Dr Kate Darling

Dr Kate Darling is one of the world’s foremost experts on robotics, ethics and society. A Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab and Lead for Ethics & Society at the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, she explores how humans emotionally connect with life-like machines and how these relationships will reshape our laws, policies and sense of identity. Known for her engaging style and thought-provoking insights, Kate challenges audiences to consider how technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.

Kate’s career blends law, economics and robotics. After earning degrees in both economics and law in Switzerland, she completed a Doctorate of Sciences at ETH Zurich, focusing on copyright and the economic incentives that shape creativity. Her research soon evolved towards the legal and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She co-taught a robot ethics course at Harvard Law School with Professor Lawrence Lessig, where her fascination with the human side of machines took centre stage. Over the years, Kate has held fellowships at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and the Yale Information Society Project, and served as Intellectual Property Policy Advisor to the Director of the MIT Media Lab, where she also helped establish the MIT–BU Technology Law Clinic.

Through her pioneering work, Kate has become a leading voice in understanding how people perceive and respond to robots. Her experimental studies on social robotics have helped shape global discussions about the moral status of machines, their impact on labour, and their role in education, healthcare and companionship. Her first book, ‘The New Breed: What Our History with Animals Reveals About Our Future with Robots’, draws powerful parallels between our relationships with animals and our evolving connection to machines, making complex ethical questions accessible and human. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Mark T. Banner Award in Intellectual Property from the American Bar Association and was named a Thinkers50 Radar Thinker, highlighting her influence in global thought leadership.

As a keynote speaker, Kate captivates audiences with her clear and relatable approach to complex ideas. She speaks on robot ethics, AI policy, human-robot interaction and the future of technology, offering organisations valuable insight into how emotional design, trust and empathy shape innovation. With features in The Guardian, BBC, The New Yorker, Forbes and WIRED, Kate continues to shape the way the world thinks about robotics and humanity. Whether speaking virtually or in person, she invites audiences to question how we coexist with intelligent machines and what that means for the future of work, relationships and society itself.