Welcome to the first episode of The AI Transformation Podcast! To start things off, we sit down for a Chat(GPT) with Costa Colbert, Co-founder & Chief Scientist, Mad Street Den, to discuss all things generative AI – the hype, the use cases, the facts, and how it plays against the fiction. Does it really deserve the hype? Are these systems really intelligent? What are the themes emerging from generative AI? This, and more!

Costa holds MD and PhD degrees in neuroscience from the University of Virginia along with biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science degrees from Johns Hopkins University. He is well-known internationally as an experimental and computational neuroscientist in the area of single-neuron electrophysiology. He has been the principal investigator on grants from the National Institutes of Health and others to study how neurons encode and transmit information. After taking the leap from academia to industry, he built perhaps the first large-scale GPU-based neuron simulator, long before GPU’s were widely used in machine learning. Today, he is the Chief Scientist at Mad Street Den, building advanced neural network architectures that can enable more generalizable models of intelligence.

A Chat(GPT) With Costa

Welcome to the second episode of The AI Transformation Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Andy Walter, to discuss all things AI Transformation, automation, and leadership. Andy brings an arsenal of anecdotes and insights from his time at P&G and from his experience working with leaders across disruptive innovators in the industry.

Andy Walter is a business results-driven professional with extensive experience in strategy, development, execution, and operations across Global Shared Services, Analytics, and IT. He led the Commercial Services & Delivery Organization for Procter & Gamble’s Global Business Services (GBS), developing cutting-edge capabilities that helped P&G win where it mattered most! (Spoiler alert: We discuss one of these instances on the podcast!)

He has over 20 years of experience working on Boards and in Board level advisory roles. As a Strategic Advisor and Investor, he focuses on disruptive innovators in Digitization, Platform Models, and Advanced Analytics domains.

Andy has also authored the book, ‘Waiting is not action’ – A business leadership book for executives across industries with a focus on Disruptive Innovation, Strategy, and Career Development.

CIO Diaries With Andy Walter

Welcome to a brand new episode of the AI Transformation Podcast, CIO Diaries with Kirk Ball.

Our speaker today is Kirk Ball, the EVP & CIO of Giant Eagle. Kirk is a seasoned leader with over 30+ years of experience across industries. He is accustomed to managing multiple, large-scale projects and priorities in fast-paced environments.

In this episode, Kirk delves into how he has led AI transformation projects in large enterprises, how he uses data to fuel growth, Giant Eagle’s top tech priorities for 2023, and most importantly, actionable tips for enterprise leaders looking to drive change in large organizations.

CIO Diaries with Kirk Ball, EVP & CIO, Giant Eagle, Inc

On being a coach and a player, amidst blurring job titles
Through a serendipitous journey of fortuitous decisions, Pankaj Rai has embraced diverse roles in various industries over the course of his multi-decade career. His fearlessness towards change and wholehearted acceptance of the outcomes have become the guiding ideals he holds dearly. In an inspiring podcast, the Chief Data Analytics Officer at Aditya Birla Group sheds light on the transformative potential of AI and data analytics in revolutionizing businesses.

As Chief Data Analytics Officer: The focus is on being a coach and a player, helping to build data analytics capabilities in each group company to drive transformation and better decision-making. Aditya Birla Group is a Fortune 500 global conglomerate with a diverse portfolio of businesses, including metals, cement, chemicals, fashion, and finance. Pankaj’s role involves developing a data analytics culture across the group companies.

Balancing centralization and decentralization: Aditya Birla Group’s approach is to have a central data analytics function that acts as a thought leadership entity and an advisory, while also helping to develop data analytics capabilities in each group company. This model allows for a balance between centralization and autonomy while considering the diverse businesses within the conglomerate.

Consideration of context: Pankaj highlights the importance of considering the context when implementing any approach to transformation. The growth mindset and willingness to innovate may be more suitable in certain contexts, while in others, external factors like regulation and market conditions might limit the scope for innovation.

Serendipity and Growth Mindset: Pankaj attributes some of his success to serendipity but also acknowledges that having a growth mindset and being open to new challenges and opportunities played a significant role in his career trajectory.

Blur in roles: Pankaj mentions that roles such as Chief Data Analytics Officer, Chief Data Officer, and CIO are increasingly blurring. There is a need to focus on driving transformation and value creation rather than getting stuck in traditional role definitions.

Pankaj offers three key takeaways for CIOs, CDOs, and other professionals:
1. Break away from past thinking and structures; adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.
2. Focus on the customer as the center of your efforts, rather than being bound by industry definitions.
3. Embrace ecosystem thinking, fostering collaboration and partnerships for better outcomes.

Exploring the Corporate Culture of Aditya Birla with the Chief Data Analytics Officer, Pankaj Rai

In this podcast, Murali Sundararajan, EVP and CIO at Victoria’s Secret, discusses digital transformation and AI in the retail industry. He highlights the shift in perception of IT from being an expense to an enabler and an integral part of the business. The key driver of change is the reliance on data, making IT an essential asset.

Post-pandemic, retail has undergone significant changes, with a focus on convenience, personalization, and the role of technology. Murali emphasizes the importance of data in real-time decision-making and the role of AI in processing data efficiently.

He also discusses the impact of AI in various areas, such as medical approvals, where AI can streamline data mapping, making the approval process much faster. Murali envisions AI transforming the entire value chain, from product creation to legal processes.

In managing digital transformation, Murali suggests visualizing it as a maze where the exit is the desired outcome. He recommends understanding where each team member is in their change curve and adapting strategies accordingly. Flexibility and decisive action are crucial, and using success stories as anchor points can propel the entire team forward.

Murali provides valuable insights for those navigating the complexities of digital transformation in today’s dynamic business landscape.

The rise of enterprise IT: Murali Sundararajan, EVP & CIO, Victoria’s Secret

This episode of the AI Transformation Podcast featuring Anand Chandrasekaran, Ashwini Asokan and Costa Colbert, founders of Vue.ai unveils a new branding for their company that accentuates the theme of ‘uncomplicate’. The founders discuss their journey, the evolving AI space, and the launch of an AI orchestration platform. Ashwini highlights the culmination of years of AI discussions and the challenge of navigating an overwhelming, jargon-filled AI landscape. Costa emphasizes the need for a platform that seamlessly integrates traditional computing concepts and AI, avoiding the chaos of piecemeal solutions. Anand discusses the fundamental shift in people’s thinking towards adopting new technology and the importance of orchestrating skills and data for effective problem-solving. The founders stress the platform’s composability, orchestration, and automation, envisioning it as an AI-based operating system for enterprises, simplifying the complexity of AI adoption and delivering concrete outcomes.