The Academy Recognizes Yann LeCun for Advancing AI
Yann LeCun, Meta’s VP and Chief AI Scientist, was recently honored by The New York Academy of Sciences for his outstanding contributions to science. LeCun was one of three recipients of the Academy’s inaugural Trailblazer Award, presented during the 2025 Spring Soirée at the University Club of New York.
“His work has been instrumental in setting the terms of how we think about the uses, implications, and impact of AI in all its forms,” said Nick Dirks, President and CEO of the Academy. LeCun, a Turing Laureate and Jacob T. Schwartz Professor of Computer Science at NYU, has been called a “pioneer” and “godfather” in the AI field.
LeCun’s connection to the Academy dates back several years when he and Manuela Veloso agreed to serve as honorary chairs for a new initiative on AI applications in critical NYC economy sectors. He spoke at the first Tata Series on AI & Society in March 2024, discussing his work on neural networks and the limitations of large language models.
“To build truly intelligent systems, they’d need to understand the physical world, be able to reason, plan, remember, and retrieve,” LeCun explained. “The architecture of future systems will be very different from current large language models.”
Beyond his technical contributions, LeCun is known for his sense of humor and passion for jazz. He’s a musician himself, playing woodwind instruments and even building custom instruments combining traditional and electronic elements.
When accepting his award, LeCun humorously noted, “I like jazz so I’m fond of improvising speeches.” He also emphasized his role as a public advocate for science and rationalism, stating, “We’ve got to stand up for science” in the face of current challenges.
