Edson Prestes e Silva Júnior

Edson Prestes is Full Professor at Institute of Informatics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He is leader of the Phi Robotics Research Group and CNPq Research Fellow. He received his BSc in Computer Science from the Federal University of Pará (1996), Amazon, Brazil, and MSc (1999) and PhD (2003) in Computer Science from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Edson is Senior Member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS) and IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA). Over the past years, he has been working in several initiatives related to Standardisation, Artificial Intelligence, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Human Rights in Academia, Industry and Multilateral Organizations. For instance, Edson is Member of the United Nations Secretary-General?s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation; Member of the UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) for the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence; Member of the Global Future Council on the Future of Artificial Intelligence at World Economic Forum; South America Ambassador at IEEE TechEthics; Chair of the IEEE RAS/SA 7007 - Ontologies for Ethically Driven Robotics and Automation Systems Working Group (IEEE 7007 WG); Vice-Chair of the IEEE RAS/SA Ontologies for Robotics and Automation Working Group (ORA WG); Co-chair of the Global Methodologies Committee at the IEEE Planet Positive 2030; Founding Chair of the IEEE South Brazil RAS Chapter; Member of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems; Member of the MIT/IEEE Global Council on Extended Intelligence; Advisor in the Carnegie AI & Equality Initiative at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs; Senior Advisor at The Future Society; Advisor at AI Policy Labs; Advisor at C Minds; Fellow at US EP3 Foundation; and so on. Among his contributions, one can highlight the following. In 2021, IEEE 7007 WG had approved the first global ontological standard for ethically driven robotics and automation systems. Due to this achievement, the IEEE 7007 WG was selected as a recipient of the IEEE SA Emerging Technology Award ?For developing an innovative ontological standard on the ethics of artificial intelligence?. Also in 2021, the 193 UNESCO's Member States agreed on adopting the first global instrument on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence elaborated by the UNESCO with the support of AHEG. This instrument presents concrete actions to the several domains impacted by AI. It puts human rights at the forefront of these actions to unleash the benefits and opportunity that AI can bring while mitigating its risks. In 2015, IEEE ORA WG published the very first IEEE RAS standard, called IEEE 1872-2015 Ontologies for Robotics and Automation, and was the recipient of the IEEE-SA Emerging Technology Award. This standard was cited broadly including in the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan, elaborated by the US White House, in 2016 and in 2023.In 2015, Edson was one of the recipient of the Jabuti Award, the most important Brazilian literary award, for co-organising the book entitled Robótica Móvel (in Portuguese).