Shane Legg, Co-founder and Chief AGI Scientist, Google DeepMind

To help current students and recent graduates navigate the world of work, several USI Alumni shared their career paths and career story. Here the story of Shane Legg, Co-founder and Chief AGI Scientist, Google DeepMind in London (UK). USI Degree: PhD in Informatics, 2008.

How did you start your career?

We founded DeepMind Technologies in 2010 after putting together a business plan and finding angel investors in the UK and US.

Why did you found Google DeepMind?

No company had the vision and focus that I was looking for, so I started my own company.

What is your current role/duties?

I oversee a lot of the research direction, manage a number of people and are involved in finding, interviewing and hiring researchers and engineers.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career at Google DeepMind?

It obviously depends on the role. Generally we are looking for people who are good at communicating and dealing with other people, and have strong mathematical, statistical and software engineering skills. Machine learning and neuroscience knowledge are also good to have. 

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

I found USI to be a pleasant working and social environment.

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

I did most of my PhD studies at IDSIA in Manno (CH). IDSIA has an outstanding track record in a range of machine learning topics, especially neural networks, theoretical artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, genetic algorithms and path optimisation. This technical experience has been critical for me in my role at Google DeepMind.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

Talk to people and try to get to know what's going on in the industry you're interested in and generally how things work.  A few good pointers can save you a lot of time and effort, and will help you make the right impression when interviewing for positions.