Mary “Missy” Cummings is director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory and Duke Robotics at Duke University. A naval officer and military pilot from 1988-1999, she was one of the U.S. Navy's first female fighter pilots. She is currently an associate professor in the Duke University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, and the Duke Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. She is also an affiliate professor with the University of Washington’s Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.