Noel Sharkey

Noel Sharkey is a computer scientist known chiefly for the television series Robot Wars and Techno Games. The computer scientist appeared on Robot Wars as a judge and is often dubbed as the head judge on the show. Besides, he is also the only judge to have made an appearance in every show series.

Sharkey is also known for featuring as a techspert on Techno Games and co-hosting the show Bright Sparks, aired on BBC Northern Ireland.

Born on December 14,1948, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sharkey lives with his wife Amanda and five daughters in Sheffield. Noel is an AI and robotics professor at the University of Sheffield.

He is also the chairman of an NGO titled International Committee for Robot Arms Control, which aims to restrict the creation and use of robotic weapons. The professor has also co-founded the Foundation for Responsible Robotics.

The professor is also a founding editor of journals like Connection Science and editor for Artificial Intelligence Review and Robotics and Autonomous Systems. He has also been a chairman for the Department of Computer Science and a professor of Artificial Intelligence and Public Engagement at the University of Sheffields.

He has been bestowed with a senior media fellowship by EPSRC and Leverhulme Fellowship of battlefield robots ethics. The scientist has also pursued a doctorate in psychology, science and is a chartered IT professional. Besides, Sharkey has received a fellowship of FIET and British Computer Society, Royal Society of Arts, and Royal Institute of Navigation.

Earlier, the professor has graced numerous teaching and research positions in the US and the UK in psychology, computer science, and language and linguistics. He has also been the director of the Centre for Cognitive Science at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield. Sharkey was honored with a doctorate in informatics by the Sweden’s University of Skoyde.

Sharkey has the credit of publishing over 150 articles and books on machine learning and cognitive science. He is also inclined towards the ethical aspect since he has been vocal about the responsibilities of governments and international institutions as far as robotic applications are concerned both in military and policing.

Besides featuring on the shows mentioned above, Noel keeps appearing for interviews on television, newspapers, and radio relating to the responsible use of robotics and AI. He has been interviewed on his life on The Life Scientific of BBC Radio 4. In addition to publishing journals and articles, the acclaimed roboticist also writes for newspapers, news websites, and magazines.