Michal Valko
About Michal Valko
Michal Valko is an experienced junior scientist currently serving as Principal Llama Engineer at Meta in Paris, France. He has a strong background in machine learning and has held various research positions at notable institutions including Google DeepMind and Inria.
Current Position at Meta
Currently, Michal Valko serves as Principal Llama Engineer at Meta, a role he has held since 2024. Based in Paris, Île-de-France, France, he has been contributing to the development of advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques for six months. His experience in the field positions him to influence the direction of projects related to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Work at Inria
Michal Valko has been associated with Inria since 2013, where he currently holds the title of Experienced Junior Scientist. His tenure at Inria spans over 11 years, during which he has engaged in various research projects. Previously, he worked at Inria as a Junior Scientist and as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on algorithm design and machine learning applications.
Education and Expertise
Michal Valko's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Machine Learning from the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied under Miloš Hauskrecht. He also holds an MSc in Computer Science from Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave. Additionally, he achieved Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HdR) at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, specializing in Bandit theory. His expertise lies in designing algorithms that require minimal human supervision, particularly in deep reinforcement learning and self-supervised learning.
Previous Experience at Google DeepMind
Before his current role at Meta, Michal Valko worked at Google DeepMind for three years as a Senior Staff Research Scientist from 2021 to 2024. He also held the position of Staff Research Scientist from 2019 to 2021. His work at Google DeepMind involved significant contributions to research in machine learning and artificial intelligence, reinforcing his reputation in the field.
Teaching Role at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay
In addition to his research roles, Michal Valko has been an External Lecturer (CEV) at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay since 2014. He lectures a master course on Graphs in Machine Learning, sharing his knowledge and expertise with students. This role reflects his commitment to education and the dissemination of knowledge in the field of machine learning.