Humanistic AI

Tom Gruber is a product designer, entrepreneur, and AI thought leader who uses technology to augment human intelligence. He was co-founder, CTO, and head of design for the team that created the Siri virtual assistant.  At Apple for over 8 years, Tom led the Advanced Development Group that designed and prototyped new capabilities for products that bring intelligence to the interface. Previously, he led design and technology for pioneering companies in Collective Knowledge Systems and Collaborative Knowledge Management, which harvest the collective contributions of people working together on line. His research in Artificial Intelligence, particularly ontology engineering, helped lay the foundation for the Semantic Web.

Tom promotes the philosophy of Humanistic AI in which the technology is used to augment or collaborate with humans, rather than competing with or displacing them. He was a founding board member of the Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society and supports the Center for Humane Technology. He currently advises companies and non-profit organizations that use technology to have a positive impact on humanity. [more]

How smart can our machines make us?

In his talk at TED 2017, Tom introduced the idea of Humanistic AI.  He shares his vision for a future where AI helps us achieve superhuman performance in perception, creativity and cognitive function — from turbocharging our design skills to helping us remember everything we’ve ever read. The idea of an AI-powered personal memory also extends to relationships, with the machine helping us reflect on our interactions with people over time. The upside? “Every time a machine gets smarter, we all get smarter.”