IAAC Lecture Series – Robots are Creatures, Not Things

IAAC Lecture Series – Robots are Creatures, Not Things

Location: Online – Zoom

After 50 years of promises and potential, robots are beginning to leave the lab to live in the wild with us. But how should we coexist with these intelligent, autonomous machines? In this talk, Dr. Madeline Gannon blends art and technology to forge new futures for human-robot relations. She shares how she convinces robots to do things they were never intended to do: from transforming a giant industrial robot into a living, breathing mechanical creature, to taming a horde of autonomous robots to behave more like a pack of animals. Her work shows that robots can not only be useful, but meaningful additions to our everyday lives.

About Madeline Gannon

Dr. Madeline Gannon is a multidisciplinary designer forging new futures for human-robot relations. Her work blends art and technology to create better ways to live with machines. Known as “The Robot Whisperer”, Dr. Gannon is on a mission to make robotics and other advanced technologies open, accessible, and interesting to diverse audiences around the globe. She is a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader and a Council Member on the Global Council for IoT, Robotics, & Smart Cities. She also holds a Research Fellowship at the Carnegie Mellon Studio for Creative Inquiry, and leads the research studio, ATONATON. Dr. Gannon holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters of Architecture from Florida International University.