Back in April, Apple product designer and Siri co-founder Tom Gruber gave a TED Talk, where he spoke about his vision of the future of computers and artificial intelligence.

The full 10-minute TED Talk was today published on YouTube, giving us a chance to hear his complete thoughts on the future of AI and Siri.


In his talk, Gruber says computers should be used to lessen human failings, like memory, and augment human capabilities. He believes computers should log all aspects of our lives, allowing us to remember the people we've met and details about them, like favorite sports, family members, and name pronunciation.

Gruber's talk also covers the importance of privacy and a range of useful applications for AI, like cancer detection and advanced personal assistants like Siri.

Top Rated Comments

thekeyring Avatar
97 months ago
I just want an AI which will accurately predict songs I'll like.

Not 'songs by the same artist' or 'you might like this, because other users who like the same artists as you also like it'.

But often I'll listen to an album from the bands I like, or be listening to the radio, and here those songs that I absolutely love.

Give me an AI which I can keep telling which songs fall into that category, and it can work out what it is I love about them, and find other songs which I'll love, too.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Number 9 Avatar
97 months ago
I find it annoying that people like Tom Gruber working on a big problem like AI talk glowingly about what the future might bring in terms of capabilities but never talk about potential unintended consequences. Nobody in the past speaking glowingly about the future of the Internet mentioned terrorist recruitment videos on YouTube, fake news sites built in the Ukraine spewing garbage about a candidate for president to profit on ads clicked on by gullible true believers, ransomeware, persistent cookies, etc.

I didn't find any of the powers Tom Gruber spoke so enthusiastically about in this video to be things I want. No I don't want a database in the cloud of every person I've ever met with their family and friends info and I sure don't want every person I ever meet to have my name and family info in their database.

When I was young you had to be at the bank by 3pm if you needed to withdraw money, today I wave my applewatch in front of a small device to pay for goods and services, I carry a phone and travel maps and books and a bizzillion songs in my pocket. All great. I believe the future will bring cool powers too but I also wonder about how the unexamined dark consequences will work out. I'm feeling pessimistic because these guys working their hearts out to make it happen aren't thinking about and talking to us about the potential for malicious misuse.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crees! Avatar
97 months ago
He believes computers should log all aspects of our lives, allowing us to remember the people we've met and details about them, like favorite sports, family members, and name pronunciation.
No thank you. I've seen that particular episode of Black Mirror :eek:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
97 months ago
and then there's bixby.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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