DiscoverThe Applied AI Podcast
The Applied AI Podcast
Claim Ownership

The Applied AI Podcast

Author: Jacob Andra

Subscribed: 0Played: 3
Share

Description

A hype-free zone to discuss the practical applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to real-world use cases in business, government, nonprofits, and other types of organizations. Calibrated to business executives who want to know, "What does AI mean for my industry and my company," it keeps the emphasis on value creation and actionable strategies. 


The Applied AI Podcast is produced by Talbot West, a leading digital transformation consultancy and AI enablement partner for mid-market and enterprise companies. Jacob Andra, CEO of Talbot West, brings in-the-trenches insights from real companies implementing AI and machine learning technologies. Additionally, Talbot West clients, partners, and other executives feature prominently in our guest line-up. 


With real-world experience and a wealth of applied AI perspectives, The Applied AI Podcast avoids both the hype and the nay-saying surrounding AI technologies. We cover the actual value creation that AI is driving in enterprise, as well as the risks, pitfalls, and limitations. We bring you a balanced view. Just like Talbot West clients trust us to be their digital transformation advisor, our listeners trust The Applied AI Podcast to be a bias-free, no-nonsense zone. 


Learn more at https://appliedaipod.com

Learn about Talbot West at https://talbotwest.com

Learn about BizForesight (an AI-powered M&A platform from Talbot West): https://bizforesight.com

Learn about the Talbot West AI 2030 Thesis and our vision of total organizational intelligence: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/the-talbot-west-5-year-ai-thesis

Learn about Cognitive Hive AI (CHAI), Talbot West's modular, composable ensemble architecture: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/what-is-cognitive-hive-ai-chai
Learn about AI Prioritization and EXecution (APEX), Talbot West's methodology for prioritizing AI initiatives: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/apex-framework-for-ai-prioritization

Read Talbot West's response to the August 2025 Wall Street Journal article on how McKinsey is adapting to AI: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/wsj-mckinsey-talbot-west

Read how Talbot West approaches the "buy vs build" question with our clients: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/ai-buy-vs-build

Read Talbot West's description of composable AI and why it's the future: https://talbotwest.com/services/cognitive-hive-ai/composable-ai

How AI is driving value creation in M&A: https://talbotwest.com/industries/mergers-and-acquisitions-manda/how-ai-makes-mergers-and-acquisitions-more-efficient

Why a system-of-systems approach is the future of AI deployment: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/system-of-systems-in-ai

An examination of the DoD's Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and its implications for AI deployment: https://talbotwest.com/industries/defense/what-is-mosa-in-defense-systems

Ways AI can make government more efficient: https://talbotwest.com/industries/government/how-can-ai-make-government-more-efficient

Examining the importance of explainability in AI and why it doesn't exist with commercial large language models but does with Cognitive Hive AI: https://talbotwest.com/services/ai-governance/what-is-explainability-in-ai

Let's not forget about small language models: https://talbotwest.com/ai-insights/what-is-a-small-language-model-slm
Where AI change management often fails: https://talbotwest.com/services/change-management-for-ai-implementation/understanding-change-management-in-ai

7 Episodes
Reverse
Dr. Alexandra Pasi (Lucidity Sciences) joins Talbot West CEO Jacob Andra to explore why conflating AI with large language models creates blind spots in enterprise technology strategy. With 15 years in machine learning, Dr. Pasi brings mathematical rigor to practical AI deployment. Key discussion topics Jacob identifies the linguistic synecdoche in AI discourse: taking LLM characteristics like hallucination and incorrectly applying them to all AI. Dr. Pasi expands on this, explaining that LLMs...
Jason duPont, COO of NEXA Mortgage, reveals how AI transforms mortgage operations from 54-minute loan processing to autonomous underwriting systems. NEXA processes $10 billion annually through 3,300 loan officers and targets $15 billion using agentic AI partnerships. This episode demonstrates practical AI implementation beyond chatbots. DuPont shares NEXA's partnership with Tidalwave, which handles the mortgage application process starting at the 1003 form submission. The platform conducts in...
Rick Meekins achieves 4-6x productivity gains using ChatGPT and automation tools in precisely the ways Talbot West recommends to enterprise clients: low-risk, high-reward applications that deliver immediate ROI without exposing sensitive data. Rick uploads podcast transcripts to ChatGPT, not proprietary business data. He generates social media content, not confidential reports. This demonstrates exactly what Talbot West helps executives understand: which use cases are safe for commercial LLMs...
Jacob Andra, podcast host and CEO of Talbot West, interviews Bill McCalpin, investment banker and chair of The Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors. Bill McCalpin reveals why companies with identical revenue and profits sell for vastly different prices: one for $2 million, another for $12 million. The difference comes down to digital transformation readiness. In this Applied AI Podcast episode, McCalpin shares data from thousands of M&A transactions showing a 6x variation in sale p...
Kevin Williams, founder and CEO of Ascend Labs AI, joins Jacob Andra, CEO of Talbot West, to discuss the reality of enterprise AI adoption. Despite the hype, most companies still aren't implementing AI effectively. Kevin breaks down the four pillars that drive real ROI: dev tools, product augmentation, workflow optimization, and strategic positioning against disruption. Insights from this episode: Why 30-40% productivity gains in development are achievable with proper AI tool adoption Th...
Jacob Andra sits down with Stephen Karafiath, technical co-founder of Talbot West, for a wide-ranging discussion on practical AI implementation in enterprise. They cut through the hype to address what actually matters: how businesses can achieve concrete efficiency gains through thoughtful AI deployment while avoiding common pitfalls. Topics Covered The State of Enterprise AI Innovation - Why large corporations like Oracle struggle to innovate with AI despite massive resources - The disconn...
Welcome to The Applied AI Podcast. We're all about practical results. Hosted by Jacob Andra, the CEO of Talbot West, The Applied AI Podcast focuses on value creation from AI. We also cover the pitfalls and concerns companies need to address when implementing AI. Talbot West is a digital transformation consultancy and AI enablement partner for companies and other organizations. We help our clients adopt AI and machine learning technologies safely and effectively. *Bringing Clarity to AI Deci...
Comments 
loading