The executive chairman of AMD, Hector Ruiz is devoted to his company's 50x15 initiative, which seeks to give 50 percent of the world's population access to the internet by 2015.

Why you should listen

Hector Ruiz is executive chairman of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Born in Piedras Negras, Mexico, Dr. Ruiz is passionate about the role of technology in education and empowering the underprivileged. At the 2004 World Economic Forum in Davos, he announced AMD's 50x15 Initiative, a commitment to provide 50 percent of the world's population with basic Internet access by the year 2015.

Ruiz contends that his company's 50x15 initiative is "not only possible; it is perhaps the most important transformational event we will experience in our lifetime."

What others say

“Technology is only as powerful as it is accessible. The IT industry has nearly unlimited potential to educate the world by connecting the world.” — Hector Ruiz

Hector Ruiz’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Hector Ruiz

The power to connect the world: Hector Ruiz on TED.com

May 1, 2008

Hector Ruiz talks about his commitment to giving the world access to the Internet. Ruiz is the CEO of AMD, and through AMD’s 50×15 initiative, Ruiz and his company hope to connect 50 percent of the world to the Internet by 2015. Sharing his own extraordinary life story, Ruiz makes the case that access to […]

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