Kundan Kumar

Kundan Kumar is an accomplished engineering manager specializing in Applied AI Research at Descript, a company known for its innovative content creation tools powered by advanced artificial intelligence. He has held several significant roles at Descript, including Head of Artificial Intelligence since July 2019 and Board Member since October 2019.2

Education and Early Career

Kumar holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the Université de Montréal, where he was advised by prominent figures in the field, including Aaron Courville and Yoshua Bengio. He also completed his B.Tech and M.Tech degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.12 His academic work includes notable research in machine learning with a focus on speech, natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision.2

Professional Achievements

Before joining Descript, Kumar co-founded Lyrebird AI, a pioneering company in voice cloning technology that was acquired by Descript in July 2019. His work at Lyrebird involved developing a platform that allowed users to create vocal avatars, which gained significant traction with over 300,000 users.2 He has also contributed to various research publications in the field of AI, including works presented at prestigious conferences like ICLR and ICASSP.12

Current Role

At Descript, Kumar is instrumental in leveraging deep learning technologies to enhance media editing capabilities, focusing on tools like Overdub and Studio Sound that facilitate audio and video content creation.2 His leadership and expertise contribute significantly to the company's mission of democratizing content creation through AI.

Skills and Languages

Kumar is proficient in both Hindi and English, allowing him to engage with a diverse range of colleagues and stakeholders in the global tech community.2