Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
A random course assignment set Kyunghyun Cho on the path to becoming an influential artificial intelligence researcher. Kyunghyun’s research introduced attention as the mechanism underlying modern large language models. In this episode, he explains why attention is a universal solution to many AI challenges, why he isn’t worried about de-skilling caused by AI, and why coming to Finland was the best decision ever. He has studied at Aalto University, worked at Facebook, and founded a protein design company that was acquired by Genentech.
Kyunghyun Cho is professor of health statistics and computer science at New York University.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Kyunghyun Cho and his connection to Finland
2:12 The coincidence that brought Kyunghyun from Korea to Finland
8:19 Finnish AI pioneers and the lineage behind modern AI
12:42 What is attention and why did it transform AI?
20:12 Machine translation, the digital divide and AI breakthroughs
24:27 RNNs, recurrence and the future of continual learning
29:24 From NLP to protein design, health care and choosing research problems
42:10 Academia, AI tools, student anxiety and optimism about the future
Sattuma toi Kyunghyun Chon Suomeen – ja opiskelu Aalto-yliopistossa sysäsi hänet uralle tekoälytutkijana. Tässä englanninkielisessä jaksossa hän kertoo miten huomiokyky ratkaisee monet tekoälyn haasteet, miksi opiskelijoiden tulee käyttää tekoälytyökaluja, mikä yliopistojen tehtävä on nyt ja tulevaisuudessa sekä Suomeen tulon suuren vaikutuksen. Kyunghyun Cho on terveystilastotieteen ja tietotekniikan professori New Yorkin yliopistossa (NYU). Cho on työskennellyt myös Facebookissa ja perustanut Prescient Design -firman, joka sittemmin myytiin Genentechille.
Script: Arno Solin & Eric Malmi
Production: Krash Oy
Visual identity: Merle Karp
Executive production: Aalto University, ELLIS institute Finland
A random course assignment set Kyunghyun Cho on the path to becoming an influential artificial intelligence researcher. Kyunghyun’s research introduced attention as the mechanism underlying modern large language models. In this episode, he explains why attention is a universal solution to many AI challenges, why he isn’t worried about de-skilling caused by AI, and why coming to Finland was the best decision ever. He has studied at Aalto University, worked at Facebook, and founded a protein design company that was acquired by Genentech.
Kyunghyun Cho is professor of health statistics and computer science at New York University.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Kyunghyun Cho and his connection to Finland
2:12 The coincidence that brought Kyunghyun from Korea to Finland
8:19 Finnish AI pioneers and the lineage behind modern AI
12:42 What is attention and why did it transform AI?
20:12 Machine translation, the digital divide and AI breakthroughs
24:27 RNNs, recurrence and the future of continual learning
29:24 From NLP to protein design, health care and choosing research problems
42:10 Academia, AI tools, student anxiety and optimism about the future
Sattuma toi Kyunghyun Chon Suomeen – ja opiskelu Aalto-yliopistossa sysäsi hänet uralle tekoälytutkijana. Tässä englanninkielisessä jaksossa hän kertoo miten huomiokyky ratkaisee monet tekoälyn haasteet, miksi opiskelijoiden tulee käyttää tekoälytyökaluja, mikä yliopistojen tehtävä on nyt ja tulevaisuudessa sekä Suomeen tulon suuren vaikutuksen. Kyunghyun Cho on terveystilastotieteen ja tietotekniikan professori New Yorkin yliopistossa (NYU). Cho on työskennellyt myös Facebookissa ja perustanut Prescient Design -firman, joka sittemmin myytiin Genentechille.
Script: Arno Solin & Eric Malmi
Production: Krash Oy
Visual identity: Merle Karp
Executive production: Aalto University, ELLIS institute Finland
