Sony's Dr. Hiroaki Kitano Named Fellow by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence

TOKYO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, Executive Vice President, Officer in charge of AI Collaboration at Sony Corporation, President and CEO of Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. and CEO of Sony AI Inc. has been named a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.  In addition to his key roles in AI at Sony, Dr. Kitano is also the Founding Trustee of the RoboCup Federation, an international scientific initiative that was created to best promote research in the area of intelligent robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as related fields.

Dr. Kitano's recognition comes from "demonstrating great contribution and leadership in robotics, massively parallel AI, scientific discoveries by AI, and the use of AI in systems biology."

"Sony seeks  to create new value through technology and as such, we have high expectations for AI, which can positively impact Sony's existing businesses in electronics, image sensors and entertainment, and in creating new businesses," said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation. "In addition, we believe AI has the potential to contribute to society in business domains that Sony pursues from a long-term perspective, such as health, personal finance, and in the evolution of next-generation mobility. Through groundbreaking research in AI, Dr. Kitano has greatly contributed to technological development at Sony. We are extremely happy and proud for him to be selected fellow of such a prestigious society."

"From my early days a researcher to today, I have always believed that artificial intelligence would make significant improvement in peoples' lives," said Dr. Kitano.  "In particular, I have been engaged in research that integrates AI, massively parallel computing, robotics, and systems biology. In addition, RoboCup was founded as a mechanism to accelerate research and development of AI and robotics. To promote the tight integration of the aforementioned four research fields centered on AI, I am now in the process of launching a new Grant Challenge Project to drive scientific discovery through AI. I believe the fusion of these fields with AI playing a key role will pick up even more speed and play a central role in addressing global issues, pioneering new frontiers and shaping societies and industries. As the role that AI plays is extremely large, I want to thank the AAAI for its dedication to promote AI research and for this tremendous honor."

Dr. Hiroaki Kitano began his career as a researcher on software engineering at NEC corporation before moving to Carnegie Mellon University to start his AI research. In 1993 he joined Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (CSL) as a Researcher.  In 2008 he was promoted to Director of Research at CSL and since 2011 he serves as President and CEO of CSL.  He also serves as Director of Sony Global Education, and, in June 2020, was named Executive Vice President and Officer in Charge of AI Collaboration for Sony Corporation and CEO of Sony AI in April 2020. Kitano is a recipient of The Computers and Thought Award in 1993, Nature Award for Creative Mentoring in Science (Mid-carrier award) 2009, served as a president of International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (2009-2011), a member of scientific advisory board for numerous academic institutions including European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), currently serving as a professor at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate School.

About AAAI

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) is a nonprofit scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. AAAI's Fellows Program recognizes individuals who have made significant, sustained contributions to the field of artificial intelligence. 

About Sony AI

Sony AI Inc. was founded on April 1, 2020, with the mission to "unleash human imagination and creativity with AI." Sony AI combines Sony Group's imaging and sensing technology, robotics technology, and entertainment assets such as movies, music, and games to transform with cutting edge artificial intelligence R&D to accelerate all of Sony's business areas and create new business opportunities. To achieve this, Sony AI has launched three flagship projects aimed at the evolution and application of AI technology in the areas of "Gaming," "Imaging & Sensing," and "Gastronomy." Sony AI will promote various exploratory research related to these flagship projects and other important themes, including AI ethics, in the physical and virtual worlds. For more information visit https://ai.sony.

SOURCE Sony