Shift AI Podcast Boaz Ashkenazy

In this episode, Boaz Ashkenazy interviews Pablo Castro, a distinguished engineer at Microsoft. They discuss Pablo's background and journey at Microsoft, his current work in Azure Open AI and databases, and the practical applications of AI in business. They also explore exciting developments in large language models and address concerns about hallucination in AI systems. Pablo emphasizes the importance of security and responsible AI and shares insights into Microsoft's direction in AI. He also reflects on the mentors who have influenced his career and shares his optimistic vision for the future of work and AI.



Takeaways


Large language models are becoming more sophisticated and capable of reasoning, opening up new possibilities for practical applications in business.
Addressing hallucination in AI systems requires grounding the answers in concrete data and involving users in the process.
Security and responsible AI are top priorities for Microsoft, with a focus on data management, transparency, and inclusiveness.
Microsoft is working on scaling retrieval systems and improving the economics of AI applications to remove barriers for businesses.
Pablo Castro highlights the importance of mentors and learning from experienced professionals in shaping a successful career in AI.
The future of work and AI is about going further by combining human ingenuity with the capabilities of AI systems to tackle complex challenges and drive progress.



Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:10 Early Interest in Computers

03:25 First Job and Experience in Application Development

05:29 Working with Azure Open AI and Databases

07:04 Practical Examples of AI in Business

10:09 Exciting Developments in Large Language Models

12:23 Addressing Hallucination in AI Systems

15:48 Ensuring Security and Responsible AI

28:34 Influential Mentors and Career Insights

32:28 Vision for the Future of Work and AI



Connect with Pablo Castro


⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy


⁠Twitter⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠




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Yifan Zhang's journey from a Harvard graduate to a serial entrepreneur and now the Managing Director at AI2 Incubator exemplifies her evolution within the tech startup ecosystem. Immigrating from China, she first ventured into the startup world by founding GymPact, a fitness app, followed by Loftium, an innovative home ownership model. Zhang's transition to investor at AI2 Incubator marks a new chapter where she leverages her experience to mentor early-stage AI startups with a focus on nurturing AI solutions that promise both global impact and local community innovation.

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Summary of topics covered:

00:00 Yifan Zhang's Early Background
08:18 AI2 Incubator and its Approach
12:22. Company Building in the AI Space
15:27. AI2 Incubator and Seattle's Ecosystem
18:56. Yifan Zhang's Community Work in Seattle
21:22. Seattle's Potential as an AI Hotbed
24:58. Mentors
28:51. The Future of Work is Strategic

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Connect with Yifan Zhang


⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: yifan@ai2incubator.com

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy


⁠Twitter⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠




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In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, host Boaz Ashkenazy interviews Varun Puri, the founder and CEO of Yoodli, who shares his journey from working at Google to starting his own AI startup Yoodli. Yoodli is an AI-powered speech coaching tool that helps individuals improve their communication skills. Puri discusses the importance of effective communication and how Yoodli can be used as a personalized coach. He also highlights the positive response of Yoodli by users and organizations and shares his thoughts on the role of AI in the future of work.

Summary of topics covered:

00:00 Introduction and Background
02:31 From Google to Starting Yoodli
03:41 The Idea behind Yoodli
06:40 The Importance of Communication Skills
08:41 Using Yoodli as a Personalized Coach
09:49 Response and Adoption of Yoodli
16:01 The Future of AI Startups
23:24 Two Words to Describe the Future of Work
25:10 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Connect with Varun Puri


⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy


⁠Twitter⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

Connect with our Sponsor


CIBC
CIBC Innovation Podcast




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In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, host Boaz Ashkenazy interviews Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek.ai, discussing her journey from astrophysics and finance to leading one of the fastest-growing AI companies. Sarah shares insights into her transition from quantitative analysis and data science in finance to creating Seek.ai, which aims to make data more accessible to non-technical users through natural language interfaces. She highlights the significance of large language models in facilitating this transition and elaborates on Seek.ai's achievements, including surpassing a major benchmark in natural language to SQL translation.

Summary of topics covered:


Introduction to Sarah Nagy: The podcast begins with an introduction to Sarah Nagy, highlighting her past work in the financial sector and her transition to the AI industry, leading up to her role as CEO of Seek.ai.
Background in Finance and Astrophysics: Sarah shares her journey from working in astrophysics and quantitative finance to her growing interest in big data and machine learning, eventually leading data teams at startups and at Citadel.
Founding of Seek.ai: Frustrated with the challenges non-technical people face in accessing and understanding data, Sarah discusses how her experiences led to the founding of Seek.ai, aiming to make data accessible through a natural language interface.
Large Language Models and Code Generation: Sarah elaborates on the potential of large language models for code generation and their application in making data queries accessible to non-technical users, underpinning the technology behind Seek.ai.
Seek.ai's Mission and Technology: The discussion delves into Seek.ai's mission to enable business professionals to ask data-related questions in natural language, highlighting the company's use of analytical AI to process these queries efficiently.
Challenges of Transitioning to AI from Finance: Sarah reflects on the transition from working deeply with data in finance to leading an AI startup, discussing the challenges and opportunities this shift presented.
Mentorship and Influence: The conversation shifts to Sarah's early influences, including her family's background in tech and her mentors throughout her career, emphasizing the role of mentorship in her professional development.
The Future of AI and Work: Sarah offers her perspective on the evolving AI landscape, the excitement around large language models, and their implications for the future of work, including the potential for everyone to leverage AI for decision-making.
Seek.ai's Achievements and Benchmarks: Sarah shares recent accomplishments of Seek.ai, including their performance on the Spider benchmark for natural language to SQL translation, highlighting the company's leadership in the field.
Vision for Seek.ai and the Industry: The podcast concludes with Sarah's vision for the future of Seek.ai and the broader AI industry, touching on the opportunities for innovation and the importance of making AI accessible to a wider audience.

Connect with Sarah Nagy


Twitter/X
⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy


⁠Twitter⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠




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In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, Joe shares his unique journey from a tech-savvy business professional to a state senator in Washington, emphasizing his work on technology legislation, particularly around AI and facial recognition. The discussion covers the challenges and opportunities of regulating AI technology, balancing innovation with privacy and ethical considerations. They also explore Joe's personal use of AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance his legislative effectiveness, underscoring the potential of AI to transform governance and policy-making.

Summary of topics covered:


Joe Nguyen's Path to Politics: Nguyen discusses his journey from a tech professional to a state senator in Washington, emphasizing his focus on technology and AI legislation.
Personal Origin Story: He shares the compelling story of his family's escape from Vietnam and their resettlement in the United States, highlighting the impact of this history on his career and public service.
AI and Facial Recognition Legislation: Nguyen talks about his work on contentious facial recognition legislation, balancing the need for privacy with technological innovation.
Utilizing AI in Governance: He reveals how he uses AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance legislative efficiency, particularly in budget discussions and policy formulation.
Concerns and Regulation of AI: The conversation touches on the challenges of regulating AI technology, including biases and ethical considerations.
Federal and State AI Policy: Nguyen gives his perspective on federal AI initiatives, including President Biden's executive order, and discusses Washington's role in AI leadership.
Mentorship and Influences: He reflects on the influence of his family, mentors, and notable figures like Governor Gary Locke on his career.
Future of Work and AI: Nguyen concludes with thoughts on basic income as a response to the transformative impact of AI and automation on jobs.

Connect with Joe Nguyen


Instagram
⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy


⁠Twitter⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.ai⁠




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In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, David Nilssen, CEO of DOXA Talent, shares his insights on the evolving landscape of the global workforce and the significance of remote work. He highlights the necessity of developing an international talent strategy in response to the enduring scarcity of talent. Nilssen delves into his personal journey, from early career influences to leading DOXA Talent, emphasizing the role of AI and innovative practices in shaping modern employment. Throughout the conversation, he underscores the importance of adapting to demographic shifts and cultivating a strong, community-focused remote work culture.

Summary of topics covered:


Introduction: David Nilssen discusses the vital need for remote work and an international talent strategy due to ongoing talent scarcity.
Journey in Entrepreneurship and DOXA Talent's Genesis: He narrates his leadership experience in EO and the founding of DOXA Talent, focusing on outsourcing and remote work solutions.
Innovations and Strategies in DOXA Talent: Nilssen explains DOXA's unique approaches to employee loyalty, AI integration, and the creation of DOXACon for community building.
Global Perspective and Post-Covid Workforce Strategy: He reflects on global workforce trends and strategies for fostering community in a remote-first work environment.
DOXA's AI-Enabled Talent Matching Tool: The development and impact of DOXA's AI tool for efficient talent matching in full-time roles is discussed.
Impactful Mentors: Nilssen shares how mentors like Dave Parker, Stephan Roche, and Lex Sisney significantly influenced his professional growth.
The Future of Work: He emphasizes the enduring need for remote work and international talent strategies in the face of persistent talent scarcity.


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