Luc Steels

Luc Steels is an ICREA Research Professor at the Institute for Evolutionary Biology (CSIC, UPF) and a former Professor of Computer Science at the University of Brussels (VUB). He founded the Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris (1996) and co-founded the VUB Computer Science Department (1990–1995). His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, origins of language, and cognitive systems. He has directed nearly 40 PhD theses and led over a dozen European research projects.

• Education: Linguistics (University of Antwerp), Computer Science (MIT).

Research Interests: Combining AI with language evolution studies, using computational models to explore how communication systems emerge. Key areas include human-centric AI, robotic behavior, and conceptual representations. His work bridges linguistics, cognitive science, and robotics.

Awards:

• 2022: EurAI Distinguished Service Award
• 2009: CASYS Award
• 2004: King Albert I Medal
• 1982: Digital Equipment Best Paper Award

Advising & Grants: Supervised over 40 PhD students and secured major EU funding. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations, including Sony’s CS Lab and the Institute for Evolutionary Biology.

Labs & Teams: Sony Computer Science Laboratory (Paris), ICREA research group at UPF, and prior leadership roles in VUB’s AI Lab.