1938年3月2日（農歷二月初一）出生于福建省莆田縣靈川鄉（今福建省莆田市城廂區東海鎮）西厝村一個貧農家庭。1944年9月，進入家鄉西厝小學讀書。1950年6月，高小畢業于福建省莆田縣善鄉小學。1950年7月，考入福建省立莆田中學（后更名為福建省莆田第一中學）。1954年6月，福建省莆田第一中學初中畢業。1954年1月，加入中國新民主主義青年團，后更名為中國共產主義青年團。1954年9月，考入福建省莆田第一中學高中。1956年5月，評為福建省莆田第一中學“三好學生”，并于1956年8月代表學校出席在泉州召開福建省晉江地區三好學生代表大會。1957年6月，高中畢業于福建省莆田第一中學。1957年9月考入交通大學（1959年后更名西安交通大學）電氣工程系工業電氣化與自動化專業學習。
1962年畢業于西安交通大學電氣工程系工業自動化專業，1962年至今在中南大學（原中南礦冶學院、中南工業大學）從事人工智能、機器人學、智能控制等教學和科研工作。
1986年任中南工業大學自動控制工程系副教授，1991年6月起任教授。1992年起獲國務院政府津貼，1993年被國務院學位委員會批準為博士生導師。曾任中南大學信息科學與工程學院學位委員會主席、教授委員會主任。
1983-1985年作為訪問學者留學美國普渡大學和內華達大學。1983年12月-1985年6月在普渡大學師從國際模式識別之父、國際智能控制學科的奠基者、美國國家工程科學院院士K S Fu（傅京孫）教授研修人工智能與機器人學。1988-1990年任中國科學院自動化研究所和北京大學信息科學中心客座研究員,1992-93年以高級訪問學者身份再度留美，任美國倫塞勒工業大學客座教授。2004年4-7月為俄羅斯科學院圣彼得堡信息學與自動化研究所客座研究員。2007年5－8月受聘丹麥技術大學客座教授。是聯合國專家、IEEE Fellow（院士）、IEEE終身院士、國際導航與運動控制科學院院士、紐約科學院院士，是首屆全國高校國家級教學名師獎、吳文俊人工智能科技獎成就獎、徐特立教育獎和寶鋼全國優秀教師獎特等獎獲得者。2019年12月26日當選“新中國70周年湖湘人物”。
從事高等教育57年，指導博士和碩士生（含留學碩士生）近四百名，為上千研究生和上萬本科生授課，被譽為“蔡自興教授百千萬教育工程”。主持國家教育部質量工程項目8個，包括國家級精品課程（2門）、國家級雙語教學示范課程、國家級精品視頻公開課、國家級教學團隊、國家級精品資源共享課（2門）和國家級新世紀網絡課程等。堅持智能科學技術研究36年，涉及人工智能基礎、專家系統、智能機器人、無人駕駛、智慧醫療、智能控制等研究方向，是我國人工智能、智能控制、機器人學諸學科的學術帶頭人之一，被譽為“中國人工智能教育第一人”、“中國智能控制的奠基者”和“中國智能機器人學科的創始人”。撰寫出版人工智能領域中英文學術著作50多部，包括國內首部具有自主知識產權的人工智能、機器人學、智能控制著作和國際首部智能控制系統專著等。在國內外發表學術論文千余篇，他引數萬次，擁有國內外百萬高層讀者，并榮登“2017科睿唯安（Clarivate Analytics）高被引科學家”榜單。
現為中南大學教授、博士生導師，湖南省自興人工智能研究院首席科學家。歷任第八屆湖南省政協副主席和全國政協第九屆和第十屆委員會委員，兼任中國人工智能學會第3-4屆副理事長及其智能機器人分會/專業委員會創會理事長/主任、中國自動化學會理事及其智能自動化專業委員會委員/顧問、中國計算機學會人工智能與模式識別專業委員會委員，IEEE計算智能學會評獎委員會委員和IEEE CIS進化計算技術委員會委員等。
主要從事智能系統、人工智能、智能控制、智能機器人研究。在智能系統、機器人學和自動控制等學科領域具有很高的知名度，是我國人工智能、智能控制、智能機器人學諸學科的學術帶頭人之一，為我國智能科學技術的發展做出重要貢獻，被譽為“中國人工智能教育第一人”、“中國智能機器人學科創始人”和“中國智能控制奠基者”。
1978年提出晶閘管（可控硅）直流可逆自動調速系統控制指令的數學模型。1985年，他在國際上首創機器人規劃專家系統。1986年，他在國際上率先提出了智能控制的“四元交集結構理論”，被收入《中國大百科全書》。1999年提出進化控制的思想和體系結構，并建立了進化控制系統原型。2001年提出智能科學學科體系的初步框架和學科特征。2003年提出免疫控制的思想和免疫控制系統的一般結構。
主持并完成國家自然科學基金重點項目在內的科教研究30多項，其中獲國際獎勵2項，國家級獎勵3項，省部級以上獎勵10多項。己在國內外出版專著、教材50部，發表學術論文1000多篇。其中，《人工智能及其應用》、《機器人原理及其應用》、《智能控制》和《智能系統原理、算法與應用》分別是我國智能科學技術領域有關人工智能、智能機器人、智能控制和智能系統的首部著作，已為眾多高校用作教材或教參。Intelligent Control: Principles, Techniques and Applications 在國外出版，成為國際上首部智能控制系統專著。這些著作已先后出版近100萬冊，擁有數百萬高層讀者。
在教學教育上，千方百計克服困難，堅持在教學第一線為學生，特別是本科生上課。57年來，長期為上萬名本科生和上千名研究生講課，共指導培養博士和碩士近200名，指導留學碩士課程論文200多人，被譽為“蔡教授的百千萬教育工程”。還主持8項國家教育部質量工程項目，包括國家級精品課程（2門）、全國雙語教學示范課程、國家級精品視頻公開課、國家級優秀網絡課程、國家級教學團隊各一門（項）和國家級精品資源共享課（2門）等。
積極參政議政，反映社情民意，關注國計民生和社會進步。己在全國政協和湖南省政協等會議上提出100多項提案和建議，并結集出版《蔡自興委員政協提案選輯》。歷任湖南省政協第七屆委員會委員、第八屆委員會委員、常委、副主席，全國政協第九、十屆委員會委員,民革中央第九、十屆委員會委員，第十屆常委，民革湖南省第八屆委員會委員，第九屆委員會委員、常委，第十屆委員會委員、常委、主任委員，第十一屆委員會名譽主任委員。
兼任湖南省科學作家協會名譽理事長、《智能系統學報》編委會副主任,《控制理論與應用》、《機器人》、《控制與決策》、《控制工程》、《冶金自動化》、《計算技術與自動化》等6雜志和2國際期刊編委，并任國防科技大學、北京航空航天大學、北京郵電大學、美國RPI、丹麥技術大學等校兼職/客座教授，北京大學、中國科學院自動化研究所、俄羅斯科學院圣彼得堡自動化與信息學研究所等校所客座研究員，是國際科技發展聯合會會員、國際小型和微型計算機學會會員等。曾任國際智能自動化聯合會理事、國家自然科學基金委學科評議組成員等職。
Short CV of Prof Zixing CAI
(Edition of April 2019)
Zixing Cai got a diploma and graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Jiao Tong University at Xi’an, China in 1962. He has been doing teaching and research work on artificial intelligence, computational intelligence，automatic control, computer science, and intelligent robotics in the Center for Intelligent Systems and Software, School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University (CSU), Changsha, China since 1962. Now he is a Professor in CSU and the chief scientist in the Hunan Zixing AI Academy. He got a Certificate from ichuan International Studies University, Chengdu, China in 1982. During May to December of 1983, as a visiting scholar he visited the Center of Robotics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Nevada at Reno, Nevada, USA. Then as a post-doctoral researcher he visited the Advanced Automation Research Laboratory, School of Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA during December 1983 to June 1985. During October 1988 to August 1989, he was a senior research scientist in the National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. During October 1989 to September 1990 he visited the National Laboratory of Machine Perception, Center of Information, Beijing University as a visiting research professor. He got a Certificate from Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China in 1992. During September 1992 to March 1993, as a senior visiting scholar he visited the NASA Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration and Department of Electrical, Computer and System Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA as a visiting professor. Since February 1989, he has become an UN (United Nations) Expert granted by UNIDO, the United Nations Industry Development Organization. He became a Member of a Senior Member of IEEE since 1998. During 2000-2014 he was charged of Instructor of Center for Intelligent Systems, Central South University. During 2000-2013 he held the post of President of Academic Committee of School of Information S&E, CSU. During May to September of 2004 he visited the Saint Petersburg Institute of Informatics and Automation, Academy of Russia as a senior visiting scientist. During 2005-2014 he was responsible for Chairman of Professor Committee of School of Information S&E, CSU. During April to August of 2007 he visited the Denmark Technical University as a visiting professor. He has been a Member of IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS) Award Committee and a Member of IEEE CIS Evolutionary Computation Technical Committee since 2015. In 2016 he was appointed as the vice president of Expert Advisory Committee of Intelligent Manufacturing 2025, Hunan Province, and was charged of the Chief Scientist of Hunan AI Research Institute since 2016.
He was elected as a member of New York Academy of Sciences in 1998, member the International Academy of Navigation and Motion Control in 2004. He has been elected to become an IEEE Fellow in November of 2016 and an IEEE Life Fellow in September of 2018.
Professor Cai’s research interests include Intelligent Systems and Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Robotics, Industry Automation and Intelligent Control. More than 1000 papers and articles have been published since 1985. He is the author or co-author of more than 40 monographs/textbooks such as Artificial Intelligence and Its Applications, Robotics: Principles and Applications, Robotics, Intelligent Control, Intelligent Control: Principles, Techniques and Applications, Advanced Expert Systems: Principles, Design and Applications, Artificial Intelligence with Application to Decision-Making Systems, Intelligent Control: Principles and Applications, Dictionary of Artificial Intelligence, Theories and Methods for Navigation Control of Mobile Robots under Unknown Environments, Fundamentals of Robotics, Synergy Principles and Technologies of Multi-mobile Robots, Artificial Immune System Based on Normal Model and Its Applications, Self-location Technologies of Mobile Robot under Unknown Environments, Intelligent Kingdom, Intelligent Systems: Principles, Algorithms and Applications, Key Techniques of Navigation Control for Mobile Robots under Unknown Environment, Sensing, Mapping and Object-tracking of Intelligent Driving Vehicle, etc.
A special mention should be given to the fact he used the technique of expert system to high-level robot planning successfully in 1985 for the first time in the world. In 1986, he proposed the idea of Four-element Intersected Structural Theory of Intelligent Control (AI, Cybernetics, Informatics and Operation Research) for the first time. Over 30 awards of S&T as well as education have been received. He has obtained the Chinese Excellent Textbook Prize (First-class) in 1996 and 2002 respectively. He has gained the First-class Prize of excellent papers of the Hunan Province in 1986, 1989, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 etc. In 1992, he has granted as an Excellent Contributory Expert by Chinese government. In 2003 he was granted as Chinese “State Eminent Professor”. In 2009 he was granted a prize of “Xu Teli Education”. In 2014 he was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award of Intelligence Science and Technology of China named by Wu Wenjun. In November of 2017 he was selected in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers” by Clarivate Analytics.
Professor Cai has been the Chief Professor, the President of Academic Degree Committee, the Chairman of Professor Committee, Director of the Research Center for Intelligent Systems/ Software, doctor’s supervisor at the School of Science and Engineering, Central South University. He is also the Member of the Board of Directors or Standing Directors for the followings: Chinese Association of Artificial Intelligence (CAAI, Vice President), Chinese Society of Computer Vision and Intelligent Control (CVIC, CAAI), Society of Intelligent Robots (SIR, CAAI, as honor President), Chinese Association of Automation(CAA), Society of Intelligent Automation, CAA, Society of Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition, Chinese Federation of Computer (CFC), Sub-Society of Automation, Chinese Association of Computer Users, Chinese University Forum on Automation and Robotics.
In teaching and higher education field, Professor Cai have charged 10 national teaching reform projects such as the State Refinement Course and Demonstration Course of Artificial Intelligence, the State Refinement Course of Intelligent Control, the State Teaching Team of the Series Basic Courses of Intelligent Science and Technique, the State Refinement Video Open Course of Artificial Intelligence PK Human Intelligence, the State Refinement Resource Sharing Course of Intelligent Control Systems, the State Refinement Resource Sharing Course of Dreams and Realities of Artificial Intelligence, etc.
