Speakers Profile

Pattie Maes is a Belgian-born computer scientist and a prominent professor at the MIT Media Lab, known for her pioneering work in human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence, particularly in the field of intelligent agents and user interfaces. She earned her bachelor's degree and Ph.D. in computer science and artificial intelligence from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium before pursuing post-graduate studies at MIT.
 
Maes founded and directed the Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab, focusing on how computer systems can augment human capabilities in areas like memory, learning, and decision-making. She also established the Software Agents Group in 1990, where she developed concepts like intelligent agents and collaborative filtering, influencing the development of social networks and e-commerce platforms. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including being named one of Fast Company Magazine's "50 most influential designers" and receiving the "Lifetime Research Achievement Award in Human Computer Interaction" from ACM SIGCHI in 2025. She is also a successful entrepreneur, co-founding companies like Firefly Networks (acquired by Microsoft), Open Ratings (acquired by Dun & Bradstreet), and Tulip Inc (privately held), and is a sought-after speaker on AI and human-computer interaction.