Ali Minai was born in 1961 in Karachi. He is the great-grandson of the famous Urdu poet, Ameer Minai. Influenced by the atmosphere of learning and literature in his home, he developed a keen interest in both literature and science at an early age. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from NED University in Karachi, he went to USA for higher education. In 1991, he received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, and since 1993, he has been a professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the University of Cincinnati in USA. His research focuses mainly on artificial intelligence, complex systems, and neuroscience.

Ali Minai began writing poetry during his school years. His first collection of Urdu poetry, “Khwaab Aaina Hae” was published in 2005 and his second, “Khaamoshi” in 2017. Most of his poetry is in the classical ghazal genre, though he has also written nazms, including free verse and prose poetry. Man, the Universe, societal issues, and philosophical questions are the main topics of his poetry. In addition to his literary works, he has edited several books and published numerous papers based on his research. He is deeply interested in literature, history, politics, and science, and his articles on these topics are published regularly in the electronic media.