Dr. Rolf Pfister
Artificial Intelligence: Bridging Minds and Machines
Researcher and entrepreneur
pursuing human-level AI
More about me in the podcast:
AI & Society: Ways into the new world
If you’d like to engage me for speaking events, consultations, or have other topics, please write to:
contact@rolfpfister.com
Experiences
Research
My research centers on the fundamental principles of knowledge and intelligence, providing the conceptual foundation for developing new AI approaches. Holding a Dr. in Philosophy of Science from the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy at LMU Munich, I focus on creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capable of understanding the world through the implementation of scientific methods, moving beyond purely statistical deep learning models.
Lab42 AI Research Institute
As the Co-Founder & Director of Research at Lab42, a non-profit AI research institute in Davos, Switzerland, I am responsible for defining the strategy and the research agenda as well as leading the team dedicated to achieving human-level AI. My role involves managing key stakeholders, publicly representing the institute, and organizing high-profile events, including specialized hackathons and C-level programs at the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Entrepreneurship
To ensure that scientific insights translate into tangible benefits, I have founded and managed multiple companies, effectively bridging the gap between theoretical research and productive application. This entrepreneurial experience is essential for converting complex research into practical, market-ready solutions, which not only provides social benefits but also enhances the deep conceptual understanding required to advance the core research itself.
Speeches & Consultancy
Leveraging my extensive experience across academia and business, I regularly deliver speeches, university lectures, and consulting services to organizations. My focus is on presenting the latest developments in AI, robotics, and philosophy in an easily comprehensible manner, allowing participants to understand complex challenges and develop conceptually sound solutions that translate directly into practical, real-world benefits.
Publications
A Representationalist, Functionalist and Naturalistic Conception of Intelligence as a Foundation for AGI
Preprint: in submission, 2025
Understanding and Benchmarking Artificial Intelligence: OpenAI's o3 Is Not AGI
arXiv, 2025
The Role of Overdetermination and Alternative Implication in the Evaluation of Conditionals
Preprint: in submission, 2024
Speeches
2025/09-10
FHGR Bachelor Tourism
Lecture series on the theoretical foundations and practical application of AI in Tourism
2025/06/27
LMU Faculty 10 Research Day
Poster Presentation: Foundational Principles of Artificial Intelligence
2025/03/11
Huawei Seine Technology Summit
Panel Discussion: Integration of Generative AI in Business
2025/03/11
Huawei Seine Technology Summit
Understanding and Benchmarking Artificial Intelligence
2025/02/15
FHGR EMBA in Digital Technology and Operations
Artificial Intelligence for Business
2025/01/24
Zentrum Guggerbach
Einführung in Künstliche Intelligenz und Robotik
2025/01/23
AI House Davos
Panel Discussion: Davos as a Strong AI Hub: From AI World Records to Humanoid Robots
2025/01/22
Data Migration International Digital Lounge @ WEF 2025
The Future of AI
2025/01/22
Data Migration International Digital Lounge @ WEF 2025
Panel Discussion: Future-Proofing with AI: State of the Union and Beyond
2024/11/27
KI-Dialog: Roboter – unser neuer Freund und Helfer
Ein Blick in die Zukunft der KI
2024/11/08
Binary Stars: the AI x SW conference
ARC-AGI: The Quest for Reasoning and Intelligence
2024/10/30
FHGR Reallabor Prättigau/Davos
KI im Handel und Gewerbe
2024/07/03
FHGR Reallabor Prättigau/Davos
KI in Hotellerie und Gastronomie
2024/06/17
Innovation Center Davos
Panel Discussion: Globale Governance Künstlicher Intelligenz und die Rolle der Schweiz
2024/05/30
Verband Zürcher Finanzfachleute
Künstliche Intelligenz: Ihre Grundlagen, im kaufmännischen Bereich und in der Gesellschaft
2024/04/18
Wunderraum AG
Panel Discussion: Kunst und Künstliche Intelligenz
2024/03/06
Mindfire
Eintauchen in die Welt der Künstlichen Intelligenz
2024/02/29
FHGR EMBA in Digital Technology and Operations
Artificial Intelligence for Business
2023/11/21
Academia Raetica
The role of AI in research
2023/10/30
Marketing-Tag Laax
Künstliche Intelligenz: Ihre Grundlagen und unsere Gesellschaft
2023/10/21
TUM.ai AI Summit Munich 2023
Panel Discussion: Beyond the current hype: the quest for human-level AI
2023/10/19
CK-CARE AG
AI in Medicine – Where is AI today?
2023/09/26
Cambridge University
How to create AI that pursues scientific discovery?
2023/09/13
2plus AG
Zwischen Hype und Realität: Was Künstliche Intelligenz kann und was nicht
2023/07/29
Innovation Center Davos
Development of human-level AI by exploring the principles of intelligence
2023/04/27
Swiss Young Immunologists Society
Science, AI and Philosophy
2023/03/24
Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy
An Approach to Solve the Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus (ARC) by Means of Scientific Discovery
2023/01/31
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
A Conditional Theory of Abduction
2022/11/28
TUM.ai
Panel Discussion: The Development of Human-Level Artificial Intelligence
2022/09/22
Academia Raetica
Wie wir in der Wissenschaft neue Ideen entwickeln – und ob Künstliche Intelligenz das Gleiche tun kann
2022/05/31
Warsaw University of Technology
Abduction Based on Conditionals as a Foundation for Artificial Intelligence
2022/03/10
7th World Congress and School on Universal Logic
A Probabilistic and Non-Monotonic Logic for Abduction Based on Conditionals
