PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

David Pearce

David Pearce is a professor in the Artificial Intelligence Department of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where his work includes applied logic for explainable AI. He earned a D Phil at the University of Sussex in 1980, then worked in Berlin, at the German AI Research Centre in Saarbrücken, and at the European Commission in Brussels. In 2002 he moved to Madrid as a Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow, and in 2014 the European Association for Artificial Intelligence elected him EurAI Fellow. In 2024 he proposes a design approach to applied logics that make AI systems more explainable.

Photo of David Pearce

Timeline

  1. 1980

    A D Phil at Sussex

    He completes a D Phil at the University of Sussex in 1980.

  2. 1982–1994

    Lecturer and Heisenberg fellow

    From 1982 to 1994 he works at the Philosophy Institute of the Free University Berlin, first as a lecturer and later as a Heisenberg Research Fellow funded by the DFG.

  3. 1994

    A move to DFKI in Saarbrücken

    He moves to the German AI Research Centre (DFKI) in Saarbrücken in 1994.

  4. 2000

    A project officer in Brussels

    He joins the Future and Emerging Technologies Unit of the European Commission in Brussels in 2000, as a temporary researcher and project officer.

  5. 2002

    A Ramón y Cajal fellowship

    Moving to Madrid in 2002, he becomes a Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow in the computer science department of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

  6. 2014

    Elected EurAI Fellow

    The European Association for Artificial Intelligence elects him EurAI Fellow in 2014.

  7. 2024

    A design approach to applied logics

    He proposes, in 2024, a design approach to applied logics that make AI systems more explainable.

  8. Since 2009

    Professor in UPM's AI department

    He joins the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in 2009 as a professor in the I3 programme, and he works in its Artificial Intelligence Department.

Sources and credits

Photo: dia.fi.upm.es; Pearce, David - Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial; creator not stated. License: Not stated by source. Source: dia.fi.upm.es. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. David Pearce dpearce.net. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Project Coordinator | RESEARCHERS | LIANDA lianda23.uma.es. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Logic, Accountability and Design — CAIML caiml.dbai.tuwien.ac.at. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Talk by David Pearce: Logic, Accountability, and Design : Vienna Center for Logic and Algorithms vcla.at. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Characterising equilibrium logic and nested logic programs: Reductions and complexity | Theory and Practice of Logic Programming | Cambridge Core cambridge.org. Checked 14 October 2026.