We are pleased to announce that Stephen P. Boyd—Samsung Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University—has been elected an Academician of WAAC (World Academy for Artificial Consciousness), in recognition of his pioneering contributions to convex optimization and control engineering, as well as his development of methods–tools–ecosystems for large-scale intelligent systems.
Over the years, Professor Boyd has pursued a research program centered on “convex optimization–control–intelligent systems,” building a chain of evidence from theory to engineering practice: together with Lieven Vandenberghe he co-authored the classic textbook Convex Optimization, systematizing the use of convex analysis and conic programming in engineering; he proposed and popularized the DCP (Disciplined Convex Programming) specification and toolchain (CVX / CVXPY / Convex.jl, etc.), dramatically lowering the barrier to turning mathematical models into reproducible engineering; his tutorial review on ADMM established a general algorithmic framework for convex optimization in distributed and statistical learning; in embedded and real-time control he developed the CVXGEN code generator, enabling millisecond-scale solves; and his courses (e.g., EE364A: Convex Optimization I) and open resources continue to be updated and to benefit both industry and academia. Taken together, this body of work provides testable optimization modeling and computational pathways for “consciousness cues”—such as selective responsiveness, resource allocation, and global coordination—in complex engineered artificial systems.
- Global Collaboration and Academic Ecosystem
Academicians of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness hail from institutions such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, the University of California, the French Academy of Sciences, the University of Padua, the University of Queensland, Columbia University, and the University of Exeter. Honorary Academicians come from a wide range of countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Spain, and China. In addition, leading scientists from prominent research institutes and technology companies—such as Google, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and ZEEKR—also participate.
- About WAAC
The World Academy for Artificial Consciousness (https://www.waac.ac/) is a global academic institution established in Paris in 2025. Its mission is to advance frontier research and international collaboration in artificial consciousness through the integration of science, technology, and philosophy. The Academy publishes open research, policy recommendations, evaluation standards, and more. The current President is Academician Yucong Duan, and the Secretary-General is Dr. Yingbo Li. The Honorary Academician List: On May 3, 2025, WAAC released its first batch of Top 100 Honorary Academicians, recognizing scholars who have made foundational or leading contributions to the theory of artificial consciousness.