Hector Geffner

Hector Geffner is a leading researcher in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Currently, he holds the chair of "Foundations of Machine Learning and Reasoning" at the RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence, RWTH Aachen University, as a Humboldt Professor for AI. He is also a research professor at ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats) and part of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Group at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, since 2001. Since 2019, he serves as the Wallenberg Visiting Professor for AI at Linköping University, Sweden.

His research focuses on logical action planning, integrating logic, probability, heuristics, and algorithms to enable computers to autonomously plan actions and adapt to dynamic environments. He pioneered heuristic search methods, establishing them as a global standard for generalizable AI solutions. His work emphasizes bridging data- and model-based AI approaches, particularly for applications in human-centered AI, addressing economic, societal, and legal challenges.

Scientific Awards:

• ERC Advanced Grant (2020)
• Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)
• Fellow of the European Association for Artificial Intelligence (EurAI)

Previously, Geffner earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1989. He served as a research associate at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, then as Associate (1992) and Full Professor (1994) at Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela. His contributions span theoretical and practical AI research, with a focus on generalizable methods rather than application-specific solutions.