S5 | Ep 36 | Why Most Businesses are Placing the Wrong AI Bets with Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP / CEO at Satalia and Conscium

In Episode 36, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom i re-joined by Daniel Hulme, a leading authority in the world of AI and Chief AI Officer at WPP (as well as being CEO at Satalia and Conscium)

Kyle and Daniel discuss the rapid evolution of AI and its implications for various sectors.

They explore the concept of agentic AI, its real-world applications, and the importance of verification in AI deployment.

The conversation also delves into the impact of AI on jobs, the future of work, and the role of education in preparing graduates for an AI-driven world.

Ethical considerations and the need for aligned AI are emphasised, along with the challenges organisations face in building and adopting these technologies, and placing the right bets with their investments.

Takeaways:

• The evolution of Ai in the last 12 months.
• How AI has graduated from an 'intoxicated graduate' to masters level intelligence and beyond.
• Why Leaders don't have time to place the wrong bets but many are.
• Why companies are wasting time and money on building the wrong agents.
• How to prioritise the correct AI bets to invest in.
• How AI can free society from economic constraints meaning people won't have to work.
• The future of the education system and the impact on graduate jobs.
• Why verification of AI will be imperative to success and also accounts for 80% of deployment cost.
• The five levels of AI verification you need to know about.
• The importance of testing for skills and expertise instead of knowledge.
• When AI may become conscious and we could be at AGI by 2030.
• The disruption we're going to see in the job market.
• The relationship between software and AI and why most firms can't attract the talent they need to build AI.
• Why we should be building AI with values as opposed to implementing guardrails after the fact.
• The three questions to ask when deploying AI.
• The real safety and security issues that companies are going to face.
• Why there will be an explosion of innovation in AI safety.
• The risks of building zombie superintelligence.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.

At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.

From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.

We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.

Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.