A Fireside Chat with Siri Co-Founder Adam Cheyer on Conversational AI's Past, Present, and Future
Speak About AI's Marketing Manager Noah Cheyer and Adam Cheyer together on stage at TechBBQ.
In a captivating fireside chat at TechBBQ in Copenhagen, Denmark, I had the privilege of interviewing Adam Cheyer to discuss conversational AI's past, present, and future. As the VP of AI experience at Airbnb, co-founder of Siri, GamePlanner.ai, and Viv Labs, and a founding member of Change.org, Adam shared invaluable insights into the evolution of AI and its potential to shape our future.
The Birth of Siri & a Vision Ahead of Its Time
Our conversation began with Adam’s start in AI, and we discussed the real reasons Siri sold to Apple. Adam also recalled a pivotal moment after the acquisition when Steve Jobs, in an interview, was asked why Apple acquired what seemed to be a search company. Jobs' response was telling: "It's not a search company; it's an AI company." This statement exposed Jobs' visionary understanding of AI's potential, marking one of the first real public mentions of AI since the 1980s. Adam acknowledged that the American public's original excitement around Siri was one of the first times we saw AI back in the national discussion. It also was a precursor to the current discussion around AI.
Tackling Global Challenges with GamePlanner.ai
For the first time, Adam also publicly unveiled the ambitious goals behind his recent venture, GamePlanner.ai. This stealth company, which was acquired by Airbnb for $200 million, was conceived with a purpose: to create tools that empower better decision-making at all levels of society.
"Our aim was to help every individual, family, team, company, and community solve the world's most pressing problems," Adam explained. He emphasized the urgency of this mission, predicting an increase in global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, war, hunger, poverty, crime, and animal rights issues. "We need to get better at solving problems as humanity," he stressed.
The Airbnb Acquisition: A Shared Vision for Human Connection
Initially reluctant to sell Gameplanner.ai, Adam found alignment with Airbnb's mission through a conversation with CEO Brian Chesky. "Brian's vision to use AI to cure human loneliness by bringing people together in the real world resonated deeply with our goals," Adam shared. Their similar values and belief in the future led to the acquisition, with Adam and his co-founder, Siamak Hodjat, joining the Airbnb team.
The Three Key Challenges with The Future of AI
The crowd at TechBBQ watching Adam Cheyer and Noah Cheyer's talk on conversational AI.
Looking ahead, Adam identified three critical areas that need addressing for AI to reach its full potential in the market:
The Right User Experience (UX): Current chatbot interfaces fall short of replacing traditional websites. Adam emphasized the need for interactive interfaces that allow problem-solving with minimal clicks. "No one has yet figured out how to use AI effectively in graphical interfaces," he noted.
Bridging Knowing and Doing: While AI excels at information retrieval, it often lacks the ability to take action. Adam illustrated this with an example: "AI can recommend a restaurant, but it can't make a reservation for you. For AI to be truly useful, it must be able to both know and do."
An Open Ecosystem for Service and Content Providers: For AI to potentially replace company websites, there needs to be a transparent system for businesses to broadcast their services to potential customers. "We're not at a point yet where AI interfaces could fully replace a company's website," Adam explained.
As our conversation concluded, it was clear that while AI has made tremendous strides, it’s still in its infancy with opportunities for innovation. Adam Cheyer's insights not only shed light on the current state of AI but also painted a compelling picture of its longterm potential to address some of humanity's most pressing issues.
It was also a meaningful moment for both of us, as it was the first time we got to share the stage together as father and son.
The future of AI, as envisioned by Adam, is not just about technological advancement but about creating tools that bring people together and empower us to tackle global challenges collectively. It's clear that despite the potential problems AI may cause, the most exciting chapters in the story of artificial intelligence are yet to be written.
