Michael Rovatsos

Michael Rovatsos serves as Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics and recently concluded his role as Director of the Bayes Centre (2018-2023). After earning his PhD in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich in 2004, he has built an extraordinary career spanning two decades at Edinburgh, progressing from Lecturer to Professor while shaping the field of multi-agent systems and ethical AI. His research combines AI techniques from knowledge-based to game-theoretic approaches, focusing particularly on developing transparent, accountable, and fair AI systems since 2014. As Principal Investigator on projects worth over £18 million, he has led initiatives including UnBias, ReEnTrust, and CyCAT, addressing algorithmic fairness and transparency. Born in Greece and raised in Germany before settling in Scotland, he brings a unique international perspective to his work. His impact extends through leadership roles including Deputy Vice Principal of Research (2020-2022) and current positions as Chair of the University IT Committee and member of the Scottish AI Alliance Leadership Circle. Through collaborations with social scientists and industry partners, he continues to advance human-centric AI while mentoring the next generation of researchers in ethical algorithm design.