Marquis Who's Who : Michael E. Kounavis, PhD - Innovation in Data and Artificial Intelligence

SCARSDALE, N.Y., May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With three decades of experience, Michael E. Kounavis, PhD, has solidified himself as a senior industry leader whose achievements Marquis Who's Who is proud to recognize. Specializing in computer science, particularly cryptography and machine learning, Dr. Kounavis has made numerous contributions to these areas as well as microprocessor innovation. Today, he aims to continue protecting data while advancing new fields of technology.

Before beginning his professional career, Dr. Kounavis established his academic foundations. He first earned a bachelor's degree in Athens, Greece, before pursuing a master's degree at Columbia University in New York. From 1996 to 2003, he served as a graduate research assistant at the university. In 2003, he graduated with a doctorate from the same institution.

Contributions at Intel Corp

In 2004, Dr. Kounavis joined Intel Corp., where he worked as a senior staff research scientist. In this role, he developed computer architecture extensions to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data. This involved extending microprocessor circuits to prevent the malicious alteration or theft of data. While cyberattacks persist, this development in microprocessor architecture was significant for the field.

At Intel, Dr. Kounavis became familiar with artificial intelligence. While focusing on his work in microprocessor architecture, he approached the new technology from an academic standpoint, building new skills from the ground up. He contributed to innovations in the field of artificial intelligence, developed patents and published research papers.

Becoming Involved at Meta

During this time, Dr. Kounavis also became involved with the Georgia Institute of Technology in the field of adversarial machine learning. By 2021, this involvement had paved the way for him to become an expert in the field, and he was eventually hired as a software engineer at Meta. As the company has become interested in generative artificial intelligence and large language models, the ability to do applied research in this space is considered invaluable.

"As part of Meta," Dr. Kounavis said, "I'm leading artificial intelligence research projects that are very revenue-focused and that allow me to see many of the challenges that usually [aren't] seen at a university, because you have the chance to work on big systems…"

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Through his work, Dr. Kounavis has come to recognize that artificial intelligence is positioned to change the nature of white-collar jobs. While humans retain the upper hand in using, changing and processing information, their judgment remains essential; artificial intelligence agents can accelerate processes.

In addition to his work in artificial intelligence, Dr. Kounavis has received notable professional recognition for his contributions to computer security and cryptography. He was honored with the Intel Achievement Award in 2008.

During his tenure at Intel, he helped deliver advanced encryption technologies, including new encryption techniques and the co-invention of the Intel AES-NI instruction set, which significantly improved data protection performance. His technical leadership and research contributions have also been recognized in The New Yorker.

Plans for the Future

Within the next few years, Dr. Kounavis intends to focus on his continued professional growth and technical research. At the same time, he hopes to see his children mature into responsible adults and actively encourages them to engage with the global challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

Moving forward, Dr. Kounavis recognizes that there are many ethical and moral considerations to be evaluated in the field of artificial intelligence.

About Marquis Who's Who^®:

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America^®, Marquis Who's Who^® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America^® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis^® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who^® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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