In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guest Kate O'Neill (author of Tech Humanist: How You Can Make Technology Better for Business and Better for Humans) to discuss how we can leverage AI for good, the need for a transdisciplinary approach to AI, and what it means to be an Optimistic Futurist. Kate talks about her own career path and the holistic, integrative approach to advocates using when employing AI to tackle major societal issues. Connect with us on Twitter @ IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) Kate O'Neill @ KateO “There is potential for it [AI] to go badly and there is potential for it to go off the rails. But there is also always so much power to use it for the good of humanity. And that's the way I prefer to be focused to steer us in that direction.” “So even at this stage of A.I., we have demonstrable experience of being able to say, here's a human problem, here's a category of human problems, and here's how we could leverage emerging exponential technology to help humanity solve that problem.” “If we only look at human problems and the solutions to human problems through one lens, like technology or A.I., then we'll only get a very narrow read on it. But if we bring an integrative, holistic lens that has sort of a generalist philosophy, we stand a chance of really recreating human experience writ large in a very meaningful way. And that's the future I would like to see.”
How can we tap into the value of human communication? What are the insights we can glean using natural language processing (NLP)? How can NLP capture sentiment and tone? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guest Phil Anderson (Senior Offering Manager for the Watson Discovery Service) to learn about Watson Discovery and how NLP has evolved. We talk to Phil about how Watson Discovery can help you better understand business specific data and be more productive, along with hearing about the innovation needed to grasp the nuance of natural language. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) “Where natural language processing is, is it understands not just the words that are in there, but also the intent and also sentiment and the emotion and all the things around that that are too nuanced traditionally for computers to understand. And so when I talk of NLP, I really think of how you take those technologies of communicating human language, and understanding a real business need you can use to serve your customer.”
Can we teach algorithms to understand human emotions? Are humans okay with being vulnerable toward an AI agent? How can biofeedback help us to be caring, empathetic, and aware individuals? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guest Ivy Mahsciao (founder & CPO at Evermind AI) to discuss whether AI has the potential to make us “more human.” Ivy describes her motivations for founding Evermind AI, a live journaling platform, and the difficulty of capturing the context of feeling versus mere content. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) “But as we know, the human emotions are so complex and there's nothing efficient about feelings. Having Evermind positioned in a way that can start to train our models to be empathetic and to have the human sense and tone is one way of getting to that generalized artificial intelligence.” “The added dimension of triangulation is what will be really important. Voice is just really one aspect of being able to understand and the deeper meanings of how people are feeling and sensing. And obviously, if you overlay on top of that with eyes and reading to their facial expressions, I think that's another layer.”
What are the ways that AI can be leveraged for good? How can we increase AI and digital literacies? What are some ways we can expand AI for everyone? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guest Karen Bhatia (Senior Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation) to discuss how we can expand access to digital literacies, the need for a multidisciplinary approach to AI, and the importance of "responsible AI." Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) & our guest at: @karenbhatia “There is also another critical component, too, and that is thinking about the other types of jobs that are being created as a result of these emerging technologies and as a result of artificial intelligence growing. And that is people who are better able to understand what the technology is capable of and people who have the business savvy. Not only the technology skills. You don’t have to be a coder in order to understand what the benefits of this technology could be.” -Karen Bhatia "We're also thinking about the kind of digital literacy and literacy about data, as well as artificial intelligence, that needs to happen across the board, including with government. Also including just the public sector. And what I mean by that is just civil society, the everyday public. Better understanding what their data is being used for, how it's being used, what are their rights when it comes to data. Secondly, better understanding of what is artificial intelligence? How is it being used right now? How is it affecting them right now as well?" -Karen Bhatia
How can we better promote AI literacy? What skills are commonly lacking in organizations? Are new people entering the field considering bias in AI? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guest Hugo Bowne-Anderson (Data Scientist at DataCamp) to discuss how we can better promote AI and digital skills. We talk to Hugo about the skills that people often overlook, how to build out successful teams, and how new people interested in AI can overcome hesitations. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) & our guest at: @hugobowne @DataCamp
Can something as esoteric as wisdom be gathered through AI? Listen to our conversation about wisdom, AI, and building new tech leaders to tackle big problems. In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by Dana Griffin. Dana is the founder & CEO of INNRwisdom, an AI company seeking to capture the wisdom of our elders. We talk to Dana about her motivation for wanting to gather the wisdom of others, how we can focus more attention on AI for Good projects, and the ways in which women are well-suited toward AI as a field. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) & Dana Griffin at @DanaAGriffin “The only way that we can go from having intelligent algorithms that can help solve one problem very well in a container, if you may, to something that can actually help us develop new solutions for some of the biggest issues we have globally is by taking in as much of our humanity as possible and mixing it together with the technology.”-Dana Griffin “As humans we've adapted to technology rather than technology adapting to us. The beautiful thing that our elders have done and now the very young generation is doing, is that they're using technology in a way that's very human.”-Dana Griffin
How can we increase the number of women in AI? What is the role of successful women in AI to provide future opportunities? How should businesses be adjusting? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Lili Gil Valletta (Co-Founder and CEO, CIEN+ and Culturintel) & Amanda Stent (Natural Language Processing Architect in the Office of the CTO at Bloomberg). We talk to Lili and Amanda about building a culture of mentorship around women in AI, how they can be strength in vulnerability and the importance of creating pathways for non-traditional backgrounds to work in AI. “I think we need both men and women together realizing that getting more women in tech is not about being P.C. and doing the right thing...It's about recognizing that 80 percent of consumer spending decisions in this country are done by a woman. So anything you're designing, if it doesn't have a female perspective, you're probably going to have an incomplete perspective.” Lili Gil Valletta (Co-Founder and CEO, CIEN+ and Culturintel “If we can support women when they are inside computing and technical careers and really allow them to reach the stage where they are running companies, provide them with the mentorship, the venture capital, if we have men who are willing to be mentored by and collaborate with women actively, not just mentor them, but be willing to be led by women, that way we can encourage women to really become part of and continue as part of technology as a field.” Amanda Stent (Natural Language Processing Architect in the Office of the CTO at Bloomberg) Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders (#thinkLeaders) & the guests at: @AStent @techatbloomberg @liligil @culturintel
How do we display a clear ROI with AI? What are the common pain points in the workforce that AI can be applied to? How are we adjusting to disruption? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Denise Broady (COO At WorkForce Software) & Roy Girasa (Professor of Law, Pace University). We talk to Denise and Roy about the delicate issue of trust when integrating AI in the workplace, what we can do to increase AI literacy, and how AI is augmenting their own intelligence. “[Y]ou really have to look at the use case and make sure that's getting adopted appropriately and tied with the ROI, not just purely rolling out technology for technology's sake.” -Denise Broady, COO At WorkForce Software Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders & the guests at: @dvubroady @WorkForceSW
What professions will be most impacted by AI? How can we ensure we are using AI to solve meaningful problems? Are companies prepared for the ongoing digital transformation? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Jason Tan (co-founder & CEO of Sift) & Karina Grosheva (founder & CEO of TaQadam. We talk to Jason and Karina about making sure humans are in the loop, adding greater diversity in the data, and the importance of AI literacy. “[A]s a buyer of software, I think it's important to educate yourself and understand the nuances of the different types of machine learning, the different qualities of machine learning, and make sure that you're trying to solve a problem in a meaningful way rather than having a hammer where everything looks like a nail.” -Jason Tan, co-founder & CEO of Sift “[T]he idea that we bring more diversity into the data and training the data is where we need to be investing in.” -Karina Grosheva, founder & CEO of TaQadam Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders & the guests at: @GetSift @JasonTan @MovetheGlobe @taqadamprogress
How can AI better serve as a companion for employees to improve efficiency and quality? Are companies applying AI to the right problems? How has the narrative around AI changed in recent years? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Josh Miramant (CEO of Blue Orange Digital) & Joe Ciuffo (Product Marketing Director for Genesys). We talk to Josh and Joe about using AI to improve the employee experience, focusing on core problems with AI, getting employee buy-in by better explaining its benefits, and also how society's impression of AI has gone from the threatening Terminator to the helpful Pokemon. Hosted by Amanda Thurston & Emily Winchurch. "The actual adoption of successful artificial intelligence is directly related to how people understand it and use it." -Josh Miramant, CEO of Blue Orange Digital "I think we first saw it [AI] maybe as Terminator, everyone was afraid it was going to take over the world. And now it's more like a cute Pokemon. It's there to help you. So it's been a good transition, but I think our expectations are getting more realistic and grounded too."-Joe Ciuffo, Product Marketing Director for Genesys Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders & the guests at: @jmiramant @BlueOrangeData @Joe_Ciuffo @Genesys @MandyLewToYou (host)
Are companies collecting the right data for the customer experience? Would people rather chat with a bot or a human? How do companies ensure they reach customers the way they liked to be reached? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Ido Bornstein-HaCohen (CEO of Conversocial) & Gabe Larsen (VP of Growth at Kustomer). We talk to Ido and Gabe about using bots to deflect reduce expensive FAQ-type interactions, treating customers as unique individuals as opposed to tickets, and using AI to augment customer service agents and improve the overall customer journey. Hosted by Amanda Thurston & Emily Winchurch. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders & the guests at: @IdoHacohen @Conversocial @GabeLarsen @Kustomer @MandyLewToYou (host) "[W]e're pretty good at understanding the inputs. But you know, the challenging piece is really understanding the outputs." -Ido Bornstein-HaCohen, CEO of Conversocial "I think we've got to get better at personalizing, not around the account but at the persona or the industry." -Gabe Larsen, VP of Growth at Kustomer
How do you appeal a blackbox algorithm? How do we balance equity and efficiency? What is explainable AI and why is it essential to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Renée Cummings (AI criminologist & principal consultant at Urban AI ) & Niki Athanasiadou (data scientist at H2O.ai & principal data scientist and owner of Common Sense Analytics, LLC). We talk to Renée and Niki about ensuring that "AI is not just speaking to AI," increasing education around AI and the diversity of talent in the space, and the importance of considering fairness, transparency, and explainability when building models. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @CummingsRenee @RodonikiA “if we want to make algorithms or make AI as human as possible, then we've got to bring those other human aspects that make us who we are as a democracy in a society. So it comes back to your rights.” -Renée Cummings (AI criminologist & principal consultant at Urban AI "What we have is a lot of fear, a lot of misunderstanding. And at the end of the day, I think AI brings us in front of what humanity needs to do, who need to be responsible. We need to grow up and we need to start thinking seriously about how we want to live in what societies we want to live. " -Niki Athanasiadou, data scientist at H2O.ai & principal data scientist and owner of Common Sense Analytics, LLC
What's the ROI for businesses applying AI? How can organizations democratize the use of AI? Are businesses ensuring that humans are kept in the loop with AI? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Rob Key (Founder & CEO of Converseon) & Chris Duffy (Author of Superhuman Innovation: Transforming Business with Artificial Intelligence & Strategic Development manager at Adobe). We talk to Rob and Chris about digital transformation, human-centered AI, and the importance of considering fairness, transparency, and explainability when building models. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @robkey @converseon @DuffeyChris “The challenge with transformation within companies is that companies don't transform necessarily themselves. People transform. And if you can get enough people within an organization to be able to change and transform and embrace new technologies, then eventually the company will as well.” -Rob Key, Founder & CEO of Converseon “I think everyone agrees we have to move beyond advertising to create great experiences. A subset of that is personalization at scale, but the differentiator still comes back to an inherently innate human quality. And that's creativity. That's still going to be the differentiator. So companies that can create at scale but have that human magic will be the winners of tomorrow.” -Chris Duffy, author of Superhuman Innovation: Transforming Business with Artificial Intelligence & Strategic Development manager at Adobe
How do we grow smart cities without growing inequality? How can public officials become more responsive to its citizens? What are the new job titles emerging in smart cities? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Governor Martin O’Malley (author of Smarter Government: How to Govern for Results in the Information Age, former Governor of Maryland & Mayor of Baltimore) & Alexander Shermansong (founder of Civic Consulting USA, faculty at NYU). We talk to Martin and Alexander about the emergence of a more customer-centric form of governing, the role of cities in tackling major issues like climate change, and why a “smart city” is more than just a city with smart garbage cans. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @MartinOMalley @alexshermansong “In the Information Age, citizens demand that their leaders have the guts to show them why they're making a decision. That doesn't mean that once people understand why you're making the decision, they will all agree. People reserve their right to vote against, but they do expect the respect of showing why you're making a decision on what basis, what is the objective truth.” -Martin O’Malley, author of Smarter Government: How to Govern for Results in the Information Age, former Governor of Maryland & Mayor of Baltimore “[G]overnment has pushed the ball pretty far in terms of smart cities and entrepreneurialism and we're seeing a lot of reaction from the private sector saying, ‘Wow, there's actually a lot we could be doing around transportation, around sanitation, around these other areas.’ And there's now a host of startups anxious to get into government and see how they might either provide the same services government has been providing or in some ways to improve upon them.”-Alexander Shermansong, founder of Civic Consulting USA, faculty at NYU -- MARTIN O'MALLEY Just two years after his upset election as Mayor of Baltimore in 1999, Time Magazine named Martin O’Malley one of the top five big city mayors in America. His new data-driven system of performance management, “Citistat,” earned his City the Innovations in Government Award from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2002 and has been copied by mayors across the country and around the world. When he ran for his Party’s nomination for President in 2016 — after two highly successful terms as Governor of Maryland — Washingtonian Magazine called him “probably the best manager in elected office today.” As Mayor, O’Malley set Baltimore on course for the largest ten year reduction of crime of any major city in America. As Governor, O’Malley’s leadership made Maryland’s public schools #1 in America for an unprecedented five years in a row. And with a new performance management regimen called, “Baystat”, O’Malley turned around a 300 year decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay — the largest estuary in North America. O’Malley was the first of a new generation of Smart City mayors that would follow. In fact, his performance management system, Citistat — and it’s Maryland progeny, Statestat — also inspired key amendments to the Government Performance and Results Act; foundational requirements intended to drive data-driven management practices across federal agencies today. In his new book, “Smarter Government”, O’Malley lays out in his own words how to govern for better results in the Information Age. It is a formula that every elected leader has the ability to call into service. But it requires a radical commitment to openness and transparency. The courage to follow the data wherever it might lead. A relentless commitment to measuring the outputs of government on a real-time basis. It is all about producing better results — real-time — for real people. The book was published in the fall of 2019 by Esri Press.
How can we properly leverage data to drive experiences? Are we distinguishing between fame and true influence when using influencer marketing? What happens when brands chase trends instead of having a clear vision? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Gil Eyal (founder & CEO of HYPR) & David Berkowitz (founder & CEO of Serial Marketer). We talk to Gil and David about the limitations of data scientists, how brands can create an emotional connection to users, whether NPS is a worthwhile tool, and why podcasts are becoming a popular and effective medium for advertising. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @gileyal @HYPRBRANDS @dberkowitz @MandyLewToYou "Sometimes the overuse of data creates a creepy experience that on paper should be great. You know, super customized, the super personalized, but really on the other side it's received as, 'why do they know so much about me?'"-Gil Eyal (founder & CEO of HYPR)
Can Millennials and Boomers get along in the workplace? Will traditional college degrees become a thing of the past? What is the role of industry with reskilling? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Lindsey Pollak (multigenerational workplace expert + author) & Josuel Plasencia (Co-Founder and COO of Forefront). We talk to Lindsey and Joseul the how the workplace is being disrupted, the difficulty of dealing with five distinct generations in the workplace, ensuring that diverse voices are included in decisions, life-long learning, and so much more! Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @lindseypollak @josuelplasencia @_Forefront “The role of technology is evident. It's going to continue to have a larger influence in our lives. So I think we need to really ask ourselves and really look at each other in the eye and say, what is behind this code? What is behind these companies? What are the systems we have in place to check, and how can we as a community track progress and monitor progress as it relates to these technologies in the workplace.” -Josuel Plasencia, Co-Founder and COO of Forefront “I think we often don't acknowledge how massive the upheaval that we're going through right now is. And I know we talk about that in terms of technology and the divisiveness of our country, but the generational upheaval that is taking place is unprecedented.” -Lindsey Pollak, multigenerational workplace expert + author
How does a brand connect to its customers on a deep, emotional level? Are the product and the brand synonymous? How does social media impact product development? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Nadine McCarthy Kahane (Founder of STONE AND STRAND) & Mark Prommel (partner and design lead at PENSA). We talk to Nadine and Mark about the double-edged sword of social media with brand messaging, the difficulties of scaling, matching your visual brand identity with the emotions of your customers, and so much more! Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @markprommel @thinkpensa @StoneandStrand “I'd say we have a little bit of a different take on brand is that we're always saying that the product is the brand and let's define what the product is. And if we get that right and we get what people really need and what people are searching for, then the brand can constantly be built on that and constantly refer back to it as well.”-Mark Prommel, partner and design lead at PENSA "I think one of the questions for brands is, as you choose to scale, do you create multiple niches or do you try to expand within your same segment but dilute your value proposition?" -Nadine McCarthy Kahane, Founder of STONE AND STRAND
Can we understand someone through their writing style and social media profile? What do we mean by human-centered communication? Is it cool or creepy when a brand knows exactly what their customer wants? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Drew D’Agostino (CEO of Crystal) & Touseef Mirza (CoFounder, CoreConnect Conference and Adjunct Professor, NYU). We talk to Drew and Touseef about connecting to customers on a visceral level, the importance of empathy, how to build trust in a relationship, being mindful of algorithmic bias, and so much more! Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @DrewDAgostino @CrystalKnowsMe @tmirza @coreconnectnow “How do we merge this new world of connection authentically with a person, as well as using the tools with have to reach them?” -Touseef Mirza, Co-founder of CoreConnect Conference and Adjunct Professor, NYU “I think that more and more people are becoming comfortable with ML recommendations…..but there are different areas where it can seem invasive, particularly where it hits close to home.” Drew D’Agostino, CEO of Crystal
Will we have push notifications with voice in the future? How personalized do consumers want their experience to be? How does voice fit into a brand's strategy? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Matt Listro (VP of Business Development at Mmuze) & Rachel Scherer (head of Visible Consulting Group). We talk to Matt and Rachel about t personifying a brand, the difficulty of injecting humor with a brand's voice, how early chatbots didn't live up to the hype, bot transparency, and so much more! Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @MmuzeAI @RachelSchererNY “What we're seeing increasingly is that it's important that you essentially have this language intelligence, this brand brain, so to speak, that is powering all of these channels. So no matter what the touch point, there's consistency.” -Matt Listro, VP of Business Development at Mmuze “In learning whatever your brand voice is in creating that brand strategy, I think part of the recommendation...is to not just create an idealized version of what that voice is.”-Rachel Scherer, head of Visible Consulting Group
If female-run startups outperform male-run startups, why is there a massive disparity in funding? What cultural changes need to take place in order to increase women in STEM careers? How can men be allies to women in tech? In this episode of IBM thinkLeaders podcast, we are joined by guests Rachel Renock (CEO of Wethos) & Preeti Adhikary (VP of marketing, Fusemachines). We talk to Rachel and Preeti about the importance of mentorship, the responsibility of marketers to flip the script, and making gender equity a business priority. Connect with us @IBMthinkLeaders + the guests at: @rachren1 @wethosco @PreetiAdhikary “It's one thing to put women in positions of power, open doors of opportunity. It's another thing to have those places be welcoming. People have to be cognizant of different working styles and different strengths and weaknesses and that ultimately makes a stronger team.” -Rachel Renock, CEO of Wethos “One of my big consistent advice to the women on my team is that they need to be authentic. Being able to share, even with your team who you are is really important. I feel like you shouldn't really be carrying that mask and showing people a very different side of who you are.” -Preeti Adhikary, VP of marketing at Fusemachines