Shane Legg

Shane Legg CBE is a machine learning researcher and entrepreneur recognized as a co-founder of DeepMind Technologies, a leading artificial intelligence laboratory. Alongside Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman, Legg co-founded DeepMind, which was later acquired by Google and operates as Google DeepMind, where he serves as chief AGI scientist. Legg is credited with independently coining the term "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) and played a role in popularizing it with his former colleague Ben Goertzel.

Legg's background in AI research is grounded in a strong academic foundation. He earned his PhD at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research (IDSIA), focusing on theoretical models of superintelligent machines, particularly the AIXI framework, under the supervision of Marcus Hutter. His doctoral thesis, "Machine Super Intelligence," proposed a formal definition of machine intelligence and was recognized with the Canadian Singularity Institute research prize. Legg completed postdoctoral work at the Swiss Finance Institute, developing models of human decision-making, and at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London.

At DeepMind, Legg contributed to the company's mission of developing AGI to address complex global challenges. The company gained recognition for its work in deep reinforcement learning, enabling AI systems to learn from experience and solve complex problems, such as playing Atari games at a superhuman level. As chief scientist, Legg has overseen recruitment, strategic direction, and led DeepMind's AI safety initiatives.

In his role as co-founder and chief AGI scientist at Google DeepMind, Legg leads the technical AGI safety team, focusing on ensuring that advanced AI systems behave as intended and mitigating risks associated with AI alignment and existential threats. He is known for his public advocacy regarding existential risk from AI and has signed statements highlighting the importance of AI safety.

Legg's work in artificial intelligence has been recognized with several honors. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and named to TIME Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in AI. He is an Honorary Fellow of University College London and received the Digital Masters Award for Excellence in Technology. As a Distinguished Alumnus of Waikato University, Legg has presented at venues including TED AI and Oxford Martin School, addressing critical issues in AI research, AGI development, and AI safety.