Seven Machine Learning Pioneers Win 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

London, November 5, 2025 — At a distinguished ceremony held at the Science Museum in London, seven engineers who have transformed the field of artificial intelligence were awarded the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. This globally respected honor celebrates engineering innovations with significant benefits to humanity.

Ceremony Celebrates Global Impact of Modern Machine Learning

The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has long recognized individuals whose work addresses worldwide challenges. In 2025, the spotlight was firmly on pioneers of modern machine learning—a discipline underpinning today’s advances in artificial intelligence, data science, and deep learning technologies. This year’s laureates include Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, John Hopfield, Yann LeCun, Jensen Huang, Bill Dally, and Fei-Fei Li. Collectively, their breakthroughs have unlocked possibilities across countless sectors, shifting paradigms in how society leverages technology.

The Laureates: Visionaries Behind Transformative AI

• Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, John Hopfield, and Yann LeCun are globally recognized for their foundational research in neural networks. These algorithms, inspired by the architecture of the human brain, have enabled computers to learn directly from massive data sets—ushering in smarter medical diagnostics, personalized technology, and many applications once thought impossible.

• Jensen Huang and Bill Dally—key figures at Nvidia—created hardware platforms, especially high-speed GPUs, pivotal to scaling up machine learning and deep learning worldwide. Their work has accelerated AI's progress, making practical deployments accessible across industries from autonomous vehicles to energy management.

• Fei-Fei Li revolutionized computer vision by developing the ImageNet dataset, a vast library of labeled images. ImageNet became an essential benchmark, spurring algorithmic advances and setting standards for computer vision research globally.

Engineering’s Three Pillars: Algorithms, Hardware, and Data

The achievements of the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize winners rest on three crucial foundations:

• Algorithmic innovation: Work on neural network models demonstrated new forms of learning, generalization, and adaptability in computers. These contributions continue pushing AI limits in daily life, research, and enterprise.

• Hardware acceleration: GPUs and architectural advances have enabled the computational demands required for deep neural networks, making large-scale AI research both feasible and affordable.

• Data resources: Comprehensive datasets such as ImageNet have made it possible to rigorously measure progress, refine model accuracy, and ensure practical technology outcomes worldwide.

Engineering Innovation That Matters

Artificial intelligence powered by machine learning now shapes modern society—from healthcare imaging and renewable energy to speech recognition and financial forecasting. The laureates’ contributions have enabled machines to discover patterns, automate complex decisions, and support global innovation. As Lord Vallance, Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, noted at the ceremony, “Their work exemplifies the power of collaboration and stands as an inspiration to engineers everywhere.”

Professor Dame Lynn Gladden, chair of the judging panel, added, “This year’s winning innovation impacts everyone, yet the full extent of its engineering remains largely unrecognized, making it an especially exciting choice.”

Prize Details and Broader Significance

The seven laureates will share the £500,000 prize and receive a unique trophy designed by Prerak Bothra, winner of this year’s “Create the Trophy” competition. Since its inception in 2013, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has honored 26 engineers whose innovations have improved billions of lives.

Judges praised this year’s recipients for enabling transformative breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, advancing critical sectors such as:

• Healthcare (rapid disease detection)

• Transportation (autonomous driving systems)

• Energy (smart grid optimization)

• Education (AI-powered personalized learning)

Inspiration for Future Generations

This year’s ceremony was attended by HRH The Princess Royal and other leaders from the engineering and scientific community. The event highlighted the accomplishments of the laureates and the broader mission of engineering: inspiring future generations to solve humanity’s greatest challenges.

The Science Museum’s vivid setting provided a fitting reminder of the infinite cycle of innovation—each breakthrough builds on the last, fueling progress that touches every aspect of daily life. Young engineers and students were encouraged to follow in the laureates’ footsteps, continuing the legacy of ingenuity and creativity at the heart of modern technology.

Looking Forward

With artificial intelligence poised to play an even greater role in society, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering continues to champion bold, collaborative inventiveness demonstrated by this year’s winners. The foundation eagerly anticipates future nominations that will shape how we live, work, and interact.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What is the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?
The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) is a prestigious global award recognizing groundbreaking engineering innovations that have benefited humanity. It celebrates engineering visionaries and inspires future generations.

Q2: Who won the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?
The 2025 prize was awarded to seven pioneers of modern machine learning: Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, John Hopfield, Yann LeCun, Jensen Huang, Bill Dally, and Fei-Fei Li, recognized for neural networks, hardware platforms, and datasets like ImageNet.

Q3: Where was the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering ceremony held?
The award ceremony took place at the Science Museum in London, with King Charles presenting the prize.

Q4: What innovations did the 2025 winners contribute to?
They advanced modern machine learning by developing neural network algorithms, scalable AI hardware, and foundational datasets essential for training AI systems, revolutionizing healthcare, transportation, and energy industries.

Q5: How much is the prize money for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?
The 2025 winners share a total prize of £500,000 awarded by the QEPrize Foundation.

Q6: How often is the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering awarded?
Initially biennial, the prize has been awarded annually since 2021, reflecting rapid advancements in transformative engineering innovations.

Q7: Who can be nominated for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?
Living individuals or teams responsible for groundbreaking engineering advances can be nominated by organizations and peers; self-nomination is not allowed.

Q8: What industries benefit from the innovations recognized by the 2025 QEPrize?
Innovations impact healthcare (AI diagnosis), autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, education, and many other sectors, demonstrating engineering’s role in shaping modern life.

Q9: Where can I learn more about the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?
Official information is available on the QEPrize website and through announcements by organizations like the Royal Academy of Engineering.