NEC C&C Foundation Awards 2021 C&C Prize

Dr. Kunihiko Fukushima
Senior Research Scientist, Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute

Citation
For Contributions to the Development of Artificial Intelligence with Pioneering Research that Applied Principles of Neuroscience to Engineering through Invention of Neocognitron, a Hierarchical Neural Network Model of the Visual Cortex of the Brain

Achievement
The progress made in AI has been remarkable. AI is already widely used in applications such as image and voice recognition, language understanding, reasoning, autonomous driving, robots, and medical care. Nowadays, AI has become indispensable in making industry and society more automated and efficient as well as in making our lives more convenient and comfortable.

Dr. Fukushima developed the neocognitron, a hierarchical neural network model, by applying knowledge of the primary visual cortex in the brain to engineering more than 40 years ago. As the prototype for convolutional neural networks that are the core technology of today's AI, the neocognitron greatly contributed to the dramatic development and practical application of AI. Because Dr. Kunihiko Fukushima's achievements were far-sighted and of great magnitude, we believe he is a worthy recipient of the C&C Prize.