SEATTLE, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) today announced Ali Farhadi will become its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 31. Founded in 2014, AI2 is the research institute created by the late philanthropist Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, to drive high-impact AI research and engineering. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization has been responsible for a number of groundbreaking advancements in AI and continues to be a leader in generative and foundational AI research.
As an AI professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at University of Washington, Farhadi’s research impact has been globally recognized with several best paper awards at CVPR, NeruIPS, AAAI, NSF Career Award, and the Sloan Fellowship. In 2015, Farhadi joined AI2 to start the Computer Vision team, with a focus on visual common-sense reasoning and the role of actions and interactions in visual understanding. While at AI2, Farhadi co-founded Xnor.ai, the first on-device Deep Learning startup that was acquired by Apple in 2020. Named one of Forbes Top 5 AI Entrepreneurs, Farhadi joins AI2 from Apple, where he led the company’s next generation Machine Learning efforts.
“As we face unprecedented changes in the development and usage of AI, I could not think of a better time to return to AI2 as CEO,” said Farhadi. “Today more than ever, the world needs truly open and transparent AI research that is grounded in science and a place where data, algorithms, and models are open and available to all. I believe this radical approach to openness is essential for building the next generation of AI. The world class researchers and engineers at AI2 are uniquely positioned to lead this new open and trusted approach to AI development.”
“Ali is the truly rare leader who combines expertise as an executive, entrepreneur, academic, and researcher. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the transformative power of AI through his unique ability to channel deep scientific research into product solutions,” said Dr. Peter Lee, member of AI2’s board of directors and corporate vice president of Microsoft Research & Incubations. “As the premier AI research and engineering nonprofit, AI2’s work to advance the science and impact of artificial intelligence on a global scale has never been more critical. We are thrilled that Ali will lead the organization’s next chapter and carry on Paul Allen’s vision for AI as a positive force in the world.”
About AI2
AI2 is a nonprofit research institute founded in 2014 with the mission of conducting high-impact AI research and engineering for the common good. Brainchild of the late Paul G. Allen, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, AI2 employs a diverse team of more than 200 world-class researchers and engineers from around the globe, taking a results-oriented approach to drive fundamental advances in science, medicine, and conservation through AI. Learn more at allenai.org and stay up to date with new research and news from AI2 on Twitter @allen_ai.
For more information, press only:
Carissa Schoenick, carissas@allenai.org
