The world’s first and best conversational AI expert is now teaming up with the world’s most advanced and accessible assistive technology company.

Tom Gruber is an innovator in technologies that augment human intelligence, individually and collectively. Applying ideas from Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science, and Design, his work has explored how connecting people and machines can foster collaboration, learning, knowledge sharing, and getting things done.

Some may not recognize Tom by name.  But here’s a name you will recognize: Siri.

Tom was the cofounder, CTO and VP Design for Siri, which created the first intelligent assistant for everyone. Siri was started in 2008, launched in early 2010, and soon after acquired by Apple. Siri is now intrinsic to the Apple ecosystem, available on every new iPhone, iPad, Watch, Apple TV, and Mac. Siri is used around the world over 2 billion times a week. At Apple, Tom created and led the Advanced Development Group to bring AI to the UI for current and future products.

Tom has founded several companies and advises organizations that use AI at the human interface, including leaders in knowledge sharing, collaboration, semantic search, natural language processing, mental health care, and adaptive music. His first AI application, in 1983, was a communication prosthesis system that used language models and machine learning-from-people to generate speech for people with neurological impairments.

“At every juncture, as the machines get smarter at understanding humans, they not only make it easier to use technology, they augment people with new abilities and insights,” said Gruber. “An interface like Cognixion’s that watches your eyes and listens to your brain allows you to control a computer, and therefore allows you to express yourself, when you would be otherwise limited by physical impairment. This is a godsend for those who need it. But this new capability goes beyond accessibility. The same AI and neurotech that can make sense of these signals for control can also offer any human user an unprecedented opportunity to know thyself. Closing this loop of self-awareness is one of the great opportunities for technology to help us improve our physical and mental well-being.”

Here at Cognixion we are a team of visionary technologists, researchers and designers focused on creating products that accelerate and enrich human communication and physical capabilities. We aim to unlock speech for hundreds of millions of people worldwide affected by communication disabilities. By providing affordable and accessible technologies that are powered by AI (artificial intelligence), the world will look and feel very different in the next decade. We will be interacting with far more AI-Powered People at school, at work and on the go. Imagine a world where there are thousands of creators, scientists, artists, engineers, change-makers and philosophers just like Stephen Hawking, contributing to society now that they have a voice.

We are so excited to get to work with Tom and continue to enhance the human experience with Cognixion technology.