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September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
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How It Works • AI

Yoshua Bengio

Yoshua Bengio is a Canadian computer scientist known for pioneering work on artificial neural networks and deep learning.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Yoshua Bengio is a Canadian computer scientist and a pioneer of deep learning and artificial neural networks. He is a professor at Université de Montréal and shared the 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award for foundational contributions to the field.

What it is

Yoshua Bengio is a leading figure in artificial intelligence, best known for his foundational work on deep learning and neural networks. He is a full professor at Université de Montréal, founder and scientific advisor of Mila (the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), and co-president and scientific director of LawZero, a nonprofit focused on mitigating catastrophic AI risks.

Why it matters

Bengio's research helped make deep neural networks central to modern computing, powering technologies like speech recognition and image analysis. His shift toward AI safety and beneficial AI, reflected in his role at LawZero, highlights growing concerns about the risks of advanced AI systems.

Key details

Born in Paris, France in 1964, Bengio built his career in Canada. He shared the 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun. He remains a key voice in Canadian AI policy and research networks.

In short

  • Pioneer of deep learning and artificial neural networks.
  • Professor at Université de Montréal and founder of Mila.
  • Shared 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award with Hinton and LeCun.
  • Now focused on AI safety as co-president of LawZero.
Canadian angle

Bengio is a prominent Canadian AI researcher based in Montréal, closely tied to Université de Montréal, Mila, and Canadian AI policy and research networks.

Quick questions

Who is Yoshua Bengio?
He is a Canadian computer scientist known for pioneering deep learning and artificial neural networks.
What major award did he win?
He shared the 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun.
What is LawZero?
LawZero is a nonprofit organization where Bengio serves as co-president and scientific director, focusing on mitigating catastrophic AI risks.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshua_Bengio
    Supports: Birth date, nationality, professorship, Mila, LawZero, and Turing Award context.
  2. Association for Computing Machinery — https://amturing.acm.org/award_winners/bengio_3406375.cfm
    Supports: Birth date and the citation for the 2018 A.M. Turing Award.
  3. Yoshua Bengio official site — https://yoshuabengio.org/en
    Supports: Current roles, affiliations, honours, and leadership positions.
  4. Mila — https://mila.quebec/en/directory/yoshua-bengio
    Supports: Founding role at Mila, research profile, and AI leadership.
  5. LawZero — https://lawzero.org/en/team/yoshua-bengio
    Supports: Current LawZero role and the organization’s founding context.
  6. Université de Montréal — https://recherche.umontreal.ca/english/our-researchers/professors-directory/researcher/is/in13599/
    Supports: Professor status and research role at Université de Montréal.