Sriram Raghavan is Vice President at IBM Research for Artificial Intelligence, where he leads a global organisation of more than 750 research scientists and engineers across IBM Research locations worldwide. In this role, he is responsible for defining and executing IBM’s long-term AI research strategy, spanning both foundational AI research and applied AI systems that are deployed at scale across enterprises.

His work sits at the intersection of deep research, real-world deployment, and technology strategy. He oversees the full lifecycle of AI innovation, from early-stage research to the transfer of technologies into IBM’s multi-billion-dollar software portfolio, including enterprise AI platforms and data systems used by organisations globally.

Sriram is also the Chair of the MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab, a flagship collaboration between MIT and IBM that brings together academic researchers and industry practitioners to advance AI research in areas such as natural language processing, machine learning, trustworthy AI, and data-centric systems. Through this role, he actively shapes how academic research translates into real-world impact.

Prior to his current role, Sriram served as Director of IBM Research in India and as CTO for IBM India and South Asia, where he led research, technology strategy, and innovation across one of IBM’s most important global markets. Earlier in his career, he worked at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California, one of the world’s most respected industrial research laboratories, where he led research efforts in natural language processing, data management, and distributed systems.

Across his career, Sriram has received multiple IBM Corporate Awards and IBM Research Accomplishment Awards for technical leadership and impact. He also serves on the Technical Advisory Board of the Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, contributing to discussions at the intersection of AI research, industry application, and societal relevance.

Academically, Sriram is an alumnus of Stanford University and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he received rigorous training in computer science and engineering. His academic and research background underpins his long-standing engagement with both foundational and applied AI.

Beyond organisational leadership, Sriram is known for his public thinking on responsible and human-centred AI. In his talks and writing, he has emphasised the importance of community, ethics, and governance in AI systems, arguing that technical capability must be matched by judgment, accountability, and societal awareness.