Two École Polytechnique alumni named among Schmidt Sciences’ 2026 AI2050 Fellows

Two École Polytechnique alumni, Francis Bach (X1994) and Romain Lopez (X2013), are part of the fifth cohort of the AI2050 Fellows program, which supports research focused on the major long-term challenges of artificial intelligence.

Francis Bach (X1994), a researcher in machine learning and optimization, is a research director at Inria within the Department of Computer Science at the École normale supérieure. Since 2011, he has led the SIERRA team, a joint initiative of Inria, the CNRS, and the ENS. A member of the French Academy of Sciences since 2020, his research focuses in particular on statistical learning, optimization, parsimonious methods, and neural networks.

As part of his AI2050 project, Francis Bach will work on designing an external audit system to verify that the actions carried out by artificial intelligence agents comply with safety rules. This project is part of research focused on the evaluation and assurance of increasingly autonomous AI systems.

Romain Lopez (X2013) is a professor of computer science and biology at New York University, where he leads the Biological Machine Learning group. He graduated from École Polytechnique in 2016 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.

His research lies at the intersection of machine learning and computational biology, with a particular focus on single-cell genomics, generative models, and the study of cellular mechanisms. 

His AI2050 project aims to develop artificial intelligence systems capable of determining the next experiments to be conducted in cell engineering. By analyzing the results obtained from each series of experiments, these systems should enable more effective selection of subsequent experiments, with the specific goal of contributing to the development of therapeutic T cells for the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases.

Two categories of Fellows

Created and co-chaired by Eric Schmidt and James Manyika, the AI2050 program brings together international researchers at various stages of their careers to address a common question: How can we ensure that artificial intelligence benefits society by 2050?

The program recognizes two categories of Fellows in particular.

Senior Fellows are established researchers who have made significant contributions to their fields. Their fellowships provide three years of support for ambitious, interdisciplinary, and innovative projects that are often difficult to fund through traditional channels.

The Early Career Fellows program is designed for researchers at the beginning of their careers, particularly postdoctoral researchers and academics who have not yet secured a tenured position. The program provides them with financial support for three years, as well as guidance aimed at fostering the development and dissemination of their work.

The Class of 2026 brings together 28 researchers from around the world, to whom Schmidt Sciences is providing $16 million in funding over three years. The presence of Francis Bach and Romain Lopez illustrates the diversity of backgrounds and generations among École Polytechnique alumni who are committed to advancing artificial intelligence and studying its scientific and societal implications.