Lynda Gratton
Thinkers50 Hall of Fame 2024 | Professor at London Business School | Founder of HSM Advisory | Author of 'The 100-Year Life' & 'Redesigning Work'
Founder of Boston Dynamics | Executive Director, The AI Institute | Pioneer in Robotics & AI | IEEE Pioneer in Robotics | Member, National Academy of Engineering
The robots that captivated the world—Atlas doing backflips, Spot navigating disaster zones, BigDog carrying loads across mountains—were built under one leader's vision. Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics and Executive Director of The AI Institute, has spent decades turning the impossible into deployable technology, redefining what machines can do.
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Marc Raibert is the founder of Boston Dynamics, the world’s most influential robotics company, and currently serves as Executive Director of The AI Institute, where he leads efforts to build the next generation of intelligent, agile machines. His career has defined what modern robotics can achieve: robots that run, jump, balance, and navigate complex environments with a fluidity that seemed impossible just decades ago.
Robotics speaker Marc Raibert founded Boston Dynamics in 1992 and served as CEO until 2019, building a company that transformed science fiction into deployable technology. Under his leadership, Boston Dynamics developed robots that became global icons: BigDog, the quadruped that could carry heavy loads across rugged terrain; Atlas, the humanoid that performs backflips and parkour; Spot, the versatile robot dog now used in construction, energy, and public safety; and Handle, designed for warehouse logistics. These machines didn’t just advance the field—they redefined public expectations of what robots could do.
Before founding Boston Dynamics, Raibert was a professor at MIT and Carnegie Mellon University, where he established the Leg Laboratory, a research group that pioneered dynamic locomotion and balance in legged robots. The scientific breakthroughs from this lab became the foundation for Boston Dynamics’ most advanced systems, influencing an entire generation of robotics research worldwide.
Raibert is a Founding Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2022, he was named Pioneer in Robotics by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and received the Engelberger Award, one of the highest honors in the field. Time Magazine recognized him as one of the Top 100 most influential people in AI in 2023. Two of his robots have been inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame.
As a speaker, Marc Raibert brings rare authority to discussions of automation, AI, and the future of human-robot collaboration. Audiences gain direct insight into how dynamic robots are built, the engineering and AI challenges that remain unsolved, and the industries where intelligent machines will have transformative impact. His presentations combine live demonstrations, behind-the-scenes stories from Boston Dynamics, and a clear-eyed view of where robotics is headed next—making complex technology accessible to business leaders, policymakers, and innovators preparing for an automated future.
Marc Raibert takes audiences inside the development of Boston Dynamics' most iconic robots—Atlas, Spot, BigDog, and Handle. He explains the scientific breakthroughs that enable machines to run, jump, balance, and recover from falls, covering the intersection of mechanical design, real-time control systems, and AI-driven perception. This keynote reveals the engineering challenges that were once thought unsolvable and how Boston Dynamics turned viral videos into commercial products now deployed across industries.
As Executive Director of The AI Institute, Raibert is leading research into robots that don't just move dynamically but think and adapt in real time. This session explores the convergence of artificial intelligence and physical robotics—how machines learn to manipulate objects, navigate unknown environments, and collaborate with humans. Raibert discusses the breakthroughs needed to create robots that are truly useful in healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and beyond, offering a roadmap for the next decade of intelligent automation.
Building a robot that works in a research lab is one thing; deploying it in construction sites, warehouses, and disaster zones is another. Raibert shares lessons from Boston Dynamics' journey from MIT research group to global robotics leader, covering the technical, business, and operational challenges of bringing advanced robots to market. He discusses what it takes to make robots reliable, safe, and economically viable, and where the greatest opportunities lie for organizations ready to adopt automation.
Robots are not replacing humans—they're becoming partners. Raibert explores how the next generation of intelligent machines will work alongside people, enhancing productivity, safety, and quality of life. Drawing from Boston Dynamics' deployments in energy, construction, and public safety, as well as The AI Institute's research into assistive robotics, he outlines a future where robots handle dangerous or repetitive tasks while humans focus on creativity, strategy, and decision-making. This keynote challenges audiences to rethink what automation means for the workforce and society.
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