C. Raymond Perrault
C. Raymond Perrault studied how a language system can infer a speaker’s plan and supply useful information. His 1980 paper with James F. Allen models cooperative replies using plan recognition and obstacles to goals. Perrault joined SRI in 1983 and led its Artificial Intelligence Center from 1988 to 2017. He was a co-principal investigator for the CALO project from 2002 to 2009, working toward an office assistant that learns from interaction. He also held journal leadership roles and provided professional service.
- Now at
- SRI International
- Works
- 29
- Citations
- 3,226
- h-index
- 14
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.
Timeline
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1980
Plans behind a question
Perrault and James F. Allen described a model of cooperative language understanding in 1980. It infers the questioner’s plan and identifies information needed to complete it. Their train-station examples explain why a helpful response can include a departure gate as well as the requested time. The implemented system was tested in that restricted domain.
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1983
From Toronto to SRI
Before joining SRI in 1983, Perrault taught computer science at the University of Toronto. With his students, Perrault worked on planning, plan recognition, and speech acts in natural language discourse. He was also a founding principal of Stanford’s Center for the Study of Language and Information.
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1988–2017
Leading an AI research center
Perrault led SRI’s Artificial Intelligence Center from 1988 to 2017. The center’s work included vision, language, learning, reasoning, planning, and user interaction. The center developed technologies for applications such as personal assistants and robotics.
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2002–2009
The CALO learning assistant
He served as a co-principal investigator of CALO from 2002 to 2009. This DARPA-funded project brought institutions together to build an intelligent office assistant that learns through interaction with people and the world. Its management team received a DARPA performer award in 2007.
Sources and credits
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