Andrew Ng

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

By RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Technology Writer

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) – To computer scientists, Andrew Ng is one of the leading human brains behind artificial intelligence. To many students trying to break into this hot technology, Ng is its face as well.

Nearly 2 million people around the globe have taken his online course on machine learning.

Ng (uhng) has led teams of researchers at search engines Google and Baidu, trained machines to recognize cats in YouTube videos, and revolutionized the field by plugging graphics chips meant for video games into self-learning computer programs.

Most recently, he left his high-profile job at Baidu to launch deeplearning.ai, a startup that produces AI-training courses.

Ng sees AI as a way to “free humanity from repetitive mental drudgery.” The key to his success? He says life is “shockingly short.”