Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a central topic in contemporary computer science and informatics. The fruits of fifty years of AI research have benefited application domains as disparate as industrial systems control and medicine. The milestone events in AI research are increasingly regarded as milestones in human scientific and technological development: from the first chess playing program to defeat a reigning world champion under standard chess tournament rules, to the first robot to autonomously traverse 150 miles of rough terrain. Techniques, results, and concepts developed under the banner of AI research have proved to be of fundamental importance in areas such as economics, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and logical analysis. And of course, AI remains a topic of perennial fascination in popular culture.

Initiated in 1974, the biennial European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI) is Europe's premier archival venue for presenting scientific results in AI. Organised by the European Coordinating Committee for AI (ECCAI), the ECAI conference provides an opportunity for researchers to present and hear about the very best research in contemporary AI. As well as a full programme of technical papers, ECAI-2010 will include the Prestigious Applications of Intelligent Systems conference (PAIS), the Starting AI Researcher Symposium (STAIRS), and an extensive programme of workshops, tutorials, and invited speakers. (Separate calls are issued for PAIS, STAIRS, and workshops.)

ECAI-2010 will be held in the beautiful and historic city of Lisbon, Portugal. With excellent opportunities for sightseeing and gastronomy, Lisbon promises to be a wonderful venue for a memorable conference.