Yoshua Bengio

One of the three Godfathers of AI, Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Operations at Universite de Montreal & Recipient of the Turing Award

Yoshua Bengio’s Biography:

Yoshua Bengio is one of the world’s foremost experts in artificial intelligence, internationally recognised as a pioneer of deep learning and artificial neural networks. Often described as one of the three “godfathers of AI”, he has played a foundational role in shaping modern machine learning. In recent years, he has become equally known for his candid warnings about the societal and existential risks of advanced AI, using his global platform to advocate for responsible development and urgent regulation. As a keynote speaker, Yoshua combines technical authority with principled reflection on the future of humanity.

Yoshua began his academic journey at McGill University, earning degrees in computer engineering and computer science before completing a PhD in computer science. He undertook postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, focusing on statistical learning and sequential data, followed by further research at AT&T Bell Laboratories in learning and vision algorithms. In 1993, he joined Universite de Montreal as a professor, where he has spent more than three decades advancing research and mentoring generations of AI scientists.

He is the founder and Scientific Director of MILA, one of the world’s leading institutes for deep learning, and serves as co-director of the CIFAR Learning in Machines and Brains programme and Scientific Director of IVADO. A recipient of the 2018 Turing Award, he was also the most cited computer scientist globally that year. His honours include the Killam Prize, the IEEE CIS Neural Networks Pioneer Award and inclusion in the Time 100 Most Influential People in AI. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and Canada and a contributor to the Montreal Declaration for the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence.

Yoshua’s speaking engagements explore both the transformative potential and the profound risks of AI, particularly around military use, governance and long term safety.

Why Hire Yoshua Bengio?

Yoshua is hired for his unparalleled technical credibility and moral leadership in artificial intelligence. Drawing on decades of pioneering research, he provides audiences with deep insight into how modern AI systems function, where they are heading and why governance cannot lag behind innovation. His presentations address existential risk, safety research, regulation and ethical design with intellectual rigour and clarity. For organisations navigating high stakes AI decisions, he offers rare perspective from a scientist shaping the field at its very foundation.

Yoshua Bengio’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Yoshua Bengio’s impressive career:

• 2025 – Featured in The Guardian
• 2024 – Named on the TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential People Globally list
• 2024 – The most cited computer scientist by h-index
• 2023 – ACM Fellow
• 2023 – Appointed to the United Nations Scientific Advisory Council on Technological Advances
• 2023 – Appointed Knight of the Legion of Honour
• 2022 – Recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award in the Scientific Research category
• 2021 – Author of “Art in the Age of Machine Learning”
• 2020 – Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society
• 2018 – Recipient of the ACM A.M. Turing Award
• 2017 – Named an Officer of the Order of Canada
• 2017 – Made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
• 2016 – Author of “Deep Learning”
• 2016 – Co-Founder of Element AI
• 2009 – Author of “Learning Deep Architectures for AI”
• 1995 – Author of “Neural Networks for Speech & Sequence Recognition”