One of the oldest comprehensive science awards in the world, The Franklin Institute Awards Program is a cornerstone of the legacy of Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute since its founding in 1824. Over the past 200 years, The Franklin Institute Awards Program has honored the most influential scientists, engineers, and inventors who have significantly advanced science and technology. The roster of more than 2,000 laureates includes luminaries such as Nikola Tesla, Marie and Pierre Curie, Orville Wright, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, and more recently, vaccine pioneers Kizzmekia Corbett, Drew Weissman, and Katalin Karikó. Notably, 125 of these laureates have also received the Nobel Prize.

AI pioneer and best-selling author Kai-Fu Lee recently sat down with Columbia Engineering Interim Dean Shih-Fu Chang for a wide-ranging conversation touching on key technologies, such as machine learning, cryptocurrencies, and virtual reality, and how they might shape our lives over the next 20 years.

Lee, whose new book “AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future” was recently published, is a seminal figure in AI technology, inventor of the first AI to defeat a world champion in the game Othello in 1988. Lee got his academic start in computer science with a bachelor’s from Columbia in 1983 and went on to be a president of Google China and executive at Microsoft, SGI, and Apple. He is currently CEO of Sinovation Ventures and president of Sinovation Ventures’ Artificial Intelligence Institute.

Dean Chang is also a professor of computer science and electrical engineering, as well as inaugural director of Columbia Center of Artificial Intelligence Technology. He is a world-renowned expert in computer vision, multimedia, and artificial intelligence.

The talk and audience questions were moderated by Jessica Tsoong BS’08, a tech entrepreneur and angel investor currently based in the Bay Area, California.

Header image: Columbia Engineering Interim Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Kai-Fu Lee