Dr. Raquel Urtasun is a globally recognized computer scientist and pioneering leader in artificial intelligence research with a specialization in autonomous systems. She currently serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Waabi, a leading autonomous vehicle technology company, while maintaining her position as a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. Dr. Urtasun co-founded the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, playing a pivotal role in establishing Canada's leadership in AI research and development. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree from Universidad Publica de Navarra in 2000, followed by a Ph.D. from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in 2006, after which she completed postdoctoral fellowships at both MIT and UC Berkeley. Prior to founding Waabi, she was Chief Scientist and Head of R&D at Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) from 2017 to 2021, bringing her extensive academic expertise to real-world deployment of autonomous vehicle technology.
Dr. Urtasun's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced the field of artificial intelligence for self-driving cars, establishing her as a world-leading authority in this critical domain. Her work spans machine learning, computer vision, robotics, and remote sensing, with a particular focus on developing robust and reliable perception systems for autonomous vehicles operating in complex environments. With an impressive citation count exceeding 97,000 according to Google Scholar, her research has had significant impact across both academic and industry settings. She has been recognized with multiple Best Paper Runner up Prizes at the prestigious Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition conference, highlighting the innovative nature of her technical contributions. Dr. Urtasun's approach to developing practical AI solutions for autonomous driving has helped bridge the gap between theoretical research and real-world applications.
As a thought leader in the AI community, Dr. Urtasun has received numerous prestigious honors including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and receiving the Order of Ontario, the highest civilian honor in the province. In 2023, she was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence, cementing her global impact on the field. Her commitment to advancing sustainable AI development was highlighted in her World Economic Forum contributions, where she emphasized the need for more efficient and accessible artificial intelligence systems. Through Waabi, she continues to push the boundaries of autonomous vehicle technology while maintaining her academic leadership at the University of Toronto. Dr. Urtasun's dual focus on academic excellence and entrepreneurial innovation positions her at the vanguard of the ongoing AI revolution, where she is shaping both the technological capabilities and ethical frameworks for next-generation autonomous systems.
