Ken Burns
Legendary Documentary Filmmaker | Creator of The Civil War, The Vietnam War & The American Revolution | Multiple Emmy & Grammy Winner | Master of Storytelling
Hiroshi Ishiguro
Distinguished Professor, University of Osaka | Father of Humanoid Androids | CEO, AVITA Inc. | Japan MOONSHOT R&D Project Manager
The scientist who builds humans from scratch, and asks why. Hiroshi Ishiguro, Distinguished Professor at the University of Osaka and creator of the Geminoid, ERICA, and Mindar androids, has spent three decades redefining the boundary between machine and person. Producer of the Expo 2025 "Future of Life" pavilion and CEO of avatar startup AVITA Inc., he brings his android double on stage for keynotes as disorienting as they are technically stunning.
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Hiroshi Ishiguro biography
Hiroshi Ishiguro is the world’s foremost authority on humanoid androids. A Distinguished Professor at the University of Osaka and Visiting Director of the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, he works at the boundary of robotics, artificial intelligence, and human identity. Named one of the top 100 living geniuses by the Synectics Survey of Contemporary Genius, robotics speaker Hiroshi Ishiguro has spent three decades building machines that do not merely perform tasks but force us to ask what it means to be human.
Ishiguro is best known for a lineage of androids that reads like a catalogue of the uncanny: Robovie, Repliee, Geminoid, Telenoid, Elfoid, ERICA, and Ibuki, each pushing further into the territory where silicon and silicone meet presence. His most iconic creation, Geminoid HI, is a robotic duplicate of Ishiguro himself, capable of blinking, breathing, and fidgeting with unnerving fidelity. Its latest iteration integrates a large language model for open-ended dialogue, a sign of how quickly his research at the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories has absorbed the generative AI revolution. His robots have appeared in more than 500 media programs on the Discovery Channel, NHK, and the BBC, and include Mindar, the android preacher that leads meditations at Kyoto’s Kōdai-ji temple.
Beyond the laboratory, Ishiguro operates at the highest levels of Japan’s technology sector. He is CEO of AVITA Inc., a Tokyo startup commercializing avatar and cybernetic-presence technology, and Project Manager of Japan’s MOONSHOT R&D Programme, a government initiative targeting an avatar-symbiotic society by 2050. He has published more than 300 scientific articles, holds an honorary doctorate from Aarhus University, and has received the Tateisi Prize and the Osaka Culture Prize.
From Expo 2025 to the Physical Avatar
Ishiguro served as Thematic Project Producer of the “Future of Life” Signature Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, themed “Amplification of Lives,” where roughly 20 androids and 30 robots traced human life from the present to a thousand years ahead. His companies are now moving avatars off the screen and into the physical world: AVITA has unveiled a humanoid prototype built with telecom partner KDDI, and Ishiguro continues to open major gatherings such as the Humanoids Summit in Tokyo with live demonstrations of his Geminoid.
As a speaker, Hiroshi Ishiguro brings something no slide deck can replicate: the physical presence of his android double, the authority of a scientist who defined his field, and a philosophical depth that turns a robotics keynote into an encounter with the deepest questions about identity, consciousness, and our future. Organizations that book Ishiguro do not simply get a talk, they get an experience audiences will not forget.
Hiroshi Ishiguro Speaking Videos
The Most Humanlike Robot & Her Creator Hiroshi Ishiguro
Hiroshi Ishiguro - Human, android, and media
Hiroshi Ishiguro Keynote Topics
The question that has driven Hiroshi Ishiguro's entire career is deceptively simple: what makes a presence feel human? He traces the evolution of his androids, from early prototypes to a Geminoid now powered by a large language model, and shows what each version has revealed about perception, empathy, and identity. This is less a technical showcase than a philosophical journey that uses robots as mirrors. The closer a machine comes to human, the more precisely it exposes what human actually means, and audiences leave thinking differently about intelligence, presence, and themselves.
As CEO of AVITA Inc. and Project Manager of Japan's MOONSHOT R&D Programme, Ishiguro is building the infrastructure for a world in which physical presence is no longer a constraint. He explores the coming avatar-symbiotic society, one where people work, care for others, and connect through robotic and digital extensions of themselves, and what it means for healthcare, retail, education, and professional services. Part strategic briefing and part visionary provocation, this talk is built for leadership teams thinking seriously about the future of work.
A deep dive into the engineering and psychology behind lifelike androids, delivered by the researcher who defined the field. Ishiguro covers the technical architecture of humanoid robots, the cognitive science of the uncanny valley, what years of human-robot interaction studies reveal about social acceptance, and where a new generation of androids that fuses generative AI with physical embodiment will take us. Designed for technically curious audiences in technology, engineering, healthcare, and research, it offers rare access to the frontier of a field that will reshape every sector.
As producer of the "Future of Life" Signature Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, which featured roughly 20 androids and 30 robots across zones spanning the present to a thousand years ahead, Ishiguro was given a rare mandate: to design humanity's future rather than only imagine it. He shares the creative, scientific, and philosophical process behind the pavilion, the questions it raised for millions of visitors, and what he believes organizations and societies must do now to shape a future that amplifies human life instead of diminishing it. A keynote for leaders invested in long-term strategy, innovation culture, and the human side of technological change.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Hiroshi Ishiguro
Why Hiroshi Ishiguro?
Booking Hiroshi Ishiguro delivers on every level: scientific credibility, visual spectacle, and real philosophical depth. As the world's leading android scientist, a Distinguished Professor at the University of Osaka, and the creator of more than a dozen landmark humanoid robots, he commands the full attention of any senior audience. His keynotes are unlike any other, since he often appears alongside his android double Geminoid in a moment that is at once unsettling, awe-inspiring, and thought-provoking. Whether your event centers on AI, robotics, the future of work, or human potential, Ishiguro speaks from the absolute frontier. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability for your event.
What robots has Hiroshi Ishiguro created?
Over three decades, Hiroshi Ishiguro has developed a landmark series of humanoid robots and androids at Osaka University and the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories. They include Robovie, an early interactive social robot; Repliee Q1Expo, a lifelike android unveiled in 2005; Geminoid HI, a robotic replica of Ishiguro himself, now in its sixth iteration and equipped with a large language model for open-ended dialogue; Telenoid, a minimalist teleoperated robot built to convey human presence; Elfoid, a pocket-sized communication device; ERICA, an autonomous conversational android; Ibuki, a child-like mobile android; and Mindar, the Buddhist android preacher at Kyoto's Kōdai-ji temple. Each advanced his central question: what makes a presence feel human?
What is Japan's MOONSHOT R&D Programme, and what is Ishiguro's role?
Japan's MOONSHOT R&D Programme is a government-funded initiative, led by the Cabinet Office, that targets transformative, long-horizon scientific breakthroughs. Ishiguro serves as Project Manager of a goal centered on an avatar-symbiotic society, a future in which people extend their physical and cognitive presence through robotic and digital avatars, overcoming barriers of distance, disability, and age. That research feeds directly into AVITA Inc., the startup he leads as CEO to bring avatar technology into real-world service and social settings, including a physical humanoid prototype developed with telecom partner KDDI.
What topics does robotics speaker Hiroshi Ishiguro cover?
Hiroshi Ishiguro speaks on humanoid robotics and android science, the future of human-robot and human-avatar interaction, AI and machine consciousness, the philosophical implications of building human-like machines, cybernetic avatars and the future of presence and work, and the role of robotics in healthcare, education, and social connection. His talks often feature live demonstrations with, or insights drawn from, his android creations, which makes them among the most visually and intellectually memorable keynotes available. Reach out to Aurum Speakers Bureau to tailor Hiroshi Ishiguro's keynote to your event's theme and audience.
How to book Hiroshi Ishiguro as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Hiroshi Ishiguro as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Hiroshi Ishiguro's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Hiroshi Ishiguro or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Hiroshi Ishiguro speaking fee?
Hiroshi Ishiguro speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Hiroshi Ishiguro to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Hiroshi Ishiguro.
How can I contact Hiroshi Ishiguro?
We only work with Hiroshi Ishiguro on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Hiroshi Ishiguro and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Hiroshi Ishiguro speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Hiroshi Ishiguro for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Hiroshi Ishiguro for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Hiroshi Ishiguro is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Hiroshi Ishiguro for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
