Hod Lipson is a Professor of Engineering and Data Science at Columbia University in New York, where he directs the Creative Machines Lab — a research group pioneering the development of creative and self-aware machines. With a PhD earned in 1999 from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and postdoctoral training at both Brandeis University and MIT, Lipson brings decades of rigorous academic expertise to the forefront of artificial intelligence and robotics research. Prior to joining Columbia in 2015, he spent 14 years as a professor at Cornell University, cementing his reputation as one of the leading voices in autonomous systems and machine intelligence. A prolific researcher, Lipson has co-authored over 300 publications that have garnered more than 27,000 citations, and his groundbreaking work on self-replicating and self-aware robots has earned widespread international media coverage. He is the co-author of two acclaimed books — "Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing" and "Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead" — and has founded four companies, demonstrating a strong track record of translating cutting-edge research into real-world innovation. A sought-after keynote speaker at leading industry and academic conferences, his TED Talk on self-aware machines ranks among the most viewed presentations on AI and robotics, reflecting his rare ability to make complex technology accessible and compelling to global audiences.