From Sci-fi dreams to AI innovator: Risto’s career journey

Risto Miikkulainen, VP of AI Research at Cognizant AI Labs, is one of Cognizant’s foremost thinkers on generative AI and a professor of computer science at the University of Texas. 

There was something magical about growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Arcades buzzed with fun adventures, Walkmans brought music into our pockets and computers began arriving in homes, classrooms and the hands of curious minds like mine. It was also the time when people debated human evolution, the existence of aliens and the development of artificial intelligence (AI). 

And then, one evening, I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey, a movie that blurred the line between science fiction and reality. HAL-9000 from the movie made me wonder if machines could ever develop intelligence beyond what their creators intended. While the character was destructive, I wondered if we could harness the power of these systems to create a positive impact. 

That night, I knew this was not just a passing curiosity.  

I started experimenting with simple programs. The first time I wrote a program that could solve a problem better and faster than me, everything clicked. It was a simple game of Master Mind, a precursor to Wordle. I felt as if I was not using a machine—but teaching it. My fascination for AI led me to study computer science at the University of California.

From passion to profession 

In grad school, I discovered that neural networks outperformed my code by identifying unseen patterns and making autonomous decisions. This encouraged me to explore AI that learns instead of being programmed. 

Another significant milestone came in 2016, when we used evolutionary AI to optimize website designs. The result was an astounding 45% increase in conversions over professional human designs. It was evident that AI had matured enough to drive real-world impact.  

Drawn by the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies alongside some of the brightest minds, I joined Cognizant in 2018. Here, I lead a team of researchers striving to make AI more powerful and practical for real-world applications. It was our team that developed Cognizant’s GenAI platform, NeuroAI, which is one of my proudest professional accomplishments.

Staying ahead of the curve

Many young professionals reach out to me for guidance, and my advice is simple: be curious! AI is evolving faster than you can imagine, so you must always be a part of the conversation. An environment like Cognizant that encourages and actively pursues innovation and prioritizes learning makes a huge difference.

At Cognizant AI Labs, we hold biweekly reading groups on AI advancements. At the University of Texas at Austin, I run a PhD seminar where students present recent breakthroughs. Beyond that, I stay connected with the community through conferences, AI digests and discussions with my fellow researchers.

Harmonizing work and play

You might be wondering, Risto is all about AI, research papers and algorithms—how boring! But that is far from the truth. While I love the thrill of AI, I also sneak out late at night to play ice hockey. It’s my way of unwinding, much like how AI finds patterns in chaos, except in my case the chaos involves pucks and skates.