The Making of a Scientist: From Classroom Rebel to AI Innovator (Dr. Swaroop Mishra, Research Scientist at Gemini Team of Google DeepMind)

In the summer of 2011, I embarked on a journey that would change my perspective forever. As an M.Tech student at Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Bhubaneswar. I was assigned a project that required me to dive into academic research for the first time. I had no idea that accessing research papers meant navigating paywalls and academic databases. My guide suggested me to visit the nearby Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) laboratory, Institute of Physics (IOP) to find the papers I needed.

CIPET has a tradition where everyone—students, faculty, and even the Director—wears a uniform. On a scorching afternoon, while clad in my college uniform at IOP, a teenage boy, approached me, curious about my purpose there. He introduced himself as a first-year B.Tech student from Silicon Institute of Technology, also in search of research papers. His youth and confidence intrigued me.

Over lunch at the institute’s canteen, I noticed something unusual: the boy had no bag, no pen, no notebook—nothing but his presence. When I asked how he would take the research papers back to his hostel, he simply said, "Once I read something, it stays in my mind." I was taken aback by his photographic memory and self-assurance.

Our conversation revealed even more surprises. The boy, instead of focusing on his first-year studies, was already working on solving Einstein’s "Theory of Everything"—an audacious project he had taken up independently. He was searching for a new mathematical theory related to the number system, something even I, with my Master's in Physics, struggled to comprehend.

His story was both inspiring and concerning. He came from humble beginnings; his father was a school teacher, and his mother a homemaker. Lacking influential connections, he seemed to be walking a fine line between genius and obscurity. I suggested he consider applying to universities in the USA, where talent is often nurtured and rewarded. He confessed that his parents were disappointed he didn’t qualify for the IIT entrance exams, as he had been more absorbed in physics than in entrance preparation.

I provided him with contacts, including a physics professor from a nearby university and my brother, a math professor at IIT Bhubaneswar. He visited our hostel occasionally to discuss his theories, which I found both fascinating and bewildering.

Time passed, and I joined IIT Bombay for my Ph.D., while he completed his B.Tech. Despite facing challenges, such as being reprimanded by a professor for not paying attention in class, he continued to excel academically. The Dean (Research & Development) of his college recognized his extraordinary potential and allowed him to focus on projects and internships, which was unheard of for a student who rarely attended classes.

After his B.Tech, he applied to several IITs for his M.Tech and stayed with me during his entrance exams. Although he did not secure a spot at IIT Bombay, he was accepted at IIT Kanpur, where he thrived. During his master's program, he published three significant papers, an exceptional achievement for any M.Tech student. Remarkably, one can earn a Ph.D. from any of the IITs with just two research papers. However, his passion for research remained insatiable.

Despite securing a job at MathWorks, Bengaluru, his dream was to pursue a Ph.D. in the USA. He applied to Stanford University and other prestigious institutions. Although he was accepted to Stanford, the lack of funding made attendance impossible. Eventually, he was admitted to Arizona State University with a fellowship. During his Ph.D. tenure, he learned about the renowned Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. His ambition to explore new knowledge pushed his boundaries, and he successfully secured a six-month internship opportunity to work at this prestigious research institute.

At the Allen Institute, he worked on his theories and published a groundbreaking paper that became a milestone in AI development. This achievement not only brought the "Dean's Dissertation Award 2023" of Arizona State University but also caught the attention of leading companies worldwide, and he ultimately joined Google’s DeepMind, often regarded as the "SEAL Team" of Google's AI research.

This young boy, once a stranger at IOP, had transformed into a pioneering scientist, proving that with passion, persistence, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge, even the most unlikely of individuals can change the world.