PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Iyad Rahwan

Iyad Rahwan is a computer scientist whose work examines how intelligent machines affect humanity. He earned an AI doctorate in Melbourne and held academic posts in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and at MIT. His research includes the Moral Machine experiment on autonomous-vehicle dilemmas and a call for a cross-disciplinary science of machine behavior. He directs the Center for Humans and Machines at Berlin’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development and advises the United Nations Development Programme on AI for Human Development.

Works
456
Citations
15,454
h-index
49

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2005

    A doctorate in AI

    He studies informatics at UAE University and information technology at Swinburne University and the University of Melbourne, where he completes a PhD in Information Systems (Artificial Intelligence) in 2005.

  2. By 2010

    Teaching in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

    After his 2005 PhD, he serves as lecturer and senior lecturer in informatics at the British University in Dubai. In 2010, he becomes an associate professor of computing and information science at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi.

  3. 2015–June 2020

    Associate professor at MIT

    He becomes an associate professor of media arts and sciences at the MIT Media Lab in 2015 and holds the post until June 2020.

  4. 2018

    The Moral Machine experiment

    He coauthors The Moral Machine experiment, published in Nature in 2018. Its online platform explores moral dilemmas faced by autonomous vehicles and gathers 40 million decisions in ten languages from millions of people in 233 countries and territories.

  5. 2019

    A science of machine behaviour

    With coauthors, he argues for a broad, cross-disciplinary science to study AI systems’ behavior in the 2019 Nature article Machine behaviour.

  6. 2019

    Directing a Berlin research center

    In 2019, he moves from MIT to Berlin to direct the new Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. At the center, he studies how intelligent machines affect humanity.

  7. 2025

    Testing future technologies

    He coauthors The science fiction science method in Nature in 2025. The method uses experiments to simulate future technologies and measure participants’ attitudes and behavior.

  8. As of October 2026

    Director at Max Planck

    As of October 2026, he directs the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. In 2025, he advises the United Nations Development Programme on AI for Human Development.

Sources and credits

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  1. Iyad Rahwan | Max Planck Institute for Human Development mpib-berlin.mpg.de. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. New Director: Iyad Rahwan’s Research Focuses on the Societal Challenges of Digitization mpib-berlin.mpg.de. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Interview with Iyad Rahwan | Max Planck Institute for Human Development mpib-berlin.mpg.de. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. The Moral Machine experiment | Nature nature.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Publications ‹ Iyad Rahwan — MIT Media Lab media.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Machine behaviour | Nature nature.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. The science fiction science method | Nature nature.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  8. Health Summit 2026: AI in Healthcare | Max Planck Institute for Human Development mpib-berlin.mpg.de. Checked 15 October 2026.