Dr. Kate Darling is a preeminent expert on social robotics and robot ethics. A research specialist at the MIT Media Lab, she has contributed heavily to our understanding of machine learning. Her TED Talk entitled, Why We Have an Emotional Connection to Robots has been viewed over 1.6 million times, and saw her explore the feelings humans have towards robots. She has been named as one of the “25 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About” by Robohub, was recognised as a Radar Thinker by Thinkers50 and has been recognised as “one of the biggest names in science” by NBC News, proving how highly respected she is in the industry.
Kate has featured in publications including The New Yorker, WIRED, The Guardian, BBC, The Atlantic and Forbes to name a few. She is a contributing writer at Robohub and IEEE Spectrum and has been featured on NBC News, the PC Mag and Vice. Dissecting topics such as the way in which technology and society intersect and the relationship between law and robotics, Kate is at the forefront of her industry. She was awarded a Mark T Banner Award in Intellectual Property, which recognises those who have impacted on IP law or practice and demonstrated a core passion for the profession.
This has seen her called upon to deliver keynote speeches and interviews at events that include The Conference 2015: Human-Robot Relationships, Dr. Kate Darling – Robot Ethics at Montreal 2016 and WebTomorrow 2015: Science fiction or reality? Near-term ethical, legal, and societal issues in robotics.
In addition to her experiences on stage, Kate has featured on podcasts that include Science Friday: How Strong is the Human Robot Bond? and Sam Harris’ Waking Up Podcast: Living With Robots. She also co-wrote Creativity without Law: Challenging the Assumptions of Intellectual Property in 2017 and contributed to En Compagnie des Robots in 2016. Keeping one eye on the future as well as the “right now”, Kate has informed on policies, asking and answering the difficult questions. Able to detail the importance of discussing machines today, Kate is an expert in AI, machine learning and robotics that can present a unique and inspiring keynote at your event.