Srujana is Vice President and Group Director at Walmart’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence and is an experienced and respected AI, machine learning, and data science professional. She has a strong background in developing AI and machine learning models, with expertise in natural language processing, deep learning, and data-driven decision-making. Srujana has worked in various capacities in the tech industry, contributing to advancing AI technologies and their applications in solving complex problems. In our conversation, we unpack the trends shaping AI governance, the importance of consumer data protection, and the role of human-centered AI. Explore why upskilling the workforce is vital, the potential impact AI could have on white-collar jobs, and which roles AI cannot replace. We discuss the interplay between bias and transparency, the role of governments in creating AI development guardrails, and how the regulatory framework has evolved. Join us to learn about the essential considerations of deploying algorithms at scale, striking a balance between latency and accuracy, the pros and cons of generative AI, and more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Srujana breaks down the top concerns surrounding technology and data.
• Learn how AI can be utilized to drive innovation and economic growth.
• Navigating the adoption of AI with upskilling and workforce retention.
• The AI gaps that upskilling should focus on to avoid workforce displacement.
• Common misconceptions about biases in AI and how they can be mitigated.
• Why establishing regulations, laws, and policies is vital for ethical AI development.
• Outline of the nuances of creating an effective worldwide regulatory framework.
• She explains the challenges and opportunities of deploying algorithms at scale.
• Hear about the strategies for building architecture that can adapt to future changes.
• She shares her perspective on generative AI and what its best use cases are.
• Find out what area of AI Srujana is most excited about.

Quotes:

“By deploying [bias] algorithms we may be going ahead and causing some unintended consequences.” — @Srujanadev [0:03:11]

“I think it is extremely important to have the right regulations and guardrails in place.” — @Srujanadev [0:11:32]

“Just using generative AI for the sake of it is not necessarily a great idea.” — @Srujanadev [0:25:27]

“I think there are a lot of applications in terms of how generative AI can be used but not everybody is seeing the return on investment.” — @Srujanadev [0:27:12]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Srujana Kaddevarmuth

Srujana Kaddevarmuth on X

Srujana Kaddevarmuth on LinkedIn

United Nations Association (UNA) San Francisco

The World in 2050

American INSIGHT

How AI Happens

Sama