Raj Reddy is a very accomplished member of the computer science community. He is mainly responsible for paving the way for speech recognition artificial intelligence systems that can be used commercially (1). According to his profile on the A.M. Turing award website, his system, Hearsay I, was the first artificial intelligence system "capable of continuous speech recognition" (1). This led the way for advancement in speech technologies because others could build off what he had engineered to create more complex systems.
Another of his main accomplishments was developing the "blackboard model" which is used to align multiple sources of information (1). This model is widely used in the artificial intelligence community. More of his accomplishments include contributions to, "task-oriented architectures, analysis of natural scenes, and autonomous robotic systems" (1).
He has also done a lot of work to try to benefit the underserved and make computer science available to them. On his profile on the Carnegie Mellon University website, some of his current research interests are listed as, "Voice Computing for the 3B semi-literate populations at the bottom of the pyramid, Digital Democracy . . . and KG to PG College in Every Village" (2). Though these may be considered minor accomplishments, they will continue to change the face of computer science for years to come.
Overall, Raj Reddy has changed the world of computer science. He has received thirteen honorary doctorates and over six prestigious global awards throughout his career (2). His work in AI and social work will never be forgotten by the computer science community.
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Don Philip Estridge made one of the most crucial contributions that shaped computer science as we know it. He is responsible for putting computers into billions of homes (3). That's right: his team at IBM invented the personal computer (PC).
This achievement is monumental because it readily gave the middle class access to a computer. Thus, many people were influenced to join the computer science field because computers had been accessible to them.
Some of his minor achievements are found in the way he developed the PC. He uniquely outsourced components of the PC instead of exclusively using IBM parts (2, 3). He also released the basic hardware used in the PC to encourage other companies to make compatible products (3). Lastly, he supported third-party companies to develop software for the PC (3). All of these moves were unusual for the time period, where companies were competing with one another and keeping their cards very close to their vests. However, it became the status quo for following tech breakthroughs, like smartphones.
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Joy Buolamwini made huge contributions to AI facial recognition technology by uncovering racial and gender-based biases within the programs and holding large companies accountable for their tech.
She earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech, then went on to get a masters and PhD in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT. She also holds an additional masters in Education from Oxford University.
During her studies, she found the aforementioned biases in facial recognition algorithms and created the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL), which encourages large companies to invest in more inclusive software. Her work at the AJL also led her to speak at many global advisement panels, including the UN and the World Economic Forum. Overall, Joy Buolamwini is an inclusivity computer science superhero, and radiates huge girlboss energy.
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