The ConversAItion

For more than 40 years, Maximus, the government IT service management company, has partnered with state, federal and local agencies to build technology solutions that allow them to better connect with citizens. This week on The ConversAItion, Maximus’ President of US Federal Information Technology Raj Parameswaran explains how technology plays a foundational role in enabling government services, the role AI and automation played in managing skyrocketing demand for citizen services during the pandemic and what’s next for AI in the public sector.

Spotify is one of the world’s largest audio streaming platforms, with more than 400 million active monthly users worldwide. Behind the scenes, Global Head of Intelligent Automation Sidney Madison Prescott leverages RPA, AI and machine learning to streamline business processes and upskill employees. On today’s episode of The ConversAItion podcast, she discusses citizen developers, how she’s enabling humans and robots to work together seamlessly and what the future holds for intelligent automation at Spotify. You can find Sidney on Twitter @sidneyinthecity.

Shopify is a multinational e-commerce platform that helps 1.7M+ merchants across 175 countries build and manage their businesses. As VP of Data Science, Ella Hilal is focused on leveraging Shopify’s troves of data to remove barriers and improve the merchant experience. Today, she brings her 15 years of experience in AI, ML and data analysis to The ConversAItion podcast to discuss what it means to empower merchants, the difference between data-driven and data-informed and what the future of AI in e-commerce looks like. You can find Ella on Twitter @a_hilal.

UPS delivers nearly 25 million packages and documents every day. While the process seems near-effortless, AI is hard at work behind the scenes to ensure the reliability consumers have come to expect. Today on The ConversAItion, Laura Patel, Principal Data Scientist within UPS’ Advanced Technology Group, walks us through how the scientific method can inform data science, the role of AI in a package lifecycle and why data will be essential for the success of logistics companies going forward—including building a more sustainable future.

Lyft, the popular ridesharing company, has powered on-demand transportation for over a decade—and AI has been along for the ride from the start. This week, Craig Martell, Lyft’s Head of Machine Learning, joins us on The ConversAItion to discuss how AI enables his team to make accurate predictions when it comes to matching riders and drivers, the unexpected connection between social sciences and machine learning and why the AI industry is poised for “hockey stick growth.”

Most are familiar with the name Moderna and its landmark role in developing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, but few know how the company leveraged AI to accelerate its creation. Today, Moderna’s Director of AI and Data Science, Dr. Andrew Giessel, joins us on The ConversAItion to discuss how his team leverages AI to accelerate the mRNA research process for a number of different applications, the importance of training employees in AI basics and how computer science and biology can work hand-in-hand in the future to transform the pharmaceutical industry. You can find Andrew on Twitter @giessel. 

Susan Hura is a renowned speech technology expert and user experience designer with more than 35 years of experience in the linguistics field. She also happens to be the Director of Conversational Design Services at Interactions. This week, Susan joins us on The ConversAItion to walk us through the evolution of speech technology, from phone trees to virtual assistants, the importance of user testing and why every conversation should be considered a contract. You can find Susan on Twitter @speechusability. 

Tinder, the popular dating app that brought the phrase “swipe right” into the mainstream, has been helping people connect online since 2012. This week, Director of Analytics Jennifer Flashman joins us on The ConversAItion to unpack the AI behind its hallmark matchmaking process, the new features Tinder introduced amid social distancing to meet a new generation of daters and the future of accessible online dating technology.

Redfin is a real estate brokerage that combines AI-powered insights and agent savvy to make the home buying and selling process easier, faster and less stressful. In her ten years at Redfin, CTO Bridget Frey has played a major role in shaping the company’s powerful recommendation engine. This week, she joins us on The ConversAItion to unpack the role of AI in real estate, the impact of the pandemic on home buying and selling and why she tackles the issue of diversity in the workplace by thinking of it as an engineering problem. You can find Bridget on Twitter @svbridget.

pymetrics is a talent-matching platform that leverages AI and behavioral neuroscience to pair people with job openings that best fit both their professional skill set and their raw human potential. This week on The ConversAItion, CEO and co-founder Dr. Frida Polli joins us to discuss why a candidate’s resume isn’t always the best reflection of their capabilities, how pymetrics is working to pave a new, more ethical path forward for the hiring industry and the pandemic’s continued effects on the recruitment process. You can find Frida on Twitter @fridapolli.