Practical AI at Work: How Execs and Developers Can Actually Use LLMs (with Randal Olson)

In this episode of the Vanishing Gradients podcast, Randy Olson discusses with the host how executives, managers, and developers can leverage AI and foundation models to address real-world problems. They explore practical AI use cases, such as building a personal knowledge base within AI systems using meeting transcripts and strategy documents to aid strategic brainstorming and information synthesis. The conversation covers privacy considerations when using AI tools like ChatGPT, emphasizing the importance of understanding data retention policies and opting out of data training. They also discuss the benefits and costs of using local models for enhanced privacy. The episode further delves into AI's role in rapid prototyping, enabling non-technical individuals to experiment with AI and validate ideas quickly, as well as the importance of AI evaluations to ensure performance at scale. The discussion touches on the balance between AI agency and human supervision, highlighting the value of AI agents in automating repetitive tasks and driving business value.