Alaa Moussawi, Chief Data Scientist for the New York City Council, shares how AI is reshaping legislative processes through smarter, data-driven laws. He discusses the council’s use of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models, and open-source AI solutions to streamline workflows and ensure legislative originality. He also shares his perspective on the future of AI in government, the importance of transparency in policy-making, and why generative AI should assist with—but never make—decisions. Key Takeaways:  How the New York City Council team leverages AI and data science to drive evidence-based policymaking The importance of transparent, statistically-driven legislation The debate between cloud-based vs. on-premise AI solutions in government Common misconceptions about generative AI and decision-making The future of AI in government and its role in shaping policy Guest Bio: Alaa Moussawi serves as Chief Data Scientist for the New York City Council, leading teams of data scientists and software engineers. His data team analyzes issues like pay equity, rats, and school bus delays to support data-driven legislation, emphasizing transparency and reproducibility. The software team works to streamline council workflows, automate tasks, and improve efficiency, developing open-source tools like CRMs, dashboards, and paperless hearing systems. They’ve deployed machine learning models, including a RAG model for simplifying legal research. Dr. Moussawi is also producing a LinkedIn Learning course on developing RAG models in secure environments. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte

Chris Ghent, Chief Growth Officer at Input Output, dives into the synergy between blockchain and AI, emphasizing user empowerment through decentralization and privacy. He discusses strategies for effective community engagement and the crucial role of privacy in digital transactions. Ghent explores challenges in the cryptocurrency market, the future of digital identities, and how AI can enhance user experience. He also reflects on marketing tactics pivotal for driving adoption in the fast-evolving tech landscape.

Daniel Hulme, a leading AI expert and Chief AI Officer at WPP, dives into AI's game-changing impact on marketing and society. He discusses the concept of synthetic audiences and their implications for content creation. The conversation explores how AI can enhance human creativity while reshaping the job landscape. Hulme highlights the crucial need for ethical considerations in AI development and navigates the complex relationship between data privacy and marketing strategies, urging a hands-on approach to adapt to these technological advances.

Kai Zenner, Head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser for MEP Axel Voss, dives into the EU's digital regulatory landscape. He discusses the complexities of the AI Act, including implementation hurdles like a lack of AI expertise and enforcement across 27 member states. Kai shares insights on balancing innovation with regulation, lessons from GDPR revisions, and how digital policies impact innovation for SMEs. He emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement in shaping future digital policies.

Katie Winterbottom, Director of AI (Digital and Merch) at Nordstrom, discusses a new pilot program that uses AI-powered trend reports and agentic architecture to craft unique fashion journeys. She also emphasizes the need for tech education within companies, and updating antiquated processes to leverage the benefits of emerging tech. Key Takeaways: How AI is revolutionizing the fashion industry by capturing precise fashion trends and assisting in areas such as product surfacing, merchandising, and customer personalization. Operational challenges of integrating AI, and the importance of infrastructure scalability. The development of AI-powered trend reports and agentic architecture to enhance customer experiences. Limitations of recommendation models, and the importance of modern architectures like sequential transformers. Guest Bio: Katie Winterbottom leads AI innovation at Nordstrom, where she directs a team of 32 data scientists and engineers building next-generation personalization and recommendation systems. She's particularly passionate about responsible AI deployment, and has pioneered frameworks for measuring and monitoring AI's business impact while ensuring ethical implementation. Prior to her current role, Katie scaled multiple data science organizations and built enterprise-wide platforms that transformed Nordstrom's digital capabilities. Her teams' innovations have generated hundreds of millions in revenue through enhanced personalization, fraud prevention, and automated merchandising solutions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte  

Jo Davaris, Global Chief Privacy Officer at Booking Holdings, discusses how to build trust in AI, emphasizing privacy and ethical governance as the pillars of AI innovation. We explore the importance of feedback mechanisms and transparency in AI systems, along with how to maintain user control without compromising innovation. Key Takeaways:  Building trust in AI systems and the role of privacy in AI governance The need for public and private collaboration on AI regulations Concerns with AI’s rapid advancement The importance of integrating privacy and ethical considerations into AI development from the start Guest Bio:  Jo Davaris is the Global Chief Privacy Officer at Booking Holdings, where she established a unified privacy framework across brands like Booking.com and OpenTable. She leads AI Governance, Digital Trust, and Cybersecurity efforts, integrating privacy and innovation globally. Previously, Jo was Mercer’s first Global Chief Privacy Officer, developing a privacy program that protected data while enabling growth. At American Express, she strengthened privacy governance for institutional & network businesses. Earlier, as an attorney for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, she prosecuted child abuse cases. Jo serves on advisory boards, speaks at conferences on privacy and governance, and advocates for social services in NYC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte  

Sophia Rowland, a Senior Product Manager at SAS with a robust background in data science, shares insights on integrating AI and analytics in operational settings. She tackles the challenges of dependency management caused by siloed IT and data science teams, and the psychological impact of algorithms on user motivation. Sophia also discusses the importance of aligning technical and business perspectives for effective MLOps, while emphasizing the significance of data ethics and responsible AI practices.

Senthil Padmanabhan, VP of Platform and Infrastructure at eBay, discusses how eBay’s use of fine-tuning is improving their operational workflows. He explains why fine-tuning existing models can often be more cost-effective than training from scratch, and how methods like low-ranking adaptation (LoRa) are pivotal in improving AI performance. Key Takeaways:  The impact of strategic fine tuning on achieving peak performance AI's broader impact on eBay's infrastructure, fraud detection, and customer-facing experiences The challenges of tech debt and software upgrades Case studies from eBay that illustrate productivity gains via fine-tuning Considerations for choosing between open and proprietary AI models The importance of data quality over quantity in fine-tuning processes Predictions for the future of AI development and fine-tuning techniques Guest Bio: Senthil Padmanabhan is a Vice President and Technical Fellow at eBay, where he runs Platform and Infra (private cloud) Engineering for the global eCommerce marketplace, providing infrastructure for 4000+ engineers to deliver products at scale. Before this role, he was in the Product engineering space, building consumer-facing applications at eBay and Yahoo. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte  

Ishita Ghosh, Senior Manager of Data Science at Walmart, discusses AI innovations within retail, highlighting Walmart's initiatives that enhance customer experiences and operational efficiencies.​​ She also stresses the importance of balancing technological advancements with trust, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement. Key Takeaways:  AI innovations at Walmart, including generative AI for employee assistance and inventory management Navigating regulatory hurdles in highly regulated sectors, and the challenges of gaining stakeholder buy-in for AI implementation The importance of human oversight in implementing AI solutions Speculation on the future of AI, and how we can use AI as a tool for creating a better world (particularly in healthcare) Guest Bio: Ishita Ghosh is the Senior Manager of Data Science at Walmart USA. Ms. Ghosh is a skilled leader in data science and machine learning, combining technical expertise with strategic insight. With a Master's in Data Science, she excels in both research and practical applications. At Walmart, as well as in previous roles at Schlumberger and Abbvie, she drove innovation and delivered results in computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, and Generative-AI across manufacturing, safety, and operations. Her active research contributions and leadership at major organizations highlight her significant impact on the field. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte  

Jacqueline Karlin, Sr. Director of AI Product & Personalization at PayPal, discusses how AI is revolutionizing the financial technology landscape, particularly in payment transactions and operational efficiency. She highlights the importance of mindful product management and the balance between innovation and responsible AI usage. Key Takeaways:  PayPal's three main AI investment areas How PayPal is using AI to drive product innovation and improve customer experience How to be a responsible technologist, contributing positively to the community Ethical practices to find product-market fit while avoiding biases The need for transparency, trust, and responsible AI How we can develop AI literacy among consumers Guest Bio: Jacqueline Karlin is the Sr. Director of AI Product & Personalization at PayPal. With a rich background at industry giants like Amazon, Meta, and Santander, Jacqueline has launched AI-powered products used by millions of consumers around the world today. As a thought leader in the AI space, she is dedicated to advancing industry standards and exploring the transformative potential of AI in financial technology. Her approach combines a pursuit of driving value to customers with a passion for responsible AI, with the ultimate goal of building products that matter. Join us as we explore her insights on the transformative power of AI in financial technology! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte