PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Malik Ghallab

Malik Ghallab is an AI researcher whose work connects robotics, automated planning, acting and learning. He became a research director at LAAS-CNRS in 1989, led France's national robotics program, directed LAAS-CNRS and served as INRIA's Executive Officer for Research and Technology. He coauthored Automated Planning and Acting and Acting, Planning and Learning, and published a report on GPT and large language models. As of October 2026, he is a robotics and AI researcher and CNRS emeritus research director at LAAS-CNRS.

Now at
CNRS
Badges

Timeline

  1. Since 1989

    Research director at LAAS-CNRS

    He becomes a research director at LAAS-CNRS in 1989.

  2. 2000–2006

    France's national robotics program

    From 2000 to 2006, he heads France's national interdisciplinary research program in robotics.

  3. 2003–2006

    Directing LAAS-CNRS

    He directs LAAS-CNRS from 2003 to 2006.

  4. 2007–2010

    INRIA's research and technology officer

    From 2007 to 2010, he serves as INRIA's Executive Officer for Research and Technology.

  5. By 2016

    Robotics and AI at LAAS

    By 2016, he holds a doctorate in sciences and works on robotics, AI and automated planning.

  6. 2016

    Automated Planning and Acting

    In 2016, he coauthors Automated Planning and Acting with Dana Nau and Paolo Traverso, a book about deliberation between planning and action.

  7. 2024–2025

    GPT and large language models

    In 2024, he writes a report on principles and challenges for GPT and large language models in AI. In 2025, he coauthors Acting, Planning and Learning with Dana Nau and Paolo Traverso.

  8. As of October 2026

    AI education research at LAAS

    In May 2026, he presents a paper on AI in education at the Third International Symposium on Generative AI and Education. As of October 2026, he is a robotics and AI researcher and CNRS emeritus research director at LAAS-CNRS.

Career

  1. Since 1989CNRSResearch director, Director
  2. 2007–2010InriaExecutive Officer for Research and Technology

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 named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Conférence sur l'impact du numérique dans la rupture de l'évolution des savoirs ladepeche.fr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Planning and Robotics (PlanRob) icaps13.icaps-conference.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. les directeurs du LAAS et leurs adjoints sites.laas.fr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Introduction (Chapter 1) - Automated Planning and Acting cambridge.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Annuaire - LAAS-CNRS laas.fr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Colloque : l’intelligence artificielle et les savoirs aniti.univ-toulouse.fr. Checked 20 October 2026.