging with the instructors, the material, and class participants. Additionally, we will give a high-level overview of the concept of autonomous robots in the field. Students will also get a first introduction to the variety of technologies used in the course. A pre-assessment and media release forms will be administered.
Your Instructor
Prof. Cynthia Breazeal
Cynthia Breazeal is a Professor at the MIT Media Lab where she directs the Personal Robots Group. She is also director of the MIT initiative on Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE) and is Senior Associate Dean of Open Learning. She is recognized as a pioneer of social robotics and human-robot interaction, is a fellow of the AAAI, and has commercialized personal robots for the home. She has received numerous national and global awards in design, entrepreneurship and innovation. She has spoken at numerous prestigious venues such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, TED, and others. Her work is covered in the media including the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, BBC, Wired, Fast Company, TIME, Forbers, and more. She received her doctorate from MIT in 2000 specializing in artificial intelligence and robotics. She is the lead instructor for this course and is the principal investigator of the Know-Apply-Lead AI Education Research Pilot program.