Tom Gruber

Tom Gruber is a technologist, designer, and entrepreneur who uses technology to augment human intelligence. He was cofounder and head of design for Siri, the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Now part of Apple’s latest devices, Siri represents a new mode of interaction with devices and the information services they can reach. Previously, Tom led the design and technology for pioneering companies in Collective Knowledge Systems on the Web and Collaborative Knowledge Managementfor the enterprise, which harvest the collective contributions of people working together on line. He invented HyperMail, the open-source software that turns email conversations into collective memories; HyperMail and its progeny have helped to create a living conversational history of the Web. His research in Artificial Intelligence, particularly ontology engineering, helped lay the foundation for the Semantic Web. He is passionate about underwater nature photography and contact improvisation.