Pablo Castro, a distinguished engineer at Microsoft, shares his journey from Argentina to shaping Azure AI. He highlights the potential of large language models and the importance of grounding AI to tackle hallucination issues. Pablo emphasizes Microsoft's commitment to responsible AI, focusing on security and data management. He reflects on the invaluable role of mentors in his career and presents an optimistic vision for the future of work, where human creativity and AI collaboration drive progress.

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. ## 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 ## Connect with Yifan Zhang ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: yifan@ai2incubator.com Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

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

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

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

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.

In this episode of Shift AI, Zach Friend Santa Cruz County Supervisor shares his journey from working in the Obama Whitehouse to helping the Biden Administration craft meaningful AI legislation with the local community in mind. He also covers the way that governments are dealing with AI regulation and the social contract that needs to be established with county constituents. Show Description This episode of the Shift AI podcast features an interview between Boaz Ashkenazy and Zach Friend about AI policy and regulation. They discuss Zach's background working in government at both the federal and local level. They also talk about the work Zach has done to develop an AI regulatory framework at the county level in California and discuss issues like innovation vs regulation, the use of AI tools like ChatGPT in government work, and concerns around personalization and microtargeting in the upcoming 2024 US election. It's an insightful conversation about how to properly govern emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Highlights: Zach Friend has experience working in government at both the federal level (White House, Congress) and local level (Santa Cruz County Supervisor) He developed one of the first AI regulatory frameworks at the county level in California through a working group with industry The framework focused on transparency, informed consent, and ensuring AI tools aren't used in ways that negatively impact communities Zach discusses using ChatGPT and other AI tools to help with constituent services and operational tasks in county government Personalized microtargeting of political messages is seen as a potential risk for the 2024 US election that needs addressingInnovation and regulation can be balanced by having startups and industry help inform reasonable policy frameworks Experiences working directly for President Obama shaped Zach's views on separating urgent vs important issues The future could bring either abundance through new technologies or risks if we don't get policy and governance right Connect with Zach Friend ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

In this episode of Shift AI, Kirby Winfield General Partner at Ascend.vc shares his journey from founding multiple successful startups to becoming a leading AI investor and outlines lessons learned, insights on the Seattle startup ecosystem, and his optimistic yet pragmatic views on generative AI and the future of work. Summary of topics covered: Background and early career: Kirby gained experience as an entrepreneur early in his career through founding multiple companies. Transition to Venture capital: Looking for a new challenge, Kirby leveraged his experience operating startups to co-found Ascend and advise other founders. Investment thesis and framework for evaluating AI opportunities: Kirby evaluates AI opportunities through the lens of whether they present applied or foundational uses of the technology. Portfolio companies: Two of Ascend's portfolio companies applying AI in novel ways are Overland for autonomous vehicles and Clarity for detecting deepfakes. Incumbent tech companies and AI: Kirby believes startups should focus on radically improving problems rather than competing directly with incumbent features to succeed against large companies. Seattle's potential as a tech hub: Seattle is poised to become a major tech hub to rival Silicon Valley as its startup ecosystem matures and attracts more founders and engineers. Mentors and influences: Guidance from mentors like John Keister and Oren Etzioni helped Kirby navigate different stages of his career in startups and investing. Future of work and AI: Kirby is optimistic AI could automate drudgery and unleash human potential but acknowledges change will be gradual and new challenges will emerge. Connect with Kirby Winfield ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

In this episode of Shift AI, Zohar Dayan SVP Product at Vimeo shares his experience as a startup founder, how he was early to ML with video and how the Vimeo acquisition is pushing to integrate AI into the video creation process. 01:57 - Dayan talks about his early start with technology, founding Wibbitz in college, and its connection to text-to-video concepts. 02:31 - Zohar explains his role at Vimeo as SVP of Product and GM of their Israel office, focusing on connecting product, engineering, and design teams. 06:14 - He shares insights into his family background, noting his father's low-tech entrepreneurship and his mother's involvement in the arts. 06:57 - Zohar reflects on the journey leading to Vimeo's acquisition of his company and the evolution of the digital landscape since 2009. 10:21 - He discusses the use of AI and machine learning at Wibbitz and the advancements in generative AI that are shaping the industry. 12:13 - Dayan expresses enthusiasm for AI's potential to redefine creativity and originality, while also voicing concerns about its power. 21:07 - Zohar predicts the future of video consumption and content engagement, focusing on efficiency and leveraging AI. 24:23 - He describes the future of work as "human connection," emphasizing the importance of fostering connections in remote and startup environments. Connect with Zohar Dayan ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

In this episode of Shift AI, Dr. Vasi Philomin, VP of Generative AI at Amazon Web Services (AWS) shares his experience as a visionary in machine learning and AI, his insights on applying generative AI at Amazon/AWS, and his thoughts on the ethical dimensions and future potential of AI technologies. Highlights from Vasi’s comments, edited for context and clarity: Early work experiences: Pioneered connected lighting at Philips Lighting with the City Touch system at Philips Lighting, enabling remote management of city lighting grids and achieving global adoption. First Paying Job: During a summer internship at Benz in Germany, Vasi delved into computer vision for autonomous navigation. Family Life: Growing up in a family of medical professionals, I diverged into a math-focused area of computer science, specifically AI, supported by my family despite our different professional paths. Amazon & Generative AI: At Amazon, we identified three key themes in applying generative AI: the diversity of AI models for different use cases, the need for enterprises to differentiate themselves, and the balance of cost-effectiveness and value. Amazon Bedrock: Bedrock aims to apply technologies like generative AI at scale. Offering choice, customization, and custom chips for improved generative AI applications. Human and AI Congruence: AI should handle tedious tasks, allowing humans to focus on complex problems. While human oversight is still essential for verifying AI outputs and augmenting productivity. Amazon Code Whisper: Created to address the challenges of new programming languages, Code Whisperer enhances developer productivity, with recent updates for customization to internal code bases. Mentors: Azriel Rosenfield, my grad school advisor, taught me discipline, while Jeffery Cassis at Philips Lighting taught me a more inclusive approach to collaboration and problem-solving. Future of Work: Generative AI is set to bring transformational productivity, surpassing the internet in impact, tackling complex problems, and augmenting human performance at an unprecedented scale. Connect with Vasi Philomin ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠ Additional Resources AWS re:Invent GA of Amazon Bedrock (blog, press release) AWS joins the UN summit on generative AI AWS at the White House: Our commitment to the responsible use of AI AWS reaffirms its commitment to responsible generative AI