ScaleUp:AI

Today's episode features heavyhitters from Dell (Chris Bennett) and Iternal (Joseph Balsamo) detailing why we must have flexibility in our A.I. model deployment (and why generative A.I. is overhyped)! In a bit more detail, today's guests are: • Chris Bennett: Global CTO for Data & A.I. Solutions at Dell Technologies • Joseph Balsamo: Sr VP of Product Development at Iternal Technologies This episode was filmed live at Insight Partners' ScaleUp:AI conference in New York a few weeks ago. Thanks to George Mathew, Jennifer Jordan, Kristen Zeck and Deanna Uzarski for inviting me and making the magic of this session happen. The "Super Data Science Podcast with Jon Krohn" is available on all major podcasting platforms and a video version is on YouTube. This is Episode #842! #superdatascience #ai #aideployment #cloud #generativeai #genai

My guest today is the inimitable Andrew Ng! In his trademark, clear-spoken style, Andrew gives us a glimpse of the Agentic A.I. future, particularly how the coming Vision Agent tsunami will change the world. Enjoy! I suspect pretty much everyone knows Dr. Ng already, but just in case: • As director of Stanford University's AI Lab, his research group played a key role in the development of deep learning (which led to him to founding the influential Google Brain team) as well as educating millions on machine learning (and leading to him co-founding Coursera). • Is Managing General Partner of AI Fund, a world-leading A.I. venture studio. • Was CEO (is now Executive Chairman) of LandingAI, a computer-vision platform that specializes in domain-specific Large Vision Models (analogous to LLMs for language). • Founded DeepLearning.AI, which provides excellent technical training on ML, deep learning (of course!), generative A.I. and many other associated subjects. • Was co-CEO (as well as co-founder and chairman) of Coursera, which brought online learning from 300 leading universities to over 100 million students. This episode was recorded live at the ScaleUp:AI conference in New York a few weeks ago. Thanks to George Mathew and Jennifer Jordan for inviting me back to the conference to interview Andrew :) In today’s, Andrew details:  • Why a cheaper A.I. model with smart agentic A.I. workflow might outperform more expensive, more advanced models. • The surprising truth about A.I. API costs that most businesses don't realize. • How Marvin Minsky's "Society of Mind" theory from the 1980s is making an unexpected comeback in modern A.I.  • A groundbreaking new way to process visual data that goes beyond traditional computer vision. • Why unstructured data will be the key to A.I.'s next big revolution. The "Super Data Science Podcast with Jon Krohn" is freely available on all major podcasting platforms as well as the video version we publish on YouTube. This is Episode #841! #superdatascience #agenticai #aiagent #visionagent #llm #machinevision

Is the traditional "build vs. buy" debate missing the point? This was the key question at Insight Partners ScaleUp AI event last week, where A.Team's CEO Raphael Ouzan joined tech leaders from Dell Technologies and Salesforce to discuss the future of enterprise AI implementation with 300+ AI luminaries in NYC. We’re seeing a growing trend: the majority of companies are building custom AI applications for every major use case. Why? Pure off-the-shelf solutions have become table stakes. As Bain's research shows, companies succeeding with AI are taking hybrid approaches - combining off-the-shelf tools with custom development to create real competitive advantages. While 68% of enterprise AI projects don't make it past pilot phase, the organizations breaking through are taking a more nuanced approach by: ▶ Adopting flexible models that combine custom development with existing tools ▶ Focusing on augmentation over full automation ▶ Bringing in specialized talent to bridge the expertise gap As Dell's Chris Bennett noted, "GenAI success isn't an IT problem, it's a company problem.” The most successful organizations are thinking beyond traditional build vs buy paradigms to create flexible approaches that drive real business value. Thanks again to Gené Teare for moderating and Phil Mui, Chris Bennett, and Raphael Ouzan for the excellent insights. How are you balancing custom development with off-the-shelf tools in your AI initiatives? What's working and what isn't?

It was a huge honor to host General Jim Rainey in NYC at Insight’s ScaleUp:AI conference this week! GEN Rainey and his teammates at Army Futures Command are tirelessly working to ensure the Army and its Soldiers remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

“AI is the flour, not the icing” - Allie Miller, keynote, ScaleUp:AI Allie noted in her prior role at Amazon talking to leading AI startups that “Everyone was focused on what AI products, or AI models they were releasing into the world. When you actually spoke to these companies, the thing that stood out so so obviously, is that they were actually using AI in everything they were doing. They were using AI as part of their job description creation. They were using AI in their strategic decision making. They were using AI to test out product ideas, to QA code. It was in everything, not just the external part. The analogy that is that AI was thought to be this like frosting at the end of the cake, when, in fact, AI is the flour that is baked into the cake of these startups.” #ScaleUp

Thrilled to connect with Adena Friedman CEO of Nasdaq at Insight Partners ScaleUp:AI 2024! It's inspiring to find another powerful woman on the same wavelength about embracing AI in financial services. #ScaleUp:AI 2024 highlights: - Agentic AI is evolving gradually (Andrew Ng) - Autonomous enterprises in 3-5 years (Allie K. Miller) - 2025 will be the year of agents (Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist at IBM Research) - We want to beat what humans are able to do (May Habib, CEO of Writer) - We're ushering in an era of Legos. We're all becoming builders. (Raphael A. Ouzan, A.Team) #ScaleUpAI2024 #AIInFinance #WomenInTech #FutureOfTech T200 Lazard Insight Partners Vidya Nallasivan William B. Ash Tutika Praveen Akkiraju Ganesh Bell George Mathew Alberto Padilla

Great week in New York City attending Insight Partners ScaleUp:AI event. We're a proud portfolio company and were excited to partner on this opportunity that brought leaders like the fantastic Allie K. Miller from across the technology landscape together to discuss the impact AI is having on their businesses. Our CEO Dan Rogers sat down with Praveen Akkiraju to discuss ways we are seeing our customers leverage GenAI and using LaunchDarkly to get the control needed to move confidently at the speed the AI industry is moving. Check out the interview here: https://lnkd.in/e4nRzN6x

Nothing like seeing an incredible vision come to life! Massive s/o to my fellow MC techie Jennifer Jordan and the incredible team at Insight Partners for curating a fantastic lineup and fostering an innovative environment for builders. Glad I got to experience ScaleUp:AI in person this year, and left with the right charge to automate the future. Let’s do it again next year! 🚀🥂

🌐 Got the chance to attend ScaleUp:AI, by Insight Partners, and the message was clear: AI is here to stay—and successful businesses are becoming AI-First at all levels. Shout out to Allie K. Miller for an amazing opening keynote.🤖 🚀The organizations leading the way aren’t just dabbling in AI; they’re embedding it across all functions to handle mundane tasks, allowing their teams to dive into the critical, high-impact work that humans do best. By leveraging AI, these companies are not only staying competitive but also empowering their people to innovate and problem-solve at a higher level. How is your company embracing AI? #AI #ScaleUpAI #Innovation #BusinessTransformation #

I had a chance to attend the Scale Up AI conference in NYC, powered by Insight Partners, where the energy around AI's future was electric! The halls were buzzing with breakthrough ideas and practical applications. A special thanks to Allie K. Miller for delivering a thought-provoking keynote that set the perfect tone for deep discussions. Here are my key takeaways: 1️⃣ Agentic AI: The Evolution of Machine Intelligence We're witnessing a fundamental shift from passive AI tools to proactive AI partners. These systems aren't just processing data – they're reasoning, learning, and making nuanced decisions. In healthcare, they're helping diagnose conditions and suggest treatment plans. In legal tech, they're transforming document analysis and case research. The implications? AI is becoming less of a tool and more of a collaborative partner in decision-making. 2️⃣ The Innovation Sprint: Embracing Rapid Evolution The keynote highlighted a striking reality: what was cutting-edge six months ago is now table stakes. Generative AI is achieving capabilities that seemed impossible last year, from human-level reasoning to creative problem-solving. Organizations can no longer rely on annual AI strategies. The new playbook? Regular strategy sprints, rapid prototyping, and continuous adaptation to stay ahead of the curve. 3️⃣ Beyond the AI Hype Cycle: Focusing on Impact A refreshing focus on practical applications emerged. Leaders shared how they're moving past flashy demos to build AI solutions that deliver measurable ROI. The most compelling examples came from companies using AI to solve specific industry challenges – from supply chain optimization to personalized healthcare. Success metrics are shifting from technical benchmarks to business outcomes. 4️⃣ Ethics as Innovation Driver: The Trust Imperative Perhaps the most crucial discussion centered on responsible AI deployment. Industry leaders emphasized that ethical considerations shouldn't constrain innovation – they should drive it. This means building explainable models, implementing robust bias detection, and maintaining clear accountability frameworks. The consensus? Tomorrow's AI leaders will win on trust as much as technology. At Direct Agents, these insights are shaping our vision for next-generation digital marketing AI. We're focused on developing solutions that don't just push technical boundaries but create meaningful value for our clients. . . #AI #DigitalTransformation #ScaleUpAI #TechInnovation #FutureOfWork . .