Welcome to the AI Innovators podcast with your host, Rob May.

Today, we're joined by Margaret Quigley from Cohere, a pioneering company in the AI space. Margaret has a unique role that involves sourcing unconventional and valuable data sets for training AI models.

From rural villages in Nigeria to complex face recognition apps, her journey through the tech industry is both fascinating and inspiring. Margaret shares her career path, creative data acquisition strategies, and insights into the ever-evolving landscape of AI data needs.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, or academic, this episode offers a deep dive into the intricacies of data acquisition and its pivotal role in AI innovation. Tune in as we explore the challenges, opportunities, and future of sourcing data for AI.

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http://cohere.com/

01:00 - Managed partnerships and sourced unique data for facial recognition projects. Now focuses on acquiring text data, with seven years of experience in data acquisition.

05:25 - Talks about how companies figure out the value of data by sampling and testing it for quality before making big investments.

08:17 - Discusses an app that verified image submissions and collected diverse data from over 15,000 users.

11:02 - Highlights the importance of considering emotional factors when evaluating tech, and the balance between synthetic and real-world data.

17:09 - Stresses the importance of being mindful, noticing sensations, and practicing body scans regularly.

18:11 - Shares thoughts on persisting through rejection in one's career.