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Who’s Who: Jeff Hawkins 2010.12.20

Jeff Hawkins sits in front of a copy of his book, On Intelligence

One of the biggest innovators in artificial intelligence today is Jeff Hawkins.  Inventor of the Palm Pilot and the Treo Smartphone, Jeff Hawkins decided to turn away from consumer electronics and turn his attention toward solving the problem of advancing machine learning.  Hawkins founded a research company called Numenta in 2004 and published a book, “On Intelligence”, that same year.  The book makes the case for studying neurobiology to build a model for intelligent systems.  His Hierarchical Temporal Model (HTM) algorithm has the potential to revolutionize the computer and robotics industries.

HTM theory is based on the brain’s neocortex, the primary interpretation center for the brain.  The theory states that all learning, whether visual or auditory or otherwise, is derived from the same basic function (or algorithm) in the neocortex.  At the center of this model is the brain’s use of memory to predict future inputs coming in from sensory organs such as the eyes.  The neocortex is able to perceive invariant representations of reality in spite of noisy input coming in from sensory organs and the environment.  The hierarchical structure of the neocortex, in which information is passed up along several “layers” in the brain until an invariant image is produced.  This is how the brain is able to perceive that a person standing in front of you is the same person even as that person spins around.

Hawkins, who has already enjoyed a stellar career in computer science, is still one to watch for significant future impact.  For more information on his company and the HTM algorithm, visit Numenta.com.