PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Giorgio Metta

Also known as G Metta, G. METTA, G. Metta

Giorgio Metta is a robotics researcher whose work uses humanoid robots to study learning and artificial intelligence. He earned engineering degrees at the University of Genoa, worked at MIT's AI Lab, and coordinated ADAPT by 2006. ADAPT researchers used BabyBot to test a model of human presence, with potential applications in robotics, AI and machine perception. In 2010, he coauthored a paper that described iCub as an open-systems platform for cognitive-development research; in 2016, he coauthored a study of visuo-tactile associations in a humanoid robot with artificial skin. He was Professor of Cognitive Robotics at Plymouth, served as IIT's Deputy Scientific Director, and represented Italy at the 2018 G7 forum on AI; as of October 2026, he is IIT's Scientific Director.

Born
1970

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1994–2006

    Genoa degrees, MIT and ADAPT

    He earns an MSc with honors in electrical engineering at the University of Genoa in 1994 and completes a PhD there in 2000. From 2001 to 2002, he works as a postdoctoral associate at MIT's AI-Lab. By 2006, he is Assistant Professor at Genoa's Laboratory for Integrated Advanced Robotics and coordinates ADAPT.

  2. 2006

    BabyBot tests human perception

    In 2006, ADAPT researchers use BabyBot to test a model of human presence, a combination of senses such as sight, hearing and touch, with potential applications in robotics, AI and machine perception.

  3. 2010

    iCub as a research platform

    In 2010, he coauthors a paper that presents iCub as an open-systems humanoid platform for research in cognitive development. The iCub is the platform of choice for AI research.

  4. 2012–2021

    Professorships at Plymouth and Manchester

    From 2012 to 2019, he is Professor of Cognitive Robotics at the University of Plymouth. From 2020 to 2021, he is Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester.

  5. 2016

    A visuo-tactile robotics paper

    In 2016, he coauthors a paper on visuo-tactile associations in a humanoid robot with artificial skin.

  6. 2016–2019

    Robot learning and IIT leadership

    In 2016, experiments on iCub show that it learns a peripersonal-space representation through interaction and can generate avoidance and reaching behaviors. From 2016 to 2019, he serves as IIT's Deputy Scientific Director.

  7. 2018–2020

    G7 representation and IIT appointment

    In 2018, he is one of the three Italian representatives at the G7 forum on Artificial Intelligence. He takes office as IIT's Scientific Director in January 2020 for a 2020–2024 term.

  8. October 2026

    Scientific Director of Orizzonti Digitali

    In October 2026, he serves as scientific director of Orizzonti Digitali and is IIT's Scientific Director.

Career

  1. Since 2016Italian Institute of TechnologyDeputy Scientific Director
  2. 2020–2021University of ManchesterVisiting Professor
  3. 2012–2019University of PlymouthProfessor of Cognitive Robotics
  4. 2001–2002Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPostdoctoral Associate
  5. University of GenoaAssistant Professor
  6. Orizzonti DigitaliScientific Director

Education

  1. 2000University of GenoaPhD
  2. 1994University of GenoaMSc in Electrical Engineering

From the biography.

  1. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes Italian Institute of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Italian Institute of Technology. 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.

Colleagues

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

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Giorgio Metta yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Scientific Director - IIT iit.it. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. BabyBot takes first steps | News | CORDIS | European Commission cordis.europa.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. The iCub humanoid robot: An open-systems platform for research in cognitive development - University of Lisbon researchportal.ulisboa.pt. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Peripersonal Space and Margin of Safety around the Body: Learning Visuo-Tactile Associations in a Humanoid Robot with Artificial Skin | PLOS One journals.plos.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Giorgio Metta will be IIT’s new scientific director - Talk iit opentalk.iit.it. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. L’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia a Orizzonti Digitali 2026 - Talk iit opentalk.iit.it. Checked 21 October 2026.