SBC Interview Conversation 27

Aleks Jakulin: The “Wunderkind” You Need to Meet

Gregor Trebušak follows a life in technology from a teenage contribution to PNG and JPEG-LS through award-winning AI research, Nvidia’s Finnish roots, company-building, and the question of what Slovenia does next.

Published
Host
Gregor Trebušak
Language
Slovenian · English transcript
Aleks Jakulin in the SBC interview studio
SBC — Klub slovenskih podjetnikov

The conversation begins with the internet’s early culture of public construction: standards built by volunteers, released without toll gates, and designed to last. From there it moves through the teams and institutions that turn technical ideas into durable systems.

“A standard is like an electrical socket. You want the plug you carry to fit into any socket.”

Later, the discussion widens to Europe’s ability to build global technology companies, the civic response behind Sledilnik, information warfare, AI as a new form of fire, and the political responsibility to build a shared future.

Context

Host and institution

About SBC

SBC – Klub slovenskih podjetnikov is an independent association of Slovenian business owners founded in 2014. It promotes responsible entrepreneurship, a stronger business environment, international cooperation, and the exchange of experience among company founders and family-business successors. Its studio interview series began in 2023 and covers business, economic, and wider social questions.

SBC mission and background ↗

Host · Journalist and interviewer

Gregor Trebušak

A Slovenian journalist whose career spans radio, reporting, presenting, and newsroom leadership. He spent many years presenting and editing the daily news programme Svet on Kanal A before joining SBC, where he hosts interviews with entrepreneurs, experts, and decision-makers.

Career background ↗

Guest · Technologist and entrepreneur

Aleks Jakulin

Founder of data.Flowers and a former Columbia University professor and researcher in data science and Bayesian statistics. His work includes AI, PNG and JPEG-LS, data publishing, civic technology, and building technology companies in Europe and the United States.

Profile on Jakul.in →

Watch

The full conversation

Read

English transcript

Translated from Slovenian and edited for clarity and concision while preserving the meaning of the conversation.

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