Dr Whitfield Diffie joins Ziroh Labs as Chief Technologist.
September 26, 2025, Bengaluru, India
World-renowned Mathematician and Cryptographer, Dr Whitfield Diffie, joins Ziroh Labs as Chief Technologist, to help drive innovation in the next chapter of Kompact AI'sevolution.
Ziroh Labs, a deeptech startup at the forefront of Innovation in Artificial Intelligence, announces the appointment of Dr Whitfield Diffie, ForMemRS, winner of the 2015 Turing Award for the creation of public-key cryptography, as Ziroh Labs' Chief Technologist. This alliance is a testament to Ziroh Labs' commitment to democratise AI across the globe using CPUs, which echoes Diffie's dedication to make cryptography available to all.
Whitfield Diffie is a living legend in cryptography. His co-invention of public-key cryptography in 1976 solved the long-standing problem of secure key distribution, allowing cryptographic networks to be scaled to internet dimensions —a groundbreaking achievement that earned Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman, his advisor at Stanford, the 2015 ACM Turing Award.
Whitfield Diffie devoted his cryptographic career to working in industry, beginning as the Manager of Secure Systems Research at the laboratory of the Canadian telephone system and retiring as a Sun Fellow and Chief Security Officer of Sun Microsystems. Throughout his career, Diffie has addressed complex challenges to information security and trust in the digital world. Since leaving Sun, he has served as VP for information Security and Cryptography at ICAAN, and continued a close association with the Centre for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford that he began in the late 1990s. He has also consulted with and advised several technology companies on quantum safe computing, cybersecurity and privacy.
The appointment of Dr Whitfield Diffie as Chief Technologist marks a pivotal step in Ziroh Labs' foundational vision for artificial intelligence. This collaboration accelerates the next stage of Kompact AI's development, with emphasis on decentralisation, accessibility, and scalability. Their collaboration was facilitated by Herman Collins, a talent advisor and executive search connector with deep AI experience, who has been working with Diffie since recruiting him for Sun in 1991.
This could be a defining moment in the global AI landscape. Connecting a company committed to democratizing
artificial intelligence with the genius of Turing Laureate Whitfield Diffie reflects a rare alignment-one
which can help reshape the trajectory of innovation worldwide. It’s the kind of match that doesn’t just push
boundaries, but also reimagines what’s possible for humanity.
- Herman Collins, Talent Advisor and Executive Search Connector with Deep AI Experience
Many people who worry about Artificial Intelligence think that its use should be restricted. My concern is
that what should be available to everyone will come to be controlled by a tight monopoly, which will decide
what AI will and won't do for you. Kompact AI's reduction in costs
makes such a monopoly less
likely.
-
Dr Whitfield Diffie, Chief Technologist at Ziroh Labs
Democratisation of AI, by itself, is a scientific pursuit. Inventions and innovations must occur at the
fundamental level to enable the engineering of mathematical structures that can be executed on a CPU, a
crucial component in making AI accessible to a broader audience. Modern AI and public-key cryptography have
an important thing in common: both are mathematical technologies that work best when they are directly
serving the individual.
Diffie studied mathematics at MIT and started his career with research
in both the MIT and Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratories. Although Dr Diffie is renowned for
leading a worldwide movement to make cryptography accessible to all, his involvement in AI began at its
nascent stage when Diffie worked alongside two of its founders: Marvin Minsky and John McCarthy. For us, at
Ziroh Labs, there is no joy greater than the opportunity to work with him.
-
Hrishikesh Dewan, Co-founder and CEO of Ziroh Labs
