The Future of AI w/ Danny Lange
Did you ever wonder how a computer can be trained to beat a human at chess? Or how Amazon seems to anticipate what you’re looking for, before typing your request in the search bar? Or how it is that the Uber app always seems to know the faster route to your destination?
All of these technologies rely on the same thing - Artificial Intelligence, or more specifically Machine Learning, where computers are able to not only use past information, but to also test future possibilities to find the best way.
To some people this topic can be a bit unnerving as they struggle with the idea that machines are taking over our world, but to me this is an incredible opportunity to make our world a better place.
One of the people that sees a better future is Danny Lange, who has led AI research at some of the world’s most well known companies: IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and Uber - and now is applying his expertise at Unity, where they are leveraging the complexity of video games to push the technology even further.
In our conversation, we explore the difference between artificial and human intelligence, if AI can make the leap from curiosity to creativity, and some lessons learned working at some of the biggest technology companies in the world.
We had an incredible conversation, but I was most struck by Danny’s insight that “When it comes to AI, the real skill of the future is to understand consequences, to understand the impact of what we're doing”.
While AI engineers will need to still be technically talented, they will also need to have a deep understanding of the human impact of their decision, and the biases that are a part of our decisions both past and present, so we can make the world how we want it to be, not just re-create the way it has always been.
As Danny says, one of the benefits of AI is that “It allows us humans to focus more on what it means to be human”
You can follow the podcast and host Chuck Swoboda on Twitter for further exploration and discussion on innovation.
The episode is also available wherever else you listen to podcasts. Enjoy!
