서울대학교 미주동창회 Seoul National University Alumni Association in the USA
If the human brain runs on less power than an incandescent light bulb, surely AI can, too. “The current narrative is that larger is better,” says Yejin Choi, a leading researcher in natural language processing and computer science professor at Stanford University, of large language models like ChatGPT. But our own efficient minds are “living proof” that a path away from pouring billions into ever-larger models is possible, Choi tells TIME.
A former MacArthur genius grant recipient known for her work on AI’s understanding of common sense, Choi joined the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) in January to explore alternatives to expensive, energy-hungry LLMs. Small language models, or SLMs, are cheaper and more power-efficient—and, she points out, more equitable, as they prevent a future where the largest and most powerful players retain control of the field.
Once a science-loving schoolgirl in South Korea, Choi became a researcher interested in the human outcomes of AI. (Another of her ongoing research projects: “pluralistic alignment,” or ensuring AI serves diverse viewpoints, rather than homogenizing human thought.) “Part of my mission,” she says, “is somehow using AI to make humanity better, as opposed to making AI for the sake of making AI better.”
– Time
Yejin Choi is the incoming Dieter Schwarz Foundation HAI Professor, a Professor of Computer Science, and a Stanford HAI Senior Fellow. Prior, she was a professor of Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, adjunct of the Linguistics department, and affiliate of the Center for Statistics and Social Sciences. She is also a senior research manager at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. She is a co-recipient of the Marr Prize (best paper award) at ICCV 2013, a recipient of Borg Early Career Award (BECA) in 2018, and named among IEEE AI’s 10 to Watch in 2016. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Cornell University (advisor: Prof. Claire Cardie) and BS in Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University in Korea.