CMU President Jahanian and Sundar Pichai smile and sit in front of a dark blue background.

Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai

CMU Welcomes Google, Alphabet CEO to President's Lecture Series

Carnegie Mellon University welcomed Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to the Pittsburgh campus on Sept. 18, 2024. Pichai met with Carnegie Mellon students, faculty and staff and toured research labs in the School of Computer Science.

The day concluded with Pichai delivering a distinguished lecture and participating in a fireside chat with CMU President Farnam Jahanian — events that kicked off the President's Lecture Series for the CMU community.

Pichai's tour of campus included a visit to Carnegie Mellon Mission Control, a command center for space missions, including the launch of the Iris Lunar Rover and the forthcoming MoonRanger expedition.

While at Mission Control, Pichai met with computer science faculty members as well as members of the Iris Lunar Rover team, which created a 2 kg. rover which flew into space aboard the Peregrine Lunar Lander in January of 2024.

Mission Control

Pichai (right) listens as Raewyn Duvall (left), research associate in the Robotics Institute and commander of the Iris Mission, demonstrates a model of the Iris lunar rover at Carnegie Mellon Mission Control.
Pichai (right) listens as Raewyn Duvall (left), research associate in the Robotics Institute and commander of the Iris Mission, demonstrates a model of the Iris lunar rover at Carnegie Mellon Mission Control.  
Prof. Red Whittaker (right) in the Robotics Institute, explains the unique fabrication of the Iris rover to Pichai (left) as Jahanian (center) and School of Computer Science Dean Martial Hebert (left of center) listen in.
Prof. Red Whittaker (right) in the Robotics Institute, explains the unique fabrication of the Iris rover to Pichai (left) as Jahanian (center) and School of Computer Science Dean Martial Hebert (left of center) listen in.
Duvall (center) talks to David Wettergreen (left), research professor in CMU's Robotics Institute, and Pichai.
Duvall (center) talks to David Wettergreen (left), research professor in CMU's Robotics Institute, and Pichai. 
Pichai poses with Jahanian, Whittaker and other faculty, students and staff in Carnegie Mellon Mission Control.
Pichai poses with Jahanian, Whittaker and other faculty, students and staff in Carnegie Mellon Mission Control. 

GENESIS

Pichai's time on campus also included visiting with computer science faculty and students to learn about GENESIS, which develops faster and easier-to-use physics engines. He then moved on to demonstrations featuring robotic arms and hands, quadruped, and humanoid robots.

 

Pichai with students, faculty, and a robot from Skild AI.
Pichai with students, faculty, and a robot from Skild AI.
Deepak Pathak, Raj Reddy Assistant Professor in Robotics & co-founder and CEO of Skild AI (left) shakes hands with a humanoid robot. 
Pathak (left) and Abhinav Gupta, faculty member in The Robotics Institute and co-founder of Skild AI (right), join Pichai in watching a robot adapt to changing terrain.
Pathak (left) and Abhinav Gupta, faculty member in The Robotics Institute and co-founder of Skild AI (right), join Pichai in watching a robot adapt to changing terrain.
Pathak (right) introduces Pichai (second from right) to research involving a robotic arm.

Fireside Chat

After Pichai delivered his distinguished lecture in the new Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics, he joined Jahanian for a fireside chat to talk about his journey and what's on the horizon for AI with regard to energy, governance and workforce development. Both the lecture and fireside chat are part of the CMU's President's Lecture Series, which aims to bring a curated list of thought leaders and world leaders to campus to engage and inspire the Carnegie Mellon community on issues of emerging and preeminent relevance to society.

 

Jahanian (left) and Pichai (right) sit on beige chairs in front of a dark blue background..
Jahanian (left) and Pichai (right) discuss the present and future state of artificial intelligence to kick off this year's President's Lecture Series.
Pichai stands at a clear acrylic podium with a black Carnegie Mellon University President's Lecture Series sign behind him.
Pichai delivers his lecture, "The AI Platform Shift and the Opportunity Ahead."
Pichai holds a soccer ball and stands next to Jahanian and two soccer players wearing red jerseys.
Pichai, an avid soccer fan, receives personalized gifts from two captains of the CMU women's soccer team, Cecilia Dieterich (second from left) and Gemma Jefferson (far right). 
Jahanian and Pichai smile into a camera on a selfie stick. They have their back to a smiling audience.
Jahanian (left) and Pichai (right) pose for a selfie with the audience at the end of the fireside chat.