Peter Norvig
TL;DR Peter Norvig is a world-renowned computer scientist, educator, and AI researcher whose work has profoundly shaped modern artificial intelligence and computer science education.
Peter Norvig by Sora
Peter Norvig is a globally respected computer scientist, author, and AI pioneer recognized for his leadership in advancing artificial intelligence research and education. Currently serving as a Distinguished Education Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, Norvig has dedicated his career to making AI more understandable, ethical, and accessible to people worldwide.
Before joining Stanford, Norvig held several key roles at Google, including Director of Research, where he led teams developing algorithms that power the company’s search and machine learning technologies—tools used daily by billions worldwide. His leadership helped define what scalable AI systems could achieve in real-world applications, setting benchmarks for efficiency, accuracy, and human-centered design.
Norvig’s influence also extends to academia and education. He co-authored one of the most widely used computer science textbooks, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, which has educated generations of AI researchers, students, and practitioners. The textbook remains a cornerstone in AI education globally. Additionally, Norvig has been a strong advocate for open education, co-developing one of the earliest massive open online courses (MOOCs) that reached over 100,000 learners and helped popularize online computer science learning.
His ongoing work focuses on the ethical and human-centered evolution of AI, emphasizing responsibility, transparency, and collaboration between humans and intelligent systems.
Director of Research at Google, overseeing large-scale AI and search algorithm innovations
Co-author of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, the most widely used AI textbook in the world
Distinguished Education Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI
Pioneer in online education, co-developing a landmark MOOC that reached over 100,000 students
Advocate for ethical and interpretable AI, promoting human-centered approaches to machine intelligence.
Former NASA computer scientist, contributing to autonomous spacecraft software development.
Influential speaker and thought leader shaping the future of AI research, education, and policy
