Sir Demis Hassabis, born on July 27, 1976, in London, is a British artificial intelligence researcher, neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and influential figure in the development of AI technologies. As the co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, a globally recognized AI research lab acquired by Google, he has led the creation of revolutionary programs such as AlphaGo, AlphaFold, and other foundational advancements in deep reinforcement learning. In 2024, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside John M. Jumper for their work on AlphaFold, a breakthrough in predicting protein structures, which solved a grand challenge in biology and is poised to advance drug discovery and disease research.
Hassabis’s journey into AI began early, as a chess prodigy and games designer. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet, completed his A-levels at 16, and studied computer science at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with a Double First. His initial foray into AI was through game design, working at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and his own company, Elixir Studios, before returning to academia. At University College London (UCL), he earned a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience under the guidance of Eleanor Maguire, researching the neural basis of memory and imagination, which later inspired his approach to AI algorithms.
Hassabis founded DeepMind in 2010 with the mission to “solve intelligence” and use it to tackle significant global challenges. Under his leadership, DeepMind pioneered Deep Q-Networks (DQN) for superhuman performance in Atari games, and AlphaGo, which famously defeated world Go champion Lee Sedol in 2016, marking a historic AI milestone. DeepMind's achievements extend beyond games to practical applications, such as optimizing Google’s data center energy use and improving medical diagnostics in collaboration with the UK’s National Health Service.
In recent years, Hassabis has become a leading voice in AI ethics, emphasizing the importance of safety and control in advanced AI systems. He has advised the UK Government on AI and advocated for international collaboration to address the potential risks and benefits of AI. In recognition of his contributions, he has received numerous accolades, including the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, and was knighted in 2024.
Today, Hassabis continues to drive innovation at DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, focusing on AI’s applications in science and health. He resides in North London with his family, and his life story, including his pioneering work in AI, was featured in the documentary The Thinking Game, premiered in 2024 at the Tribeca Festival.
