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🧠 The Future of Computing is Alive — Literally.
What if your next computer wasn’t made of silicon… but of living neurons?
In this new episode of the Unriveted Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ewelina Kurtys, neuroscientist and co-founder of Final Spark, one of only three companies in the world pioneering biocomputing — computers powered by real, living brain cells.

🎧 In this episode, we discuss:
What biocomputing is and why it could be the next leap beyond AI and quantum computing

How neurons can process data a million times more efficiently than digital chips

The vision for bio cloud computing — massive, neuron-powered data centers

How scientists are learning to “teach” neurons to think and learn

The philosophical and ethical dimensions: could these systems become conscious?

😄 A few light moments:
“Our brains run on a banana, but AI needs a nuclear plant.”

A “neuron spa” to keep biocomputers alive.

And yes — neurons can make music (though Ewelina says it’s more heavy metal than symphony 🎸).

👩‍🔬 About the Guest
Dr. Ewelina Kurtys is a neuroscientist and strategic advisor at Final Spark, leading the frontier of living neuron computing — where biology meets AI to unlock new levels of energy efficiency and performance.
🔗 https://finalspark.com

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In this episode of the Unriveted Podcast, we engage with Judah Taub, managing partner at Hetz Ventures and author of How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down. The conversation explores the concept of local maximums in personal and professional growth, drawing parallels with techniques from artificial intelligence to navigate these challenges. Judah emphasizes the importance of agility over muscle in technology and business and discusses the balance between research and development in driving innovation. The episode also touches on recognizing local maximums in startups and the need for constant adaptation in a rapidly changing landscape.

Key Takeaways

• Local maximums can trap individuals in their careers.
• AI techniques can help humans avoid local maximums.
• Agility is more important than sheer strength in business.
• Startups must be aware of their local maximums for growth.
• Research and development serve different but complementary roles.
• Decision-making can be improved by learning from AI.
• Adaptability is key to thriving in unpredictable environments.
• Understanding the difference between local and global maximums is crucial.
  
  

Link to our Book: Ai in a Weekend:
https://amzn.to/3DvxrY6
Link to Judah's Book: How to Move Up When the Only Direction is Down
https://amzn.to/4bENr6w

#ai #artificialintelligence #aiforgood

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In this episode of Unriveted, we welcome Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, a strategic futurist specializing in AI, quantum computing, and digital transformation. They explore the future of AI, the rise of AI agents, and how enterprises must adapt.

Dr. van Rijmenam highlights AI's convergence with quantum computing, robotics, and spatial intelligence, emphasizing the need for education, experimentation, and execution in AI adoption. He warns of misinformation risks and stresses the importance of synthetic data in reducing bias.

The discussion wraps up with practical advice for companies starting their AI journey and insights into AI’s accelerating impact on industries.

Link to our Book: Ai in a Weekend:
https://amzn.to/3DvxrY6

#digitaltransformation #artificialintelligence #ai #futureofai

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Observability 2025: A Conversation with Mehdi Daoudi, CEO of Catchpoint Systems

In this episode, Mehdi Daoudi, CEO of Catchpoint Systems, shares insights on the future of observability, AI-driven automation, and Self-Healing IT (SHIT).
Key Takeaways:
🔹 The Birth of Observability: Mehdi’s DoubleClick outage fueled his passion for performance monitoring, leading to Catchpoint’s creation in 2008.
🔹 The Future: AI-Driven, Self-Healing IT (SHIT):
In 2025, IT leaders will wake up to reports of incidents detected, mitigated, and resolved overnight—without human intervention.
🔹 Automated Resilience & Multi-Cloud Strategies:
CDN Switching: Companies like LinkedIn & eBay already automate real-time CDN optimizations for seamless performance.
Cloud Failover: Businesses are leveraging multi-cloud strategies to dynamically reroute workloads, ensuring zero downtime.
🔹 Lessons in Leadership:
Hiring Right is key—bad hires cost time and resources.
Stoicism for CEOs: Focus on what you can control and stop stressing over what you can’t.
🔹 Embrace AI, Don’t Fear It: AI won’t replace humans. Ai is here to augment IT teams and accelerate mean-time-to-resolution (MTTR).
Mehdi’s vision for Observability 2025? AI-powered SHIT (Self-Healing IT), AI-SHIT, where monitoring tools detect, diagnose, and fix issues mitigating user impact.

Link to our Book: Ai in a Weekend:
https://amzn.to/3DvxrY6

#Observability2025 #AIinBusiness #AIOps #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation

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In this episode of Unriveted, we welcome Chip Huyen's dive into all things artificial intelligence, joined by the stellar Chip Huyen, an AI aficionado, Stanford educator, and Amazon-bestselling author. Here’s the highlight reel:

1️⃣ AI 2025: Predicting the Unpredictable
Chip reflects on how AI has advanced like a viral meme: fast, surprising, and sometimes incomprehensible. She shares optimism for use cases fueled by safer, post-trained models (bye-bye pre-training hype). Prediction? More “Agentic AI” taking charge, like giving Siri a caffeine shot to supercharge her decision-making.
2️⃣ Hallucination Nation
Discussing AI's “creative” outputs, Chip says hallucinations aren’t always bad, perfect for storytelling but dicey for legal or medical advice. Pro tip: Fact-check your AI-generated haikus!
3️⃣ Synthetic Data to the Rescue
Martin raves about using AI-generated data to balance datasets. Think of it as the ultimate diversity champion: synthesizing data to curb bias and ensure fair training.
4️⃣ Transformer Talk & Green Tech Dreams
While Transformers dominate AI architecture, Chip warns they may need an upgrade for efficiency. The AI revolution isn't exactly eco-friendly, but innovations like photon-powered hardware might save us from melting glaciers... eventually.
5️⃣ Agentic AI: Calculators, Planning, and the Great Web Crawl
Agentic AI (think Jarvis but for spreadsheets) is on the rise. Challenges? Getting models to plan without running amok or draining company wallets with infinite API calls. Chip imagines a future where AI "plans" better than your quarterly meetings (low bar, we know).
💡 Pro Tip from Chip: Learning is a privilege, not a chore. Stay curious, take risks, and embrace every chance to learn—even if it means wading into the deep end of innovation.

Link to our Book: Ai in a Weekend:
https://amzn.to/3DvxrY6
Link to Chip's Book:
https://amzn.to/4bBwSbM

Topics:
AI Engineering, Digital Transformation, Machine Learning, Synthetic Data, Energy Efficiency, Agentic AI, Hallucinations, 2025 Predictions, Evaluation-driven Development, Transformer Models

Hash Tags:
#AIEngineering
#DigitalTransformation
#MachineLearning
#SyntheticData
#EnergyEfficiency
#AgenticAI
#AIPredictions2025
#EvaluationDrivenDevelopment
#TransformerModels
#AIHallucinations
#AIInnovation
#GreenAI
#FutureOfAI
#TechBuzz
#AIForGood

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In this episode of the Unriveted Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Joan Palmiter-Bajorek to discuss the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The conversation covers the democratization of AI tools, the critical importance of clean data, the challenges of bias in AI models, and the future of AI companies. Dr. Bajorek emphasizes the human element in AI development and addresses the anxiety many face regarding careers in the AI era. The episode concludes with insights on navigating these challenges and the importance of resilience in the changing job market.

Also Dr. Joan’s book: Your AI Roadmap is available from Amazon.com for preorder.

Takeaways
-----------------
👉 The democratization of AI tools allows more people to build applications.
👉 Data quality is crucial for effective AI and machine learning models.
👉 Bias in AI models often stems from the data they are trained on.
👉 The future of AI may see fewer viable companies due to high costs.
👉 Human relationships and understanding are key in AI development.
👉 Career anxiety is prevalent as AI continues to evolve.
👉 Resilience is essential for individuals navigating the AI landscape.
👉 The AI landscape is rapidly changing, requiring adaptability from businesses.

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Our latest Unriveted episode featuring Dmitri Alperovitch, focuses on AI, geopolitics, and the U.S.-China tech race 🌍🇺🇸🇨🇳

In this episode, Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of CrowdStrike and expert on national security, dives deep into the unfolding Cold War 2.0 between the USA 🇺🇸 and China. 🚨 His insights reveal how AI, semiconductors, biotech, and green energy have become the battlegrounds of the 21st century, with control over these technologies potentially determining global dominance. 🧬💻⚛️

Key Takeaways:

1. U.S. Policy Shifts: Dmitri discusses the bipartisan support for strict export controls and technological restrictions on China, which aim to keep the USA ahead in AI and semiconductor development. 🔒

2. China’s Strategy: With the “Made in China 2025” initiative, China aims to lead critical sectors like AI and aerospace by achieving independence from Western tech while heavily investing in domestic industries. 🇨🇳🛠️

3. Global AI Influence: From Southeast Asia to media platforms like TikTok, both the U.S. and China are vying for influence in AI, economics, and culture. This fight extends far beyond borders, impacting policies worldwide. 📈🌐

4. AI & Military Implications: AI’s role in military advancements could make it as transformative as the atomic bomb—a future where the USA aims to maintain a lead over any potential adversaries. 🛡️🤖

This episode further explores the tough choices facing policymakers and the high-stakes race to secure technological dominance in a complex global landscape. 🌍🔥

#AIRevolution #InnovationRace #DigitalTransformation #TechPolicy #election2024

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In this episode of Unriveted, hosts Martin Miller and John Sukup engage with Rich Heimann, an independent advisor and author, to explore the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI. Rich shares his background in statistics and machine learning, emphasizing the importance of understanding AI's capabilities and limitations. The conversation delves into the hype and skepticism surrounding AI, the historical context of AI bubbles, and the role of AI as an enabler in business. Rich offers insights for executives on navigating the fast-changing technology landscape, advocating for a balanced approach to investment in AI.

Takeaways
Rich Heimann emphasizes the importance of understanding AI's capabilities and limitations. Generative AI is rapidly changing and requires organizations to adapt quickly. The hype surrounding AI can create both opportunities and challenges for businesses. Historical AI bubbles highlight the need for cautious optimism in the current landscape. AI should be viewed as an enabler rather than a standalone product. Executives should focus on long-term positioning rather than immediate returns. Investing in AI should be balanced with flexibility to adapt to new developments. Statistical modeling provides a useful framework for understanding AI applications. The skepticism towards big tech impacts the adoption of AI technologies. Rich's book aims to help organizations navigate the narratives surrounding AI.

Link to book: Generative AI Revealed
https://www.generative-ai-revealed.com/

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