Simplifying Taxes with AI: Inside Angela Shi’s Journey with Luna at Empathetic AI

Episode Summary

In this episode of In the Blink of AI, we meet Angela Shi, the CEO and co-founder of Empathetic AI, a Sydney-based startup revolutionising the tax industry with artificial intelligence. Angela shares her journey from being a finance professional with over 14 years of experience to becoming a first-time founder tackling complex tax challenges through their AI assistant, Luna.

She discusses how Luna, a domain-specific large language model trained on decades of Australian tax legislation and rulings, assists tax professionals by simplifying complex scenarios and increasing productivity. Angela delves into the technical aspects of building Luna, the importance of human expertise in AI development, and how Empathetic AI addresses data sensitivity and compliance. She also opens up about overcoming personal challenges as an immigrant and introverted female founder, offering valuable insights into entrepreneurship, continuous learning, and finding meaning in her work.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to In the Blink of AI and Angela Shi

03:11 Empathetic AI's Rapid Growth and Building a Community

06:11 Introducing Luna, the AI Tax Assistant

10:11 Building Luna: Data Sources and Model Training

14:36 Handling Data Sensitivity and Compliance

17:51 Updating Luna with Changes in Legislation

21:10 The Role of Human Expertise in AI Development

24:20 Angela's Journey from CFO to AI Founder

28:01 Challenges of Entrepreneurship and Continuous Learning

36:09 Overcoming Personal Obstacles and Finding Meaning

38:38 Rapid-Fire Questions and Insights

44:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Mentioned in this episode:

Rocking Horse - November 2024