How to do AI Right?

AI is making waves in the highest echelons of power and influence, as evidenced by recent developments:

• Chegg suffered a drastic 50% loss in market capitalization overnight due to the emergence of ChatGPT.
• Microsoft poses a formidable threat to Google’s 25-year monopoly.
• In a strategic move, Google has merged its DeepMind and Google Brain teams to capitalize on the AI revolution.
• OpenAI, on the other hand, has garnered significant attention and is now among the most sought-after teams globally.
• Eric Schmidt is actively involved with DOD in shaping the future of war and the role of AI in it.

AI has become a prominent topic in influential circles and boardrooms worldwide. Your competitors have already recognized this reality. The question remains: What steps are you taking to address and leverage this transformative force?

To leverage AI effectively for market dominance and increased revenue streams, your organization needs to understand the crucial concept of “Doing AI Right.” Simply obtaining a good AI model accounts for only 10% of the equation. Relying solely on engineers to develop and deploy deep learning models is not a comprehensive AI strategy.

~87% of AI/ML projects fail to make it into production, let alone deliver successful business outcomes. This is because a successful AI project that generates tangible ROI requires much more than just a good model. While technical modeling has received significant attention in recent years, other critical factors have been overlooked. This workshop fills that gap by addressing the remaining 90% — revealing the secret ingredients and strategies to “do AI right” and fully leverage AI’s potential.

To truly harness AI's potential for significant ROI and transform your company into a key player in your industry, a holistic approach to AI is essential for your entire organization, particularly senior leaders. This workshop aims to facilitate the same.

There will be no maths and no code in this workshop. This workshop will enable you to create a comprehensive AI strategy and roadmap for your organization. You will develop a deep understanding of what all secret ingredients are key to success in the AI war.

About the workshop

This two-day workshop uncovers the essential aspects of AI to drive successful business outcomes in your organization. While a good AI model is vital (representing 10% of the equation), the workshop focuses on the overlooked but crucial remaining 90%.

Achieving “AI magic” and unlocking AI’s full potential requires organizational “AI maturity”. Successful AI systems are very different from traditional software engineering, necessitating a deep understanding of the four pillars: Technology, People, Processes & Economics. The workshop provides a comprehensive exploration of these pillars and their synergistic interplay for optimal results.

Join us for this workshop, delving into the often-neglected 90% and gaining insights into the three pillars of AI—technology, people, and processes—that are integral to achieving “AI magic.” This workshop will not touch any code or mathematical underpinnings of AI.

Target audience

This workshop caters to a wide range of professionals, including Product Managers (from entry level to Head of Product), UX designers, User Researchers, Engineering Leaders (from team manager to Head of Engineering), Business Leaders (from line manager to Chief Business Officer), Leaders from Sales teams, senior HR/TA/HRBP leaders, CXOs, Founders, CEOs, and individuals working at VC firms.

If you’re an AI engineer/IC facing challenges where your AI solutions don’t make it into production or fail to impact the company’s revenue, this workshop is designed specifically for you.

Why attend this workshop

In today’s world, integrating AI into your product offering is no longer a choice. The global trend towards automation and intelligence necessitates proactive exploration of AI opportunities to create intelligent touchpoints. These include AI-powered features and workflows that enhance user experience and transform them into super users. Similar to how Robert Downey Jr. dons the Iron Man suit, providing this armor suit for your users is no longer optional but necessary for every product manager.

Consequently, every product team and organization must adopt an “AI-first” mindset. Merely having engineers developing models is insufficient to achieve favorable business outcomes. The entire organization, particularly product teams, senior stakeholders, business leaders, CXOs, and founders, must embrace an AI-first approach. This workshop precisely addresses these requirements.

Learning Outcomes

You will learn in-depth what it takes to build AI products that create new revenue streams and an edge for your organization in the market. Specifically you will learn:

Technology

• Explore the nuanced aspects of AI that differentiate it from traditional software.
• Understand why AI solutions involve experimentation and discovery throughout the process.
• Recognize the importance of integrating AI from the early stages and why retrofitting is not ideal.
• Gain insights into why AI differs significantly from the human brain and manage stakeholder expectations accordingly.
• Learn why data quality and quantity are paramount for the effectiveness of AI solutions.
• Discover the benefits of starting the AI journey by building basic data products.
• Recognize the critical role of Product Managers in shaping the data strategy for successful AI implementation.
• Understand that AI is not a universal solution and requires careful consideration of the problem statement.
• Familiarize yourself with the specialized requirements of AI software.

Processes

• The importance of defining the right metrics for measuring success in AI projects from day one.
• Understanding the behavior and dynamics of Return on Investment (ROI) in AI.
• Exploring the economics of AI and strategies for building AI solutions that are marketable.
• Recognizing the fundamental differences between AI development and traditional software development.
• Managing expectations when working with a business team that expects perfection and understanding that AI solutions will make mistakes.
• Why business must understand any and every AI solution will always make mistakes - it will never be perfect (unlike software engineering).
• Assessing why the Agile methodology may not be suitable for managing AI projects effectively.
• How to test AI software? (you are never sure of what is the right output).
• Why OKRs (outcome-driven development) is not suitable for AI projects.
• Designing UX for AI - Feedback + Errors + Control + Graceful Failure.

People

• Right way to structure AI teams?
• Hiring considerations for AI teams: PhDs vs MS vs fresh undergraduates.
• The importance of hiring Data Product Managers or a Head of Data.
• Role of the AI leader? background of AI leader - specialist in Business (MBA) or closer to Technology (PhD)?
• Role of the Product Manager in AI war - Why having the right PM is a make or break in your AI strategy.
• Common mistakes made by AI engineers and their impact on project success.
• The significance of stakeholder management in the success of AI projects.
• Assessing the relevance and implications of publishing for AI teams.

About the Instructor

This workshop will be led by Anuj Gupta, a highly regarded figure in the AI community.

With over 19 years of experience, Anuj has worked in various capacities, from startups (early stage, late stage, unicorns, IPO) to Fortune 50 companies, driving AI initiatives from inception to successful implementation. Right from Vision, Strategy, Roadmap, incubating and grooming high-performance AI teams, Technical execution, GTM & Sales; delivering KPIs at CXO level. He has a track record of building high-performance AI teams and delivering results at the CXO level. Anuj’s pragmatic approach to AI has earned him a reputation in the industry.

Anuj also co-authored a renowned book on AI, offering practical insights for product teams. It was #1 new release on Amazon.com. The book has received accolades from esteemed AI leaders from UCSD, CMU, DeepMind, Google AI, Microsoft Research, Amazon research, Meta, Spotify, Airbnb to name a few. The book has gained popularity worldwide, translated into 4 languages & adopted by over 40 universities for their AI curriculum.

Anuj has been very active in the AI community, both India and abroad, for many years. He started India’s first Deep Learning weekend meetup group back in 2015. This was generously supported by Nvidia. He has played a key role in shpaing Anthill Inside, India’s first peer reviewed conference which bridges the gap between the theory of AI and real world practice. Over the years, he has given various talks and conducted multiple workshops and bootcamps on various topics within AI.

In-person workshop

This workshop will be held in person on a Friday & Saturday at the Bengaluru International Centre (BIC) in Bangalore.

What is so very different about this workshop

In the last decade, most of the educational material (university courses, upskilling courses, books, lectures) on AI focuses on engineers or have an engineer first approach. This workshop addresses the often overlooked 90% of AI that goes beyond building models. Just as Coca-Cola’s secret formula sets it apart from others, this workshop delves into the “secret ingredients” of AI implementation. By discussing and democratizing this vital 90%, the workshop aims to empower individuals across various roles in organizations to thrive in the AI landscape.

Unlike everyone, why does this workshop focus on non-AI teams

AI serves as a powerful tool to achieve market dominance and generate new revenue streams for businesses. In an AI-first world, the entire organization, including product, business, sales, and HR teams, must adopt an AI-first mindset to be able to do AI right. To enable this shift, it is essential to provide educational material tailored to the specific roles and needs of product, HR, and sales/business teams. This workshop aims to fulfill that purpose by equipping participants with the knowledge and insights necessary to thrive in the AI landscape and contribute effectively to their respective roles in the AI war.

Contact details

For tickets and inquiries about this workshop, contact Hasgeek at info@hasgeek.com or call (91)7676332020.