Rob Barton is a Cisco Distinguished AI Engineer with Cisco's AI Software Engineering Group. A graduate of the University of British Columbia in Engineering Physics, he has extensive expertise in networking, cybersecurity, and AI. Rob is the author of four books, including Demystifying Generative AI. He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed research papers and holds over 400 patents in key areas such as network security, cloud networking, and AI/Machine Learning. As the leader of Cisco's AI research collaboration program with top universities, Rob drives innovation at the intersection of academia and industry. In 2025, he was inducted into the Cisco Live Distinguished Speakers Hall of Fame Elite.