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

In this episode of Shift AI, Karthik Ramakrishnan Chief Product Officer from Armilla AI shares his experience with a startup that empowers enterprises to test and fix their AI models to ensure they release trustworthy products to the market. In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, we cover the following topics: 02:22 How Karthik's eductation let to working in startups, an IPO; and his pursuit of success as a entrepreneur. 04:40 Family of orgin, Dad was a paper recycling entrepreneur in the Middle East. 08:16 Building trust in AI models for better decisions. 11:14 AI Model training data, rights, and testing of AI responsibly. 12:57 Why are businesses enthusiastic about AI's potential and risks. 16:14 AI designs leading to products that can engage with humans. 21:29 AI advances will make life easier through efficiency. 23:52 2 words describing the future of work and responsible AI armilla.ai - https://armilla.ai/ simplyaugmetned.ai - https://simplyaugmented.ai shiftapodcast.com - http://shiftaipodcast.com

In this episode of Shift AI, Rand Fishkin, Co-founder and CEO at SparkToro, shares his experience as a successful entrepreneur and offers insightful perspectives on the current state of generative AI, the challenges faced by VC-backed businesses and the importance of prioritizing the lives of founders and team members. sparktoro.com shitaipodcast.com simplyaugmented.com Connect with Rand Fishkin ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠ simplyaugmented.com shiftaipodcast.com

5-time Emmy Award Winning Producer, Neil Mandt, discusses his experiences in Hollywood, the impact of AI on the entertainment industry, the future of social media and advertising, and property rights and the future of work and entertainment.

David Shim, CEO at read.ai, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the influence of his family on work ethic. He discusses founding startups like Placed and read.ai, adapting product focus with AI capabilities, and collaboration with established companies. He also explores smarter meeting management and equity using data analytics, the role of mentors, and advancements in AI shaping content consumption.

In this episode of Shift AI, Shane Mac CEO at XMTP Labs shares his experience as a startup founder, how to run a remote-first venture backed startup and his philosophy on how digital messaging and communication will evolve in the future. In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, we cover the following topics: Early Experience: Shane discusses how his early experience as a young CEO of a startup in San Francisco and the imposter syndrome that he felt shaped they way that he approaches his new company and how he treats those around him. Family Influence: How Shane’s father’s discipline impacted his work ethic and how growing up in a small town masked some of the anxiety that he would later comes to terms with as an entrepreneur. Emotional Intellegence: How alcohol and extreme confidence helped to mask insecurities that he is finally coming to terms with in life. Startup Culture: How do you give people the permission to make mistakes, to say I need help to focus on being the best employee they can be without doing things for the sake of being busy. AI and Creativity: How AI has transformed our ability to use the computer as a tool to be more creative by helping us prototype our ideas. XMTP and Secure Messaging: How securing messaging and payment is changing the way we think about identity and how we can move from carrier to carrier safely with our DM’s and followers in tact. Connect with Shane Mac ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠

In this episode of Shift AI, TA McCann Managing Director at the Pioneer Square Labs shares his experience as a startup founder, how sailing a ship has parralells to running a fast growing business and his take on the implications of AI on our society in the future.

Founding CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Oren Etzioni, discusses his meeting with President Biden on AI policy, incubating AI companies in Seattle, and the societal impact of AI. Topics include AI's influence on society, Seattle's AI breakthroughs, and preparing the next generation of AI innovators.

In this installment of Shift AI, Matt McIlwain, Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group, discusses the influence of AI on different industries, Seattle's place in the technology landscape, ethical concerns surrounding AI, and the evolving nature of work in the digital era. Matt also delves into the opportunities and groundbreaking advancements created by AI, cloud computing, and associated technologies. In this episode of the Shift podcast, we cover the following topics: Matt’s early career, family background and his road to the role he has now at Madrona Venture Group Introduction to Seattle's role as a leader in cloud computing and discussion of his past 10+ years of investment in applied AI. Deep dive into AI, automation, and machine learning, with historical context. Discussion of interacting with predictive capabilities through natural language. Insight into generative AI models and their application in various domains. Seattle's significance as the cloud capital and a center of excellence for AI and discussion of big companies, startups, and the energy of the Seattle tech community. Consideration of how work is changing due to AI, including ethical considerations. Exploration of the importance of keeping humans in the loop in AI-driven processes. Reflection on mentorship and its impact on personal and professional growth. Connect with Matt McIlwain ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠ Join the Simply AI Weekly newsletter and leverage AI in your business to scale safely.

In this episode of the Shift AI Podcast, Mindy Honcoop, CPO at Agile in HR shares her background and experience that landed her at Expedia and the work she has been doing to advise leaders to focus on their purpose and values to drive organizational change. Mindy breaks down how she thinks about motivating people in the workplace and the role that humans play amidst new technology advances. She also talks about the wave of HR and AI advancements and how we should think about emerging tech in the HR stack. In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, we cover the following topics: Mindy’s early career, family background and her role as CPO in organizations Empowering humans in the workplace and how to manage organizational change AI and the way that humans stay in the loop as the navigate a new understanding of what it means to work in the future. The role that HR plays in navigating AI in the workplace an how certain mundane tasks give way to more opportunities to be creative and strategic as part of your job description. Connect with Mindy Honcoop ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Email: ⁠shift@simplyaugmented.com⁠ Join the Simply Augmented newsletter. Every Tuesday morning, you’ll get actionable tips to leverage AI in your business and empower your teams to grow.