Sundar Pichai: As the CEO of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Pichai has been vocal about transitioning to an “ambient computing” era, where technology blends seamlessly into the background, evident from products like Google Nest and Google Assistant.
Satya Nadella: The CEO of Microsoft, Nadella emphasizes on infusing AI and ambient intelligence into products, exemplified by tools like Azure’s ambient intelligence capabilities.
Werner Vogels: Amazon’s CTO, Vogels is integral to the development and promotion of Alexa and Amazon Echo, devices central to the ambient computing movement.
Mark Weiser: Recognized as the father of ubiquitous computing (a foundation for ambient computing), Weiser’s early work at Xerox PARC set the vision for computing that fades into the background.
Kevin Ashton: Coined the term “Internet of Things,” Ashton’s ideas are pivotal to ambient computing, emphasizing interconnected devices enhancing user experiences.
Adam Cheyer: Co-founder of Siri, Apple‘s voice assistant, Cheyer’s work embodies ambient computing principles by enabling technology to respond contextually to human voice commands.
Rana el Kaliouby: As the CEO of Affectiva, an emotion recognition technology company, Kaliouby is pushing boundaries in how machines recognize and respond to human emotional cues, a key component of ambient computing.
Pranav Mistry: Known for the SixthSense wearable device, Mistry’s work delves into merging physical and digital worlds, now channeling his insights as the CEO of Samsung’s STAR Labs.
Pattie Maes: Leading the Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab, Maes’s work centers on designing intuitive interfaces that embed seamlessly into users’ everyday lives.
Regina Dugan: Former director of DARPA and a leader in Facebook’s Building 8 (hardware division), Dugan has worked on projects that seek to bridge the gap between the human brain and computing devices, aligning with ambient computing’s ethos.
