Raj Reddy
Birth Date: 1937, Chittoor, India
Death Date: He's still living!
All about him:
AI and Speech Recognition: Reddy developed foundational technologies in speech recognition, including systems that enabled machines to understand and process human language. His work laid the groundwork for modern virtual assistants and voice-controlled systems.
Research Leadership: As a founding director of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Reddy advanced interdisciplinary AI research, including robotics, machine learning, and human-computer interaction.
Technology for Accessibility: He championed the use of AI to bridge digital divides, advocating for technologies that enhance accessibility and improve the lives of underserved populations globally.
Tim Berners-Lee
Birth Date: June 8, 1955, London, United Kingdom
Death Date: He's still living!
All about him:
Invention of the World Wide Web: In 1989, Berners-Lee proposed and implemented the World Wide Web, creating fundamental tools like HTML, HTTP, and the first web browser, enabling global information sharing over the internet.
Web Standards Leadership: As the founder of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), he led efforts to establish open web standards, ensuring the web remained free and accessible to everyone.
Advocacy for Digital Rights: Berners-Lee has been a vocal advocate for an open internet, emphasizing privacy, net neutrality, and universal access to digital resources through initiatives like the Web Foundation.
Vinton Cerf
Birth Date: 1943, New Haven, Connecticut
Death Date: He's still living!
All about him:
Co-Creation of TCP/IP: Cerf co-designed the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), the core protocols that underpin the functioning of the internet, enabling reliable communication between computers.
Leadership in Internet Development: As a key figure in internet architecture, Cerf played a central role in scaling and deploying the global internet, including contributing to ARPANET, the precursor to the internet.
Advocacy for Internet Accessibility: As an advocate for global connectivity, Cerf has worked to extend internet access worldwide, promoting policies and technologies that make the internet a tool for empowerment and innovation.