Renowned Computer Scientist Ron Fagin Elected to the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (NAAI)
San Francisco, July 13, 2025 — The National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (NAAI) is proud to announce that Dr. Ron Fagin, IBM Fellow at IBM Research – Almaden and one of the most influential figures in theoretical computer science, has officially been elected as a member of the Academy.
Dr. Fagin’s election recognizes his pioneering contributions to database theory, finite model theory, knowledge representation, and logic in computer science, which have profoundly shaped the development of modern artificial intelligence.
“Dr. Fagin’s groundbreaking work laid the theoretical foundations for how machines store, reason with, and process knowledge,” said Dr. Elena Zhou, President of NAAI. “His contributions not only transformed database systems, but also influenced how AI systems are designed, queried, and made explainable.”
Ron Fagin is best known for:
Fagin’s Theorem, establishing the equivalence of existential second-order logic with the complexity class NP.
The Zero-One Law in finite model theory.
Co-developing Fourth Normal Form in database normalization.
Inventing extendible hashing and the Fagin algorithm, widely applied in information retrieval and AI ranking systems.
He is a Fellow of the ACM, IEEE, and AAAS, and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2014, he received the Gödel Prize, one of the most prestigious honors in theoretical computer science.
At NAAI, Dr. Fagin will serve as a senior academic advisor on the Academy’s AI reasoning and knowledge infrastructure initiatives. His presence marks a continued commitment by NAAI to ground the future of AI in rigorous, foundational science.
About NAAI
The National Academy of Artificial Intelligence is a leading non-governmental organization committed to advancing the science and responsible development of AI. By recognizing distinguished researchers and fostering global collaboration, NAAI serves as a strategic think tank and honorific body for the world’s top AI scientists and engineers.
National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (NAAI)