Yann LeCun Is Optimistic That AI Will Lead to a Better World

Yann LeCun is widely regarded as one of the “godfathers” of AI—but unlike the attire of the famous film gangsters, his bow-tie on Sunday night was an eye-catching shade of red. “I come from a world where corporate attire is a t-shirt and a hoodie, so this is unusual for me,” he told the crowd. “Usually it’s more on the geeky side.”

LeCun was awarded a TIME100 Impact Award on Sunday night in Dubai, in recognition of his achievements in the field over decades leading up to the recent boom in artificial intelligence.