Danny Hillis to Unleash Artificial Intelligence

"Imagineering" Danny Hillis Set to Unleash Artificial Intelligence on the Video World

Danny Hillis is one of the most important pioneers of computing and artificial intelligence. He founded Thinking Machines as a student at MIT in 1982. Although the company failed, the technology has had an enormous impact, notably proving the practicality of parallel computing, among other things.

Hillis heads Applied Minds in Los Angeles along with co-founder Bran Ferren. There's been some press on the company, but it's been mostly in stealth mode.

Earlier this month in San Francisco, I met with William "Will" Randolph Hearst III who is an investor in Applied Minds. He told me about the work the company is doing in creating "smart" video systems that can create scenes based on complex sensing and analysis technology. The computer listens and watches and knows when to do a close- up or long shot based on physical action and speech. The most immediate application will be some kind of advanced video teleconferencing.

Before forming Applied Minds in 2000, Hillis and Ferran were at Disney Imagineering, so they know quite a lot about robotics and entertainment. Could a computerized director take charge of the set -- the control room? Maybe networked cameras set in public places or our homes could create a new kind of cinema? I wonder what would Orson Wells think?

Here's a transcription of Mr. Hearst's comments to Beet.TV:

"I work with a company down in Los Angelescalled Applied Minds that has developed a very -- I would call it a "high IQ video teleconferencing system." And it uses video technology but it basically has sort of the smarts to know who's talking in a room, where they're located and when to do the cut-away shot and when to do the super. And it's all automated. So you go into a room like you're gonna have a conference meeting in person but you're talking to a screen and on the other side of the screen are other people but the camera seems to be uniquely able, sort of uncannily able to know when to get a reaction shot, when to focus on the person talking, and when to drop back and get a master shot."

Danny Hillis is interviewed by Technology Review Editor in Chief Jason Pontin in the new issue.

See this video on Beet.TV:
http://www.beet.tv/2006/11/thinking_machin.html

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[mlawren7]

This dude is a switched-on futurist.

[faunflynn]

@Sansash01202 "Fruity" ? That is rather good whatever the context. ROTFLMAO.

Kudos !

[faunflynn]

@malcolmbryant Yr right. Danny don't do video. Never did much even back in the day when I worked fr him.

There is some real old MIT vid of him with a tinckertoy chess playing computer circa 1980. I can't find it on the web though. Perhaps Sheryl Handler comfiscated it.

[malcolmbryant]

Please see my comment below which supports your original assertion.

[malcolmbryant]

I was searching for Danny Hillis and it took me a while to realise this was not him. NOBODY reads the "more info" first. The title is misleading. The other guy is ill-mannered. And of course wrong.

[Sansash01202]

Apology accepted - can I ask though why you felt you had to give me the thumbs down? I didn't do that to you and since we are the only two commenting I have to assume that's you - and yes, you have got thumbs down now, I did it!

[plievone]

I'm sorry for this misunderstanding and for causing trouble to you. I read the info already when contributing the comment seven months ago, then searched the net quite a while to be sure that this really is William Randolph Hearst III (it was not clear on the info) and then just thought to help somebody by pointing this out. That's all..

[Sansash01202]

Well now, that wasn't too difficult was it. You managed to read the info - shame you only did it to make a point! I'm not going to argue with you, you're too fruity for me, and, had you read the description before you left your high-handed comment, you wouldn't feel the need now to account for your stupidity. You're blocked so you'll have to spit venom by yourself!

[plievone]

Articulations like "smart ass", "anyone searching Danny Hillis would [not] be too disappointed", "quick to criticise", "not understand the content", "not want to read the info" are one's own interpretations. Danny Hillis is a computer scientist related to the Long Now Foundation fame, this nice man in the video is a business man related to Hillis. The description of this (rare) search match of Danny Hillis starts and ends with a mention on Hillis interview, so it seemed reasonable to contribute.

[Sansash01202]

Hillis head up Applied Minds and WR Hearst III is an investor in that project - I don't think anyone searching Danny Hillis would be too disappointed do you? - don't be so quick to criticise. If you don't understand the content and don't want to read the info ... move on!!