Sebastian Thrun keynote speaker

AI speaker Sebastian Thrun is the ‘godfather’ of self-driving technology and an AI pioneer. His impact spans academia, industry, and entrepreneurship. As a Stanford professor, he spearheaded significant AI research before joining Google in 2007 as Vice-President and Fellow. At Google, Thrun founded Google[x], an innovative hub responsible for disruptive products like self-driving cars, marking the onset of an autonomous vehicle revolution.

Thrun’s innovative streak led to the creation of Stanley and Junior, foundational vehicles for Google’s autonomous car project. Stanley, a robotic vehicle, triumphed at the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and earned a spot at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Despite leaving full tenure, Thrun maintains a research professorship at Stanford, focusing on leveraging AI to enhance everyday life. In 2012, he co-founded Udacity, a pioneering educational platform where he now serves as Chairman. Udacity, renowned for its ‘nanodegree’ offerings, provides cutting-edge tech education to individuals irrespective of their backgrounds, promoting the democratization of education.

Thrun further expanded his entrepreneurial influence by co-founding Kitty Hawk, an electric ultralight aircraft startup, alongside Larry Page, Google’s long-time CEO and co-founder. As CEO until 2022, he steered Kitty Hawk’s vision of revolutionizing personal transportation.

Currently, Thrun is also the co-founder and Chairman of the board of Cresta, an innovative AI startup globally acclaimed. Cresta’s AI-enabled software offers real-time insights during conversations, empowering customer service agents and salespeople with the knowledge to resolve issues and close deals effectively.