John E. Kelly III

Kelly was raised in Albany, New York, and attended Bishop Maginn High School.{{cite news |last1=McGuire |first1=Brian |title=Union College grads thrive in careers at IBM |url=https://muse.union.edu/newsarchives/2003/02/24/gazette-story-cites-the-union-ibm-connection/ |access-date=April 14, 2020 |work=The Daily Gazette |date=February 23, 2003 |via=Union College}}

He earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Union College in 1976. Kelly received his master's degree in physics and doctorate in materials engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1978 and 1980, respectively.{{cite news |title=IBM exec John Kelly to chair Union College Board of Trustees |url=https://dailygazette.com/article/2015/07/13/0713_union |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=The Daily Gazette |date=July 13, 2015 |archive-date=July 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715052631/https://dailygazette.com/article/2015/07/13/0713_union |url-status=dead }}

Kelly has held various roles at IBM since 1980.{{cite news |last1=Goot |first1=Michael |title=IBM executive outlines computer growth in talk to EDC members |url=https://poststar.com/news/local/ibm-executive-outlines-computer-growth-in-talk-to-edc-members/article_7a377477-b49d-53c8-9db6-e9aca27e7e0a.html |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=The Post-Star |date=July 2, 2018}} He was named director of the company's Semiconductor Research and Development Center in 1990, then became IBM Research's vice president of systems, technology and science in 1995. Kelly served as general manager of IBM Microelectronics from 1999 to August 2000. In 2007, he succeeded Paul Horn as the head of IBM Research.{{cite news |last1=Leopold |first1=George |title=IBM's Paul Horn retires, Kelly named research chief |url=https://www.eetimes.com/ibms-paul-horn-retires-kelly-named-research-chief/ |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=EE Times |date=July 18, 2007}} He has also served as a senior vice president of cognitive solutions and director of IBM Research,{{cite journal |last1=Greenemeier |first1=Larry |title=Will IBM's Watson Usher in a New Era of Cognitive Computing? |journal=Scientific American |date=November 13, 2013 |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-ibms-watson-usher-in-cognitive-computing/ |access-date=April 13, 2020}}{{cite news |title=IBM Crafts a Role for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ibm-crafts-a-role-for-artificial-intelligence-in-medicine-1439265840 |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=August 11, 2015 |first1=Robert |last1=McMillan |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Dwoskin}}{{cite news |title=IBM Has a Watson Dilemma |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ibm-bet-billions-that-watson-could-improve-cancer-treatment-it-hasnt-worked-1533961147 |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=August 11, 2018 |first1=Daniela |last1=Hernandez |first2=Ted |last2=Greenwald}} and an executive vice president.{{cite journal |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Sy |title=Want a Better Health System? You Need A.I. (And Here's Why) |journal=Fortune |date=April 2, 2019 |url=https://fortune.com/2019/04/02/ai-healthcare-ibm-watson/ |access-date=April 13, 2020}} He serves as chairman of the IBM Academy of Technology's board of governors.{{Cite web|url=https://computerhistory.org/profile/john-e-kelly-iii/|title=John E. Kelly III|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=May 28, 2020}}

In 2020, Kelly represented IBM at a conference on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, where he signed the "Rome Call for AI Ethics", which advocated for the responsible use of AI technologies.{{cite news |last1=Brockhaus |first1=Hannah |title=Pontifical Academy for Life, tech companies, call for ethical use of AI technology |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/43710/pontifical-academy-for-life-tech-companies-call-for-ethical-use-of-ai-technology |access-date=April 13, 2020 |publisher=Catholic News Agency |date=February 28, 2020}}{{cite news |title=Pontifical Academy of Life Assembly Attendee Tests Positive for Coronavirus |url=https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pontifical-academy-of-life-assembly-attendee-tests-positive-for-coronavirus |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=National Catholic Register |date=March 11, 2020}} He also announced IBM's partnership with the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Vatican City to use Watson to gather data about brain cancer and other diseases.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Elise Ann |title=Tech heads join Vatican in 'clarion call for a new generation of ethics' |url=https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2020/02/tech-heads-join-vatican-in-clarion-call-for-a-new-generation-of-ethics/ |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=Crux |date=February 29, 2020}} In late February, Kelly was tasked with building and directing IBM's COVID-19 Task Force.{{cite news |title=Who should be on your COVID-19 task force? |last1=Lev-Ram |first1=Michal |url=https://fortune.com/2020/05/25/coronavirus-covid-19-task-force-reopen-economy/ |work=Fortune |date=May 25, 2020 |access-date=May 27, 2020}}

On the 18th of December, 2020, IBM announced that Kelly will retire from the company at the end of the year.{{cite news |title=John Kelly, 'Father' Of Watson Computer, Retires From IBM|url=https://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/john-kelly-father-of-watson-computer-retires-from-ibm |access-date=December 29, 2020}}

In 1997, during Kelly's tenure as vice president of IBM's chip division, the company developed a method of manufacturing computer chips with copper instead of aluminum.{{cite news |last1=Zuckerman |first1=Laurence |title=I.B.M. to Make Smaller and Faster Chips |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/22/business/ibm-to-make-smaller-and-faster-chips.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=September 22, 1997}}{{cite news |title=Ibm Advances Chip Technology Replaces Aluminum With Copper |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/sep/23/ibm-advances-chip-technology-replaces-aluminum/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |date=September 23, 1997}}

Kelly is a board member and former chairman of the Semiconductor Industry Association.{{cite journal |first=Megan |last=Rogers |title=Five questions with IBM's John Kelly on education and the semiconductor industry |journal=Albany Business Review |date=September 15, 2014 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/morning_call/2014/09/five-questions-with-ibms-john-kelly-on-education.html |access-date=April 13, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Board of Directors: Dr. John E. Kelly, III |date=18 May 2018 |url=https://www.semiconductors.org/board/dr-john-e-kelly-iii/ |publisher=Semiconductor Industry Association |access-date=April 13, 2020}} He received the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal for outstanding contributions to the microelectronics industry, as well as the IEEE Frederik Philips Award for accomplishments in the management of research and development. In 2013, he received the National Academy of Engineering's Arthur M. Bueche Award for his work on semiconductor technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nae.edu/88511/John-E-Kelly-III-Biography|title=Dr. John E. Kelly|publisher=National Academy of Engineering|access-date=April 13, 2020}}

In his role as senior vice president of technology and intellectual property (IP), Kelly led IBM's technical and innovation strategies, as well as the company's IP initiatives.{{cite web |last1=LaMonica |first1=Martin |title=IBM Research head Paul Horn steps aside |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ibm-research-head-paul-horn-steps-aside/ |website=CNET |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=July 17, 2007}} He continued focusing on IP during his tenure at IBM Research.{{cite news |title=IBM Picks Kelly to Succeed Horn at Laboratories |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118469605798969137 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=July 18, 2007}}

Kelly has worked on IBM's Summit and Sierra supercomputers,{{cite journal |last1=Preimesberger |first1=Chris |title=IBM Watson Gets Brawny Younger Brother in Summit Supercomputer |journal=eWeek |date=June 8, 2018 |url=https://www.eweek.com/pc-hardware/ibm-watson-gets-brawny-younger-brother-in-summit-supercomputer |access-date=June 4, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Siner |first1=Emily |title=How a Tennessee Supercomputer, Now the World's Fastest, Might Find New Cures for Cancer |date=10 June 2018 |url=https://www.wknofm.org/post/how-tennessee-supercomputer-now-worlds-fastest-might-find-new-cures-cancer |publisher=WKNO-FM |access-date=June 4, 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Mraz |first1=Stephen |title=Introducing Sierra, the World's Third-Fastest Supercomputer |journal=Machine Design |date=November 5, 2018 |url=https://www.machinedesign.com/3d-printing-cad/article/21837293/introducing-sierra-the-worlds-thirdfastest-supercomputer |access-date=June 4, 2020}} and has overseen the company's artificial intelligence and research projects.{{cite news |last1=Cole |first1=Brendan |title=The United States Takes Title Of World's Fastest Supercomputer From China |url=https://www.newsweek.com/united-states-takes-title-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-china-967881 |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=Newsweek |date=June 9, 2018}} He has been credited for leading a team to advance the Watson computer system. InformationWeek described Kelly as the "father of Watson" and credited him for encouraging the system to compete against humans on Jeopardy!{{cite news |last1=Babcock |first1=Charles |title=IBM Cognitive Colloquium Spotlights Uncovering Dark Data |url=https://www.informationweek.com/cloud/software-as-a-service/ibm-cognitive-colloquium-spotlights-uncovering-dark-data/d/d-id/1322647 |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=InformationWeek |date=October 14, 2015}} He co-wrote Smart Machines: IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing.

Kelly is married and a Catholic. He and his wife provided funding for Union College's digital arts lab, which is part of the institution's computer science and visual arts departments. The John E. Kelly III '76 Digital Arts Lab was dedicated in 2006. Kelly also helped fund the Peter Irving Wold Center, which opened in 2011 with the Kelly Advanced Computing Laboratory named in his honor.{{cite news |title=Union shows its new 'Wold' |url=https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Union-shows-its-new-Wold-1384155.php#photo-996280 |access-date=April 14, 2020 |work=Times Union |date=May 18, 2011}} He also helped Union College acquire an IBM Intelligent Cluster, giving the school "one of the most advanced computing capabilities of any undergraduate liberal arts college in the nation".{{cite news |last1=Goot |first1=Michael |title=Supercomputer lends status to Union College's research efforts |url=https://dailygazette.com/article/2011/05/30/0530_supercomputer |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=The Daily Gazette |date=May 30, 2011}}

Kelly has served on the boards of trustees for each of his alma maters, Union College and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.{{cite web |title=Office of the President: Leadership: John E. Kelly, III '78G, '80PhD, D.H.L. (Hon.) |url=https://president.rpi.edu/leadership/john-e-kelly-iii-’78g-’80phd-dhl-hon |access-date=April 14, 2020 |publisher=Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute}} He has served on Union College's board since 2003, and was elected chairman in 2015.{{cite journal |last1=Rogers |first1=Megan |title=IBM's John Kelly will lead Union College board of trustees |journal=Albany Business Review |date=July 13, 2015 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2015/07/13/ibm-exec-to-lead-union-college-board-of-trustees.html |access-date=April 13, 2020}}{{cite web |title=A conversation with John Kelly III '76: Union's new chair of the board |url=https://www.union.edu/news/stories/201510/A-conversation-with-John-Kelly-III-76-Unions-new-chairman-of-the-board |publisher=Union College |access-date=April 13, 2020 |date=October 1, 2015}} Kelly received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Union Graduate College in 2004,{{cite web |title=John E. Kelly III '76 Honored for Outstanding Contributions to New York's Economy |url=https://muse.union.edu/newsarchives/2010/03/12/john-e-kelly-iii-76-honored-for-outstanding-contributions-to-new-yorks-economy/ |publisher=Union College |access-date=April 14, 2020}} and an honorary degree from Dublin City University in 2012.{{cite web |title=IBM Global Innovation Chief honoured by DCU |date=11 June 2012 |url=https://www.dcu.ie/news/2012/nov/s1112a.shtml |publisher=Dublin City University |access-date=April 14, 2020}} He has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Kelly is a fellow of the IEEE, serves on the New York Academy of Sciences' board of governors,{{cite web |title=John E. Kelly III: Board of Governors |url=https://www.nyas.org/bios/board-of-governors/john-e-kelly-iii/ |publisher=New York Academy of Sciences |access-date=April 13, 2020}} and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.{{cite book |title=The Fabulous Future?: America and the World in 2040 |date=May 5, 2015 |publisher=Northwestern University Press |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fwVfBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |access-date=April 14, 2020 |first1=Morton |last1=Schapiro |first2=Gary Saul |last2=Morson|isbn=9780810131972 }}

• {{cite book |first1=John |last1=Kelly III |first2=Steve |last2=Hamm |title=Smart Machines: IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing}}
• {{cite magazine |last1=Kelly III |first1=John E. |title=IBM's Top Researcher: A Win for Computers Is a Win for Humans |magazine=Time |date=March 21, 2016 |url=https://time.com/4264205/artificial-intelligence-games/}}

• List of Dublin City University people
• List of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute people
• List of Union College alumni

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.ithistory.org/honor-roll/dr-john-e-kelly-iii Dr. John E. Kelly, III] at the IT History Society
• [http://www.rpi.edu/hpcw/bios/JohnKelly.html Dr. John E. Kelly III] at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/artificial-intelligence-positioned-to-be-a-game-changer/ Artificial intelligence positioned to be a game-changer] (2017), CBS News

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, John E.}}

Category:Living people

Category:American Catholics

Category:IBM people

Category:Artificial intelligence ethicists

Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni

Category:Union College (New York) alumni

Category:1964 births