What if we've already lost control? Dr. Mark Brady, Deputy Chief Data Officer of TRMC at KBR Inc., unveils the two AI singularities that could redefine humanity's future. The episode dives into the significance of safe AI, exploring the six laws of safe AI and various facets of AI safety, such as the importance of safety objective functions and the challenges posed by AI evolution and machine learning. The conversation also touches on the applications of AgTech AI in defense and government, and the current capabilities and limitations of autonomous AI agents. To close, Mark shares personal hobbies and offers career advice for aspiring data scientists and future chief data officers.

Takeaways:

• Understanding AI Singularities: Familiarize yourself with the concept of AI singularities. Recognize the symptoms and implications of these singularities on society and technology.
• Safety Objective Functions: Implement safety objective functions in AI systems to ensure they prioritize human safety over other objectives.
• Tracking Data Lineage: Recognize the challenges in data lineage and strive to improve transparency and understanding of how data flows through systems.
• AI Creating AI: Ensure that any AI creating other AI systems includes its own safety objective functions in its creations. This prevents the propagation of unsafe AI systems.
• Human and AI Coexistence: Consider the potential future coexistence of different intelligences, such as biological, machine, augmented biological, and biological augmented machine, and how they might interact and compete.
• Large Language Models: Keep abreast of the advancements in large language models and their applications. Understand their current limitations and potential for future development.

Quote of the Show:

• “If AI is smarter than we are, how are we gonna be able to compete with it? How are we going to be able to make sure something's not going awry? We need AI to help us.” - Mark Brady

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brady-18274321b/
• Website: https://www.kbr.com/en
• Book Link: https://a.co/d/gtODJjR

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://agenticinsider.show/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fCCuVl6tL5p2kEAwFCQNJ
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agentic-insider/id1807346381
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fe0482d-d798-4420-a93a-fc6653bce437
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-agentic-insider-6057241
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iridiusAI

“Data is the lifeblood of AI agents.” Is your data ready for the future of AI? Phillip and Alistair welcome William McKnight, President of McKnight Consulting Group and a leading global influencer in big data, data centers, cloud, and analytics, on the podcast today. William shares his insights on preparing enterprises for AI adoption, the importance of data accessibility, and the critical role of thoughtful data architecture. He also discusses the evolving role of data scientists, the AI-driven transformation in various industries, and the significance of strong leadership in managing AI implementations. The episode concludes with practical advice on maximizing ROI from AI investments and preparing for the future landscape of AI agents.

Takeaways:

• Develop a Strong Data Strategy: Ensure all your data is accessible, well-performing, and governed. Consider adopting a data mesh approach to balance centralization and decentralization.
• Commit to AI Agents: Begin experimenting with AI agents now rather than waiting. Pick initial use cases that are simple yet impactful and scalable for future projects.
• Emphasize Organizational Change Management: Successful AI implementation often requires significant organizational change and strong leadership. Be prepared to tackle change management as a critical component of AI projects.
• Focus on Data Maturity: Assess your organization's data maturity by evaluating data performance, understanding, and governance. Implement an information management action plan to improve analytical capabilities and enterprise data architecture.
• Embrace New Roles: Consider emerging roles like prompt engineer, AI ethics manager, AI explainer, and advanced data architects to support AI initiatives. Encourage upskilling and reskilling of current team members to fill these roles.
• Explore Diverse Use Cases: Investigate and apply AI in diverse areas such as drug discovery, predictive maintenance, fraud detection, personalized marketing, and healthcare.
• Prepare for Integration Challenges: Anticipate and address data integration challenges, especially in environments with multiple legacy systems.

Quote of the Show:

• “Data is the lifeblood of AI agents.” - William McKnight

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmcknight/
• Website: https://mcknightcg.com/
• Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/William-McKnight/author/B002QLXASK?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://agenticinsider.show/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fCCuVl6tL5p2kEAwFCQNJ
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agentic-insider/id1807346381
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fe0482d-d798-4420-a93a-fc6653bce437
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-agentic-insider-6057241
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iridiusAI

Will AI lead to a manufacturing resurgence in North America? According to Vlad Romanov, Founder and Manufacturing Executive of Solis PLC, that is the hope he has. He discusses the loss of manufacturing advantages in recent years and the potential role of technology, including AI and robotics, in enhancing competitiveness. The conversation covers topics such as the impact of AI on operational technologies, workforce dynamics, supply chain communications, and Industry 4.0 initiatives. Vlad also shares his thoughts on the importance of training, change management, and the need for real-world AI application case studies. The episode concludes with Vlad giving career advice for aspiring professionals in the manufacturing sector and sharing a glimpse into his interests.

Takeaways:

• Explore AI Tools: Start experimenting with AI tools to improve different aspects of your business, such as sales, operations, marketing, and manufacturing efficiency. Consider running small, fast sprints and MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) to test out different solutions.
• Focus on Sales and Marketing: Improve your sales and marketing strategies to get more orders through the door. Utilize AI to better understand customer needs, enhance marketing efforts, and streamline sales processes.
• Invest in Education: Invest time in learning and understanding both the technical and business sides of manufacturing. Consider upskilling in AI, programming, and data analysis through available online resources and AI models.
• Leverage Data: Ensure you are collecting and utilizing data effectively. This includes data from various sources, such as machine operations, sales, customer feedback, and more. Apply AI to analyze this data for better decision-making.
• Address Obsolete Systems: Assess your current equipment and systems, especially if they are obsolete. Look for ways to modernize and integrate new technologies that can improve efficiency and data collection.
• Share and Learn: Encourage the sharing of case studies and successful implementations of AI in manufacturing. Learning from the experiences of others can help improve your own AI deployment strategies.

Quote of the Show:

• “ I think AI is gonna drastically change every single area, and if we're not up to speed on it, we're simply not gonna be able to win on that front.” - Vlad Romanov

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladromanov/
• Website: https://www.solisplc.com/
• Podcast: https://www.manufacturinghub.live/

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://agenticinsider.show/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fCCuVl6tL5p2kEAwFCQNJ
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agentic-insider/id1807346381
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fe0482d-d798-4420-a93a-fc6653bce437
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-agentic-insider-6057241

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iridiusAI