Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Danny Hillis

Danny Hillis

Keynote Speaker: Author & Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Applied Minds

Danny Hillis Biography

William Daniel (“Danny”) Hillis is an inventor, entrepreneur, scientist, writer, and visionary who is particularly known for his work in computer science.

Hillis is a co-founder of multiple start-ups including
Applied Invention an interdisciplinary group of engineers, scientists, and artists that develops technology solutions in partnership with leading companies and entrepreneurs; Applied Minds, a research, and development company that invents, designs, creates, and prototypes high-technology products and services; and Thinking Machines Corporation a company that developed the Connection Machine, a parallel supercomputer designed by Hillis at MIT.

After founding Thinking Machines Corporation, Hillis served as vice president of research and development at Walt Disney Imagineering.

He is also the Judge Widney Professor of Engineering and Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Hillis holds over 300 US patents in fields including parallel computers, touch interfaces, disk arrays, forgery prevention methods, electronic and mechanical devices, and bio-medical techniques.

His board service includes The Long Now Foundation and Hertz Foundation. He is a fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Danny Hillis and other top speakers and celebrities.

Danny Hillis Speaking Topics

The Knowledge Web

Let’s consider what kind of automated tutor could be created using today's best technology. First, imagine that this tutor program can get to know you over a long period of time. Like a good teacher, it knows what you already understand and what you are ready to learn. It also knows what types of explanations are most meaningful to you. It knows your learning style: whether you prefer pictures or stories, examples or abstractions. Imagine that this tutor has access to a database containing all the world's knowledge. This database is organized according to concepts and ways of understanding them. It contains specific knowledge about how the concepts relate, who believes them and why, and what they are useful for. I will call this database the knowledge web, to distinguish it from the database of linked documents that is the World Wide Web. [...]

With the knowledge web, humanity's accumulated store of information will become more accessible, more manageable, and more useful. Anyone who wants to learn will be able to find the best and the most meaningful explanations of what they want to know. Anyone with something to teach will have a way to reach those who what to learn. Teachers will move beyond their present role as dispensers of information and become guides, mentors, facilitators, and authors. The knowledge web will make us all smarter. The knowledge web is an idea whose time has come.

Danny Hillis Videos

Danny Hillis: The Internet could crash. We need a Plan B
Danny Hillis: Understanding cancer through proteomics
Danny Hillis: Back to the future (of 1994)

How do I book Danny Hillis to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Danny Hillis for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Danny Hillis, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Danny Hillis or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Danny Hillis for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Danny Hillis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $20,000 - $30,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Danny Hillis, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Danny Hillis speak about?

Danny Hillis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Innovation, Futurism, Creativity, Technology, Health, Healthcare, Personal Growth, Environment, Entrepreneurship, TED, Social Justice and Culture.

Where does Danny Hillis travel from?

Danny Hillis generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Danny Hillis?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Danny Hillis for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Danny Hillis for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Danny Hillis or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Danny Hillis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Innovation and Futurism. The estimated speaking fee range to book Danny Hillis for live events is $20,000 - $30,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Danny Hillis generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ray Kurzweil, Daniel Kraft, M.D. and Dean Kamen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Danny Hillis for an upcoming event.

Danny Hillis Speaking Topics

  • The Knowledge Web

    Let’s consider what kind of automated tutor could be created using today's best technology. First, imagine that this tutor program can get to know you over a long period of time. Like a good teacher, it knows what you already understand and what you are ready to learn. It also knows what types of explanations are most meaningful to you. It knows your learning style: whether you prefer pictures or stories, examples or abstractions. Imagine that this tutor has access to a database containing all the world's knowledge. This database is organized according to concepts and ways of understanding them. It contains specific knowledge about how the concepts relate, who believes them and why, and what they are useful for. I will call this database the knowledge web, to distinguish it from the database of linked documents that is the World Wide Web. [...]

    With the knowledge web, humanity's accumulated store of information will become more accessible, more manageable, and more useful. Anyone who wants to learn will be able to find the best and the most meaningful explanations of what they want to know. Anyone with something to teach will have a way to reach those who what to learn. Teachers will move beyond their present role as dispensers of information and become guides, mentors, facilitators, and authors. The knowledge web will make us all smarter. The knowledge web is an idea whose time has come.

Danny Hillis Videos

Danny Hillis: The Internet could crash. We need a Plan B
Danny Hillis: Understanding cancer through proteomics
Danny Hillis: Back to the future (of 1994)
OSCON 2012: Danny Hillis, "The Learning Map" - YouTube
Danny Hillis: From Preventive to "Pre-emptive" Medicine - YouTube
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