Robert Trappl, born 1939, is the Head of the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (OFAI), a non-for-profit independent research institute with currently 23 employees. It is one of the leading research institutes in this area, having been e.g. partner or coordinator of more than 30 multinational projects, funded by the European Union. It is further partner in the “Human Brain Project“, one of the two Flagship Projects of the European Union.

Robert Trappl obtained a B.Eng. (“Ingenieur“) in Electrical Engineering, a Diploma in Sociology of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, a Ph.D. in Psychology with a Minor in Astronomy, and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in General Management. He is Professor Emeritus of Medical Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence of the University of Vienna, and he is lecturing at this University, the Medical University of Vienna, and, beginning in the Fall Term 2017/18, at the University of Applied Arts.

Robert Trappl published more than 180 scientific papers and he co-wrote, edited and co-edited 35 books, most recently “A Construction Manual for Robots’ Ethical Systems“, Springer, Switzerland.  He is Editor-in-Chief of “Applied Artificial Intelligence“ and “Cybernetics and Systems“, both published in the U.S.A. 

In his spare time he performs contemporary dance. Recently he was invited to hold a workshop at the Impulstanz Festival 2017 which had the title “Artificial Intelligence Dance“. Sorry you missed it!