MIT Technology Review Names Lijun Yu Innovator
The Google DeepMind researcher is honored for her contributions to generative video technology in the 2026 regional list.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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MIT Technology Review named Lijun Yu to its 2026 Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific list. Yu, a senior research scientist at Google DeepMind, is recognized for her pioneering work in developing generative AI systems.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence models capable of transforming text into high-quality video. Yu's work remains a central component in the evolving landscape of automated creative production.
Yu's technical contributions include VideoPoet, a system designed to generate videos from text instructions, and the MAGVIT and MAGVIT-v2 models for image and video synthesis. Her foundational work follows her 2019 graduation from Peking University.
The players
Lijun Yu
She is a senior research scientist at Google DeepMind who focuses on generative artificial intelligence.
Google DeepMind
This is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. dedicated to artificial intelligence research and the development of large-scale machine learning models.
MIT Technology Review
This is a media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that focuses on emerging technologies and their impact on society.
Peking University
Located in Beijing, this public research university is consistently ranked as one of the top academic institutions in Asia.
The details
Lijun Yu currently serves as a senior research scientist at Google DeepMind, a position she has held since May 2024. Her academic trajectory included a 2018 research program at Carnegie Mellon University and a Best Paper Award at the 2024 International Conference on Machine Learning.
Timeline
2018: Yu participated in a summer research program at Carnegie Mellon University.
2019: Yu completed her studies at Peking University.
2024: Yu was honored with a Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Machine Learning.
May 2024: Yu began her tenure as a senior research scientist at Google DeepMind.
2026: MIT Technology Review selected Yu for its Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific list.
The Tech Race
Yu's recognition by MIT Technology Review illustrates how top-tier researchers drive the competitive development of generative video systems. This work marks a shift from legacy static imaging to dynamic, instruction-based AI generation that challenges existing creative software paradigms.
Users can expect more advanced and intuitive video-creation tools as models like VideoPoet and MAGVIT continue to evolve. These improvements will likely lower the technical barrier for high-quality content production across digital platforms.
The takeaway
Lijun Yu's selection underscores the vital role of foundational research in the rapid evolution of generative media. Aspiring developers can look to her academic and professional path as a benchmark for contributing to the future of machine learning systems.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam.
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