17- Amina Al Sherif – AI/ML Specialist @Google / Author/ Spy /Computational Linguist

17- Amina Al Sherif – AI/ML Specialist @Google / Author/ Spy /Computational Linguist

In this episode we talk with the Amina Al Sherif who works as an AI/ML specialist at Google Cloud. In this fascinating conversation we talk about Aminas journey starting off as a computational linguist to working as a spy- yes you heard that right a SPY, to being an AI/ML specialist. We also talk about AI ethics, AI literacy, when to use GenAI, when NOT to use GenAI, how she keeps up with everything happening in the GenAI space, we also talk about her next fiction book, her secret to generating creative ideas, all this and more - you don’t want to miss this jam packed episode with Amina. Sit back grab your favorite drink and enjoy the show

Amina’s background and her journey (02:02)

Project Maven (07:10)

AI Ethics (12:36)

How to keep up with everything changing in the GenAI space (18:00)

If she could rewind time - how could this technology be introduced to the public (22:31)

Interesting projects in the AI/ML space (29:21)

What is one thing most misunderstood about how GenAI works (33:33)

Hypothetical predictions of how GenAI could end up being (37:30)

How should one get started off in the AI/ML space (41:01)

Life as an author and managing different responsiblities (45:27)

How to get the creative juices flow (53:22)

How to overcome writers block(55:52)

LinkedIn - Amina Al Sherif

Amina’s books - her own bookstore or Amazon

Full Show notes :

00:00.00 Anand Kumar (host) Hey Amina welcome to the show.

00:02.73 Amina Thank you for having me Anon I appreciate it.

00:08.24 Anand Kumar (host) Awesome! Before we get started I mean I know you have a very extensive and interesting background on you know how you got to where you are today if you can give the listeners a background of your journey that’ll be awesome. Okay.

00:25.12 Amina Yeah, so I assume when you mean where I got to today. It’s you know, being an ai and machine learning lead at Google, so I’ll go on that assumption. So I started my undergrad.

00:38.46 Anand Kumar (host) Yeah.

00:41.82 Amina In computational linguistics but I was really interested in the linguistics part and less interested in the computer science piece of it. Until I joined the military here in the United States and the military basically told me that there was no way I was going to get a security clearance. That I needed to become what I wanted to do which was be a spy. I spoke and speak several languages. So that’s what I wanted to do and you know since I was young who doesn’t want to be a spy and so they told me hey we based on your background I’m originally egyptian.

01:15.50 Anand Kumar (host) Ah.

01:20.20 Amina And based on your background. We don’t think you’re going to get a security clearance and so we’re going to shove you over to the it and networking side of the army because you know that’s where we put the people. So not not a very.

01:36.59 Anand Kumar (host) So.

01:37.14 Amina Glorious turn of events for me. Certainly definitely not where I saw my career going but it’s it’s funny how things work. I end up going to the first iteration of the cyber training at.

01:40.96 Anand Kumar (host) I.

01:53.60 Amina The us army cyber school in Fort Gordon and from there kind of got launched into my my technical career I was dealing with a lot of really large data sets. You know surprise surprise I did end up actually being a spy but