One of the most influential minds in AI and education: Cynthia Breazeal
- Angela Novelli
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
As developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) continue to advance, we look to the influence of the powerful minds in the tech world, such as Cynthia Breazeal. For the next installment in our blog series on women in technology, specifically in AI, we will highlight the story and impact of the professor of media arts and sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Cynthia Breazeal has had much experience in AI and robotics, and she previously co-founded the consumer social robotics company, Jibo, Inc. The world’s first social robot for the home, Jibo, led Breazeal to explore more on the idea of living with AI and having a robot companion that would help in day to day life. This concept might even become more common, a Citi GPS report analysis suggests there will be 1.3 billion AI-robots by 2035 and 4 billion by 2050. Let us explore more of the story of Cynthia Breazeal and learn of her experience in the realm of AI.
Cynthia Breazeal’s Early Life
Breazeal was born in New Mexico but grew up in California, and in her younger years she developed a fascination with the robotic characters called droids in the Star Wars films. This would inspire her to build a focus on creating real-life robots that assisted humans with their everyday tasks. She graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in 1989, and in 1993 she earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.
Breazeal earned her doctoral degree at MIT in 2000. While she was working towards that degree, she began learning about creating robots herself. She helped with the development of Cog, a robot that had the physical capabilities that a young child might have. Eventually, she created her own robot, Kismet, which could recognize and express human emotions. She wanted to focus on improving the interactions between humans and robots, which became a core factor of her future career.
Founding Jibo, Inc.
In 2012, Cynthia Breazeal co-founded Jibo, Inc., a consumer social robotics company. She wanted to make robots available to the average person, especially for families. Jibo was the name of the robot that was created at 12 inches tall and designed to sit on a table or countertop. Jibo has a touchscreen face with two high resolution cameras in it and a cylindrical body and can accomplish tasks such as initiating conversations, answering questions, reading bedtime stories, and keeping track of appointments. Breazeal wanted to focus on her goal of improving the idea of living with AI, and Jibo was a great feat in doing so, however the company officially shut down in 2018.
“Nobody was really thinking deeply about what it would mean for anyone, everyday people, to actually interact with robots. I mean, of course, we had science fiction and all these visions and so forth. But people weren’t really thinking about anyone beyond the non-expert being able to have value, or the non-commercial really being able to have value from this autonomous robot technology.”
Career at MIT
Cynthia Breazeal is a professor of media arts and sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also the founder and director of the Personal Robots group at the Media Lab. In addition, she is the MIT dean for digital learning, where she leverages her digital technology and business strategy expertise to lead Open Learning’s business and research and engagement units. Her work in AI is to help humans thrive with the help of technology, and to ensure equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds. She is the Director of the MIT-wide Initiative on Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (MIT RAISE). This program helps to improve access and inclusivity in AI education to people of all ages and backgrounds with a focus on K12 and the workforce.
Breazeal and her Personal Robots Group are always investigating the uses of AI robots that can help people in innovative ways, whether it be in education, pediatrics, health and wellness, or aging. This provides great opportunities for students to show their talent and build their skills.
“MIT is a world-class research university. The work that you see is the product of brilliant students. You give them these opportunities to immerse themselves in these questions.”
Impact & Recognition
Breazeal is the author of Designing Sociable Robots, which exists as a turning point in launching the field of Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction. She earned the 2024 Robotics Medal from MassRobotics due to her work in the robotics field. This award celebrates achievements of individuals like Cynthia Breazeal as well as inspiring women and other underrepresented groups to participate in influencing the future of the world through robotics.
“I really just see myself as this year’s representative of all the amazing women. It’s a combination of their brilliance and their originality, but also their humanity and in so many ways their deep sense of service that they bring to their work.”
She has spoken at prominent venues such as TED, the World Economic Forum, the UN, SXSW, and CES, and is a recipient of the National Academy of Engineering's Gilbreth Lecture Award, Technology Review's TR35 Award, and TIME magazine's Best Inventions.
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