Today we are joined by Developer Advocate at Block, Rizel Scarlett, who is here to explain how to bridge the gap between the technical and non-technical aspects of a business. We also learn about AI hallucinations and how Rizel and Block approach this particular pain point, the burdens of responsibility of AI users, why it’s important to make AI tools accessible to all, and the ins and outs of G{Code} House – a learning community for Indigenous and women of color in tech. To end, Rizel explains what needs to be done to break down barriers to entry for the G{Code} population in tech, and she describes the ideal relationship between a developer advocate and the technical arm of a business. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Rizel Scarlett describes the role and responsibilities of a developer advocate. 
• Her role in getting others to understand how GitHub Copilot should be used. 
• Exploring her ongoing projects and current duties at Block. 
• How the conversation around AI copilot tools has shifted in the last 18 months.   
• The importance of objection handling and why companies must pay more attention to it.  
• AI hallucinations and Rizel’s advice for approaching this particular pain point. 
• Why “I don’t know” should be encouraged as a response from AI companions, not shunned. 
• Taking a closer look at how Block addresses AI hallucinations. 
• The burdens of responsibility of users of AI, and the need to democratize access to AI tools. 
• Unpacking G{Code} House and Rizel’s working relationship with this learning community.
• Understanding what prevents Indigenous and women of color from having careers in tech.
• The ideal relationship between a developer advocate and the technical arm of a business. 

Quotes:

“Every company is embedding AI into their product someway somehow, so it’s being more embraced.” — @blackgirlbytes [0:11:37]

“I always respect someone that’s like, ‘I don’t know, but this is the closest I can get to it.’” — @blackgirlbytes [0:15:25]

“With AI tools, when you’re more specific, the results are more refined.” — @blackgirlbytes [0:16:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rizel Scarlett

Rizel Scarlett on LinkedIn

Rizel Scarlett on Instagram

Rizel Scarlett on X

Block

Goose

GitHub

GitHub Copilot

G{Code} House

How AI Happens

Sama