Conversations on Applied AI

AI Chronicles: Transformative Talks from 2024

• Justin Grammens • Season 5 • Episode 1

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Hey everyone, Justin Grammens here, welcoming you to another episode of Conversations on Applied AI. Today’s episode is especially cool because I used an AI Tool called, NotebookLM to help generate! How amazing is that? We’re diving deep into some of the most engaging conversations of the past year, touching on groundbreaking advancements and thought-provoking insights from some incredible guests.

  1. John Stanton from Accord discusses how AI is enabling people with disabilities to access social services more effectively by simplifying complex information and implementing AI-based scoring systems for social determinants of health.
  2. Kevin Liu, Associate Professor at Ohio State University, explores the nuances of federated and decentralized learning, highlighting their importance in contexts like autonomous driving and low-power device optimization.
  3. Lori Ryan, founder of Lorignite.com, emphasizes demystifying AI for the masses and underscores AI’s role in augmenting human capabilities, turning meeting transcripts into training documentation, and making AI accessible to all.
  4. Rajeev Bukralia, Professor at Minnesota State Mankato, breaks down the critical importance of explainable AI (XAI) and data quality, advocating for CIOs to invest in robust data management to fully unleash AI's capabilities.
  5. Tim Bornhold shares practical applications of AI in software development and healthcare, advocating for the democratization of software development and emphasizing the power of prompt engineering.

The episode then wraps up with reflections on the rapid evolution of AI, its potential to solve significant global challenges, and the importance of responsible AI development. Listeners are encouraged to stay curious, engage, and explore how AI can be integrated into their personal and professional lives.

Join us as we journey through the cutting-edge innovations and ethical considerations in AI, and discover how you can be a part of this revolutionary wave.

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Lab651 and Recursive Awesome for supporting the Applied AI community!

Enjoy!
Justin Grammens 

AI Host:

All right, so you're ready to get into some Applied AI. We're going deep on some of the most popular conversations from last year on Justin Grammon's Conversations on Applied AI podcast.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, he had some amazing guests talking about how AI is changing everything. For

AI Host:

sure. It's

AI Co-Host:

pretty wild.

AI Host:

Like, we should start with John Stanton from Accord.

AI Co-Host:

Oh yeah.

AI Host:

They're a non profit, and they're using AI to help people with disabilities get access to services.

AI Co-Host:

Makes those services a lot easier to navigate.

AI Host:

Yeah.

AI Co-Host:

Way easier to understand.

AI Host:

Like he had this story about building an app that makes all this complex social service information way easier to understand.

AI Co-Host:

Like plain language, right? Plain language. Taking all

AI Host:

that legal jargon and making it something anybody can get.

AI Co-Host:

It's a game changer.

AI Host:

Yeah. And then the thing that I thought was really fascinating is he was talking about how they're using AI to quantify. Social determinants of health.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, interesting.

AI Host:

So like, you know, those are things like housing and food security, those kind of things that are traditionally really hard to measure. But they're creating a scoring system within their app using AI. Wow. And so you can imagine having this score, right, and being able to provide personalized support and intervention based on that.

AI Co-Host:

Tailored assistance, yeah. Yeah. Wow.

AI Host:

Really changes the game. Okay, so then there's Kevin Liu. Uh, associate professor at Ohio State University. He was talking about distributed learning and particularly federated learning and decentralized learning.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, that's a cool area.

AI Host:

It's really interesting. So federated learning, like think of it as like you've got all these, like thousands of mini AI brains all contributing to a larger model.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

And he used the example of Google's Gboard.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

Like if the predictive text, you know, as you're typing, how it learns your habits. Yeah. That's all happening on your device.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, that's interesting. So

AI Host:

your phone is getting smarter without sending all of your data to Google.

AI Co-Host:

Right. It's

AI Host:

like, you're getting, you know, your cake and eating it too.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

But then decentralized learning takes it even further. It's like, you know, Get rid of the need for a central server altogether.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, okay. So

AI Host:

he was talking about how this is like really important for things like autonomous driving.

AI Co-Host:

Mm hmm.

AI Host:

Where you've got all these cars that need to be able to learn from each other in real time.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

So they don't have time to be like going back and forth to some like central brain. Like

AI Co-Host:

a hive mind, don't they? Yeah,

AI Host:

like a hive mind for cars.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

So pretty interesting. And then he also talked about the challenge of training AI models on low power devices. Oh,

AI Co-Host:

okay.

AI Host:

Which like opens up this whole other can of worms.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah. Yeah.

AI Host:

But, like, the potential is there to, like, really revolutionize AI and make it a lot more efficient and a lot more accessible.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, that's where it gets really exciting, I think.

AI Host:

Yeah. Okay. So, speaking of making AI accessible, we have Lori Ryan.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, yeah.

AI Host:

She created loreignite. com, and she is all about demystifying AI.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, that's awesome.

AI Host:

So like helping people understand AI, helping people embrace AI and not be scared of it.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, it can be a little intimidating. Like what is it going to

AI Host:

do to my job? Exactly.

AI Co-Host:

All of that.

AI Host:

And she really emphasizes that like AI is here to augment Hume y capabilities. It's not about replacing us. Right,

AI Co-Host:

right.

AI Host:

Like her own story is really inspiring, like she started a business using AI.

AI Co-Host:

Oh. And she

AI Host:

talks about just like diving in and learning as you go.

AI Co-Host:

That's cool.

AI Host:

Which is like really inspiring. And what I thought was interesting is she talked about how she uses AI to streamline her work.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, okay.

AI Host:

So she talked about like, you know, taking meeting transcripts and turning those into training documentation with the help of AI. Oh, that's good. Because she's using AI to amplify her own effectiveness. Wow. Very cool. Yeah. Okay. So now let's talk about the ethical considerations around AI.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

So we talked to Rajeev Mukrelia, professor at Minnesota State Mankato.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

And he's a leading voice in this area.

AI Co-Host:

And

AI Host:

he really broke down the concept of explainable AI or XAI.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, yeah. And

AI Host:

he talked about the importance of transparency, especially in fields like healthcare and finance. It makes sense, yeah. Where you've got, like, high stakes decisions being made. You want to know how the AI is coming to those conclusions.

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely.

AI Host:

And he also highlighted the importance of data quality in AI. Okay. He had a great analogy. He said, you know, if you think of a large language model as, like A Lamborghini?

AI Co-Host:

Mm hmm.

AI Host:

It might be a really powerful engine, but if you don't have the right fuel and you don't have the right infrastructure, Right. It's not going to perform.

AI Co-Host:

It's not going to go anywhere.

AI Host:

Exactly.

AI Co-Host:

That's a great analogy.

AI Host:

And he was really making a case for CIOs to really invest in data management.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

To really be able to, like, unleash the power

AI Co-Host:

of

AI Host:

AI.

AI Co-Host:

Makes sense.

AI Host:

And then he also talked about custom GPTs, which is kind of a fascinating area. Oh,

AI Co-Host:

yeah.

AI Host:

So, imagine a chatbot that understands. The nuances of your specific business.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, wow.

AI Host:

That's the kind of like personalized experience that AI can deliver.

AI Co-Host:

Interesting.

AI Host:

Okay. So let's talk about someone who's on the front lines of AI strategy. Tim Bornhold.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

He's all about practical applications.

AI Co-Host:

Cool.

AI Host:

So he had a really interesting perspective on how AI is changing the landscape of work. And he believes that. Um, jobs that require empathy, creativity, what he calls those uniquely human soft skills. Um. Those are gonna become even more valuable. Right. He shared a great quote he said, jobs of the past valued strength, jobs of the present value brains, and jobs of the future

AI Co-Host:

Oh, wow. That's a great quote.

AI Host:

That's from the president of Columbia University, actually.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, very interesting.

AI Host:

But it really resonated with me. Because it's like, you know, it's suggesting that AI might be shifting our focus away from purely technical skills. Yeah. And more towards those human qualities that are really hard to replicate. Makes

AI Co-Host:

sense. And

AI Host:

speaking of technical skills, Tim was also talking about how AI is really democratizing software development. Uh huh. He actually talked about how he Yeah. built an app using chat GPT.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, cool. And

AI Host:

it's significantly sped up the process. So, you know, it's amazing to think that now, like people who don't have extensive coding knowledge.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah. Can

AI Host:

actually bring their ideas to life.

AI Co-Host:

That's powerful. And

AI Host:

then he also shared a story about using AI to analyze health insurance plans.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

Which is something I think we can all relate to. Sure,

AI Co-Host:

sure.

AI Host:

Like who really understands their health insurance plan.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

But he was able to get a much clearer understanding by just feeding all that information into ChatGPT.

AI Co-Host:

That's amazing.

AI Host:

Yeah, so it's like, you know, AI can really help us make more informed decisions.

AI Co-Host:

It can cut through the noise.

AI Host:

Exactly.

AI Co-Host:

Wow.

AI Host:

He also talked about the importance of prompt engineering.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, okay. Which

AI Host:

is basically like learning how to talk to AI effectively to get the best results.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

So he was saying like, you know, don't just tell the AI what to do. Okay. Ask it questions.

AI Co-Host:

Uh huh.

AI Host:

Frame it as a conversation.

AI Co-Host:

Interesting. Instead

AI Host:

of a, like, search query.

AI Co-Host:

Right. Right. Yeah, like a collaboration.

AI Host:

Exactly. And, just like Lori, you know, he's a big advocate for just experimenting and playing around with these tools.

AI Co-Host:

Makes sense.

AI Host:

He said, continually be curious, continually be learning, get your hands dirty and play with these things.

AI Co-Host:

Words to live by.

AI Host:

Yeah, for sure. We've covered a lot of ground here, but we've got a lot more to explore. We'll be back shortly to continue our deep dive into the world of AI.

AI Co-Host:

Looking forward to it. It's really interesting how all these different guests are approaching AI from all these different angles.

AI Host:

Yeah.

AI Co-Host:

But they all seem excited about the possibilities.

AI Host:

Yeah, and like Tim in particular had some, um, like some really thought provoking ideas about, like, the evolution of technology.

AI Co-Host:

Okay.

AI Host:

He was comparing the rise of AI to, like, the advent of the internet.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

And mobile phones. Yeah. You know how those, like, those paradigm shifts, like, really changed the way we live and work?

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely. And

AI Host:

he was saying, like, you know, those all came with their own challenges, and AI is no different. Right. Like, we need to be aware of the potential downsides, but also be embracing those opportunities.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, for sure.

AI Host:

It's like, how do we balance those two?

AI Co-Host:

Right. You

AI Host:

know, he actually told this funny story about how he used DIL E, which is the AI image generator to create this picture of a mermaid doing dishes for her son.

AI Co-Host:

Oh, that's great. That's awesome.

AI Host:

Yeah. It's like, you know, it sounds like something straight out of like a children's book.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

But it does raise some interesting questions about like, you know, what is creativity in the age of AI? Right. We were talking about like, is AI going to replace artists?

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

You know, and Tim's view is that true artistry goes beyond what a computer can currently do.

AI Co-Host:

Okay. You know,

AI Host:

there's something about human emotion and experience and perspective. Right. That AI just hasn't quite captured. Yeah.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

So. He sees AI as like more of a tool for artists.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

Not a replacement.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

You know, it can handle those technical aspects. Mm hmm. And then like, you know, that frees up human creativity to focus on more of the conceptual and emotional aspects. It's like a collaboration,

AI Co-Host:

right? Yeah,

AI Host:

not a competition.

AI Co-Host:

I like that.

AI Host:

And I think like one of the key takeaways from all these conversations is just like AI is evolving so fast.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, it really is.

AI Host:

It's like mind boggling. You know, what seems like science fiction today It could be reality tomorrow.

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely. It's crazy. Yeah.

AI Host:

And that's why it's so important to stay curious and keep learning.

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely. You

AI Host:

know, Tim was encouraging listeners to like, find those little niches that help you explain how to fit these tools into whatever profession or hobby you're trying to improve on.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

So it's all about finding those practical applications, like what resonates with you?

AI Co-Host:

Exactly.

AI Host:

So if you're feeling overwhelmed by all this AI talk, just like start small, ask questions.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

Let your curiosity guide you.

AI Co-Host:

And if you are looking for resources or you want to find a community, I think the Applied AI Nonprofit at, um, AppliedAI. M is a great place to start.

AI Host:

It's a great resource. They have a lot of events, workshops.

AI Co-Host:

They do, yeah. A

AI Host:

whole community of people that are really passionate about AI.

AI Co-Host:

It's a good place to connect and learn.

AI Host:

For sure.

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely.

AI Host:

And a huge shout out to our sponsors, Lab 651 and Recursive Awesome.

AI Co-Host:

Yes, thank you.

AI Host:

You know, they're making this deep dive possible.

AI Co-Host:

They are, yeah.

AI Host:

You know, before we move on, like, let's take a moment and just like, think about what we've learned so far we've heard from. Experts in social services, education, entrepreneurship, ethics, strategy, like, they've all shed light on different aspects of AI.

AI Co-Host:

That's true.

AI Host:

You know, we've explored the potential of AI to empower individuals, make systems more efficient, even enhance our own creativity. But we've also, like, you know, we've acknowledged those challenges. Right. The importance of responsible development and, you know, those ethical considerations.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, for sure. It's

AI Host:

a lot to take in. Yeah. I think the main takeaway for me is, like, AI is not just a technology.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah.

AI Host:

It's like this force that's shaping the world in really profound ways.

AI Co-Host:

Right. What stands out to you from all these conversations? What? What are you curious about? We'll be back in a moment to wrap up our deep dive into AI at The Edge and beyond.

AI Host:

It really is amazing to think about all the different ways that AI is already impacting our lives.

AI Co-Host:

Oh yeah, totally.

AI Host:

Even in ways that, like, We probably don't even realize.

AI Co-Host:

Like,

AI Host:

it's kind of the, it's the undercurrent of so much these days. But like, the thing that really gets me is like, the bigger picture.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah. You know, like, what

AI Host:

happens as AI continues to evolve?

AI Co-Host:

Right. How

AI Host:

is it going to shape the future of, like, society?

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, it's the million dollar question.

AI Host:

It really is.

AI Co-Host:

And all of the guests that we've heard from have grappled with that in some way.

AI Host:

For sure.

AI Co-Host:

You know, we heard about the potential of AI to solve, like, these global challenges like climate change and disease. Yeah,

AI Host:

it's like we could automate the mundane tasks, make systems more efficient, you know, maybe help us make better decisions. Right. But at the same time, like, there's that flip side, right?

AI Co-Host:

Right, there's always a flip side.

AI Host:

Like, what about job displacement? Potential biases, you know, AI being used for harmful purposes. For sure, for sure. It's that double edged sword.

AI Co-Host:

Which is why I think it's so important to talk about responsible AI. You know, this isn't just about developing cool technology. It's about making sure that AI is used ethically and that it benefits everyone.

AI Host:

Yeah, building systems that are fair and transparent.

AI Co-Host:

Right, exactly.

AI Host:

Accountable.

AI Co-Host:

Accountable.

AI Host:

And like, that's going to take a conscious effort from all of us, right?

AI Co-Host:

It will.

AI Host:

Developers, policy makers, like even everyday users like us.

AI Co-Host:

Absolutely. We all need to be having these conversations about AI and working together to create a future where AI is a force for good.

AI Host:

Yeah.

AI Co-Host:

And that's where you come in, you know? You've heard these amazing insights and now it's time to take all that knowledge and do something with it.

AI Host:

Like, ask yourself, what problem are you going to solve? Using AI.

AI Co-Host:

Exactly.

AI Host:

Like maybe you'll be inspired by John Stanton, you'll find ways to make those essential services more accessible.

AI Co-Host:

Right.

AI Host:

Or maybe you'll dive into the world of distributed learning like Kevin Liu.

AI Co-Host:

Or maybe you're going to be the next Lori Ryan using AI to launch your business. Yeah,

AI Host:

there's so many possibilities. Yeah. And remember, like, you don't have to be a tech whiz to get started. There's so many resources available.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, for sure.

AI Host:

Like, the Applied AI Nonprofit. AppliedAI. mm.

AI Co-Host:

Great resource. Yeah,

AI Host:

go check them out. They've got events, workshops, a whole community of people.

AI Co-Host:

Yeah, they do. That are

AI Host:

passionate about AI. It's a great place to get connected and learn.

AI Co-Host:

It is.

AI Host:

And of course, huge thanks to our sponsors, Lab 651 and Recursive Awesome.

AI Co-Host:

Yes, thank you so much to our sponsors.

AI Host:

We couldn't do it without them. We

AI Co-Host:

could not.

AI Host:

All right, so as we wrap up, let's leave you with this. Stay curious, stay engaged,

AI Co-Host:

keep learning,

AI Host:

and never stop learning. The world of AI is constantly evolving, and it's really up to all of us to shape its trajectory.

AI Co-Host:

It is, yeah.

AI Host:

So until next time, keep exploring, keep asking questions, and keep that spark of wonder alive.

People on this episode

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Justin Grammens

Host