# [[👤Illia Polosukhin]] - [[Artificial Intelligence]] - [[👤Illia Polosukhin]] *** Illia Polosukhin is a prominent figure in the fields of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. Here's a comprehensive overview of his background and achievements: 1. Early Life and Education: - Born in Ukraine - Earned a Master's degree in Applied Math and Computer Science from the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" (2007-2013)[1][8] 2. Early Career: - Worked as a Software Engineer at Salford Systems from 2008 to 2014, focusing on predictive analytics and data mining tools[1][8] 3. Google Research (2014-2017): - Joined Google Research as an Engineering Manager - Managed a team of Deep Learning and Natural Language Understanding Researchers - Worked on TensorFlow, specifically TF.Learn (aka SKFlow) - Co-authored the influential 2017 paper "Attention Is All You Need," which introduced the transformer model, a cornerstone of modern AI[1][2][3] 4. NEAR Protocol: - Co-founded NEAR Protocol in June 2017 with Alexander Skidanov - Initially focused on AI (as NEAR.AI) before pivoting to blockchain technology - NEAR is a scalable blockchain platform designed for decentralized applications - The platform aims to address scalability issues in blockchain and has grown to claim 25 million accounts and 446,000 daily transactions[1][3][7] 5. Contributions to AI and Blockchain: - One of the "Transformer 8," considered founding fathers of generative AI - Pioneered work in speech recognition and game-playing programs - Advocates for the integration of blockchain and AI technologies[3][6] 6. Philanthropy: - Established the Unchain Fund to leverage blockchain technology for humanitarian causes, particularly supporting those affected by the conflict in Ukraine[8] 7. Vision and Philosophy: - Believes in democratizing technology and giving programming power to everyone - Advocates for user-owned AI and prioritizes user privacy and autonomy - Aims to hit one billion users with NEAR Protocol - Sees potential in blockchain for providing trusted proof of content origin in the era of AI-generated media[5][7][10] 8. Recent Ventures: - Continues to develop NEAR Protocol, focusing on creating a simple, secure, and scalable open web ecosystem - Explores the integration of AI capabilities within the NEAR ecosystem[7][10] 9. Recognition: - Widely respected in both AI and blockchain communities for his contributions to transformer technology and blockchain scalability solutions Illia Polosukhin's career spans the cutting edge of both AI and blockchain technologies, making him a unique figure bridging these two transformative fields. His work continues to influence the development of decentralized systems and the application of AI in various domains. Citations: [1] https://pt.linkedin.com/in/illia-polosukhin-77b6538 [2] https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=3SyxFIAAAAAJ [3] https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/27/illiapolosukhinai240624tarasovsf.html [4] https://twitter.com/ilblackdragon [5] https://picampus-school.com/illia-polosukhin-near-ai/ [6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4_YTXhq7no [7] https://www.coindesk.com/consensus-magazine/2023/03/27/illia-polosukhin-future-of-near/ [8] https://fourweekmba.com/illia-polosukhin/ [9] https://openreview.net/profile?id=~Illia_Polosukhin1 [10] https://sifted.eu/articles/illia-polosukhin-web3 [11] https://www.ethdenver.com/talent/illia-polosukhin-e648c [12] https://humansofglobe.com/illia-polosukhin-blockchain-and-ai/