This Silicon Valley Idea Shaper Is Making Machines That Think Like Humans

Byline: Lee Hastings

When it comes to solutions, the most unobtrusive ones are typically the most effective. Mohammad Adnan works on this kind of solution, aiming to make machines think like humans and produce better work. "I've always believed that the most powerful technology is the kind that disappears into the background while solving real human problems," says Adnan.

As a principal software engineer working on machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, Mohammad Adnan represents a new breed of technologist who knows how to turn advanced AI research into practical applications that transform industries. His journey from developing foundational machine learning (ML) services illustrates how artificial intelligence rapidly moves from experimental labs to the mainstream business world.

Creating Unobtrusive Intelligence For Practical Work

From 2016 to 2024, Mohammad Adnan led the development of cornerstone ML services that now power countless AI applications worldwide. Adnan’s approach focuses on making complex AI systems accessible and practical. Rather than pursuing theoretical advances confined to research papers, he has consistently developed technologies that solve real-world problems at scale.

"The true measure of AI's success isn't how sophisticated the algorithm is, but how seamlessly it integrates into people's lives and work," Mohammad Adnan says. Behind his practical applications lies a foundation of technical innovations. Mohammad Adnan already holds several granted AI and ML patents. His 2021 patent for "Dynamic node level storage capacity management system" has been cited internationally, including by Canadian, Chinese, and Japanese patent applications. Another 2021 patent for "System for automatic scaling to process requests" addresses a fundamental challenge in cloud computing: efficiently allocating resources to handle varying workloads.

Perhaps most intriguing is his 2024 patent for "Converting non-time series data to time series data," which enables powerful forecasting techniques to be applied to previously unsuitable data types. This alone has opened new possibilities for businesses to predict trends and detect anomalies in diverse datasets.

Bringing Business Boons Through AI

In 2024, Mohammad Adnan made a strategic career move and this transition from infrastructure to application represents the maturing of AI technology itself—from building the foundational tools to implementing solutions that directly impact end users. Adnan has pioneered natural language understanding and automated document processing to enhance operations for millions of businesses. His team has designed microservices-based, cloud-native platforms that enable real-time data processing while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Small business owners who previously spent hours going through primer documents can now rely on AI-powered systems that automatically identify potential compliance issues and detect anomalies. As a member of the Forbes Technology Council, he shares insights on emerging technologies like large language models (LLMs) and agent-based AI systems. His article "Your Essential Primer On Large Language Model Agent Tools" has become a reference point for business leaders seeking to understand the practical applications of generative AI.

Creating AI That Understands Context

As AI systems become more sophisticated, Mohammad Adnan sees the next frontier as developing machines that truly understand context, not just processing data but comprehending the human situations in which that data exists. "The most powerful AI systems of the future won't just be trained on more data or have more parameters," Adnan predicts, "they'll be systems that can understand the nuanced contexts of human problems and adapt their responses accordingly."

This development is significant for what it does for people who use AI. By developing AI systems that understand the specific challenges of small business payroll, from seasonal fluctuations to industry-specific regulations, Adnan is creating technology that responds to the full context of users' needs.

Mohammad Adnan’s work shows that the most powerful technology enhances our humanity rather than diminishes it. Machines may be getting smarter, but their ultimate purpose remains serving human needs; a principle that guides every line of code Mohammad Adnan writes.