The Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA-CSIC) is proud to announce that its Director, Carles Sierra, has been selected to receive the Donald E. Walker Distinguished Service Award at IJCAI-25, one of the most prestigious accolades in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

Established in 1979 by the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) Trustees, this award recognises senior scientists for their outstanding contributions and dedicated service to the global AI community over the course of their careers. It was later named in honour of Donald E. Walker, a founding figure of IJCAI and a central contributor to the development of AI as a discipline.

With this distinction, Sierra joins a celebrated group of recipients that includes some of the most influential figures in the history of AI — such as Arthur Samuel, Barbara Grosz, Raj Reddy, and Francesca Rossi. The award also echoes a proud tradition at IIIA-CSIC, following in the footsteps of Ramon López de Mántaras, former Director of the Institute, who received the same honour in 2017.

The recognition highlights Sierra’s longstanding leadership in areas such as multi-agent systems, trust modelling, and ethical AI, as well as his tireless efforts to foster collaboration and strengthen the international AI research ecosystem. Over the years, his contributions have significantly shaped both the theoretical foundations and societal impact of artificial intelligence.

The award will be formally presented during the Opening Ceremony of the IJCAI 2025 conference, where the honouree will deliver a keynote address.

For more information on the award and its previous recipients, please visit: https://www.ijcai.org/awards

The entire IIIA-CSIC community congratulates Carles Sierra on this well-deserved honour, which stands as a testament to a career devoted to excellence, service, and global impact in artificial intelligence.