PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

François Hild

Also known as François Hild A

François Hild is a CNRS research director whose image-based measurements help identify and validate material models. An ENS Paris-Saclay alumnus, he earned doctorates in mechanics of materials from Université Pierre & Marie Curie in 1992 and the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1995, then became a CNRS research director in 2003. His 2006 paper with Stéphane Roux integrated digital image correlation with displacement-field identification to estimate fracture stress intensity factors, and he coauthored a 2022 discussion of machine learning and AI in experimental mechanics. He received the CNRS Silver Medal in 2017, became a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Mechanics in 2021, and won the Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal in 2025. In January 2026, he became a corresponding member of the Braunschweigische Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft in engineering sciences; as of October 2026, he is a CNRS research director at the Laboratoire de Mécanique Paris-Saclay.

Works
968
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026. Citations and h-index are hidden because this OpenAlex record may be incomplete or mix in other authors.

Timeline

  1. 1992–1995

    An ENS degree and two doctorates

    An alumnus of ENS Paris-Saclay, he earns a doctorate in mechanics of materials from Université Pierre & Marie Curie in 1992 and a doctorate from the University of California (Santa-Barbara) in 1995.

  2. Since 2003

    Research director at CNRS

    In 2003, he becomes a research director at CNRS. His research focuses on identifying and validating constitutive models with field measurements at different scales.

  3. 2006

    Integrated digital image correlation

    In 2006, he coauthors “Measuring stress intensity factors with a camera: Integrated digital image correlation (I-DIC).” The method couples image correlation and elastic displacement-field identification to estimate mode I and II stress intensity factors.

  4. 2017–2021

    CNRS and SEM honors

    CNRS awards him the 2017 Silver Medal for his work. In 2021, the Society for Experimental Mechanics names him a Fellow.

  5. 2022

    Experimental mechanics and fracture

    In 2022, he coauthors the LMPS contribution “Experimental mechanics and fracture: Toward a big data approach?” It discusses data-driven approaches, machine learning and AI as ways to make more use of experimental test data.

  6. 2025

    The Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal

    In 2025, the BWG awards him the Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal. His research at LMPS uses imaging methods to measure deformation in heterogeneous materials.

  7. January 2026

    Corresponding member of BWG

    In January 2026, he becomes a corresponding member of the Braunschweigische Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft in engineering sciences.

  8. As of October 2026

    Research director at LMPS

    As of October 2026, he is a CNRS research director at the Laboratoire de Mécanique Paris-Saclay, where he works on multiscale techniques to measure, identify and validate constitutive models.

Career

  1. Since 2003CNRSResearch director

Education

  1. 1995University of California, Santa BarbaraDoctorate
  2. 1992Sorbonne UniversityDoctorate in mechanics of materials
  3. École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay

From the biography.

  1. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes CNRS. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  2. Universities keep AI researchers for a median of 6 years, compared with 2 years at frontier labsIncludes CNRS. Across 15,811 dated work stays (6,529 people), median role tenure runs from 6 years at universities to 2 years at frontier labs. We compare all five organization types, starting decades from the 1970s to the 2020s, and the organizations that keep people longest.
  3. People shaping AI work at a median of 3 organizations over a career: 3 for university starters and institute and lab starters, versus 2 for company startersIncludes CNRS. Across 6,853 people shaping AI with a dated work role, we estimate a median of 3 parent organizations over a career (mean 3.6), comparing role groups, starting sectors and starting decades from the 1950s to 2020–2026.
  4. The top 10 organizations employed 22% of people shaping AI in 2025: 51% of company researchers and 21% of university researchersIncludes CNRS. We estimate the share of people shaping AI who worked at the top 10 organizations each year from 1955 to 2025, comparing concentration across companies, universities, and institutes and labs.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Materials, Research, Innovation training seminars materiaux.sorbonne-universite.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Measuring stress intensity factors with a camera: Integrated digital image correlation (I-DIC) comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Médaille Carl Friedrich Gauss pour François Hild du LMPS ens-paris-saclay.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Experimental mechanics and fracture: Toward a big data approach? lmps.ens-paris-saclay.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Gauß-Medaille 2025 für Prof. François M. Hild bwg-nds.de. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. François HILD, nommé à la société scientifique allemande, la BWG, en 2026 ens-paris-saclay.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. François HILD | LMPS lmps.ens-paris-saclay.fr. Checked 21 October 2026.