Yejin Choi

Long before artificial intelligence became the powerhouse of modern technology, Yejin Choi was already diving into its most complex and overlooked challenges. As the Dieter Schwarz Foundation HAI Professor, a Professor of Computer Science, and a Senior Fellow at Stanford HAI, she continues to shape the future of AI research with a sharp focus on common sense reasoning, moral decision-making, and efficient AI models.

As a young girl fascinated by science, Choi spent her childhood defying cultural expectations and questioning social norms. This led her to pursue a PhD at Cornell University, where she worked with Claire Cardie on natural language processing (NLP). Over the years, Yejin Choi has held esteemed positions at the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for AI, and most recently, she took on a new role as NVIDIA’s Senior Director of AI Research.

Choi’s research explores the very things AI struggles with most: common sense, ethics, and nuanced understanding. She has challenged the assumption that AI must rely solely on massive datasets and has pushed for the development of smaller, more efficient language models. Her work has earned her a MacArthur Fellowship, multiple best paper awards, and a spot on Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI.

Yejin Choi is a sharp and thoughtful critic of AI’s blind spots. From co-authoring papers on AI bias to questioning the way large language models are trained, she has never shied away from difficult conversations. Her TED Talk, Why AI is Incredibly Smart and Shockingly Stupid, captures her distinctive perspective: AI is only as good as the assumptions we feed it, and those assumptions need scrutiny.

With her latest appointment at Stanford HAI, Choi is doubling down on her mission to build AI that doesn’t just mimic intelligence but truly understands the world it operates in. She remains committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, working with cognitive scientists, philosophers, and ethicists to ensure AI develops in a way that benefits humanity. As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, her voice and work is more essential than ever.