IEEE Honors Tech Leaders: From GPU to VoIP and AI Art

The annual IEEE Honors Ceremony in New York gathered leading engineers and scientists whose work has shaped modern technology. This year’s awards recognized creators of groundbreaking solutions, including text-based systems for charity, AI diagnostics, and graphics processors.

One of the key laureates was Marian Croak, Google’s Vice President of Engineering, who received the IEEE Founders Medal. Her work laid the foundation for VoIP technologies, enabling voice transmission over the internet, as well as systems for mobile donations. Croak emphasized that empathy and creativity are the driving forces of engineering, with her inspiration drawn from children and art.

The ceremony also honored Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, who was awarded the IEEE’s highest distinction, the Medal of Honor. His contributions to the development of graphics processors and their application in scientific computing and AI have become the backbone of modern computing systems. Huang donated his prize to the IEEE TryEngineering program, and his foundation matched the amount to support young engineers.

Special attention was given to the role of data and AI in art. Artist Refik Anadol presented an AI art project that uses billions of nature images to create interactive exhibitions. His museum, Dataland, is set to open in Los Angeles in June. Another speaker, Giorgia Lupi, demonstrated how data helps visualize stories, including an analysis of passenger interactions in the New York City subway.

Other laureates included Eric Fossum, inventor of CMOS sensors that became the foundation of smartphone cameras, and Steven DenBaars, whose work in semiconductors underpins LED displays and laser technologies. The event underscored that engineering breakthroughs result from teamwork and the pursuit of new possibilities.