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09.01.2025
26 Minuten
We continue our series of conversations about Artificial
Intelligence and how it's changing the world around us. In
today’s episode, Frances talks to an AI engineer at Google about
the ins and outs of the newest crop of AI models and agents.
Joining the show to give an insider’s perspective is Derek Egan.
Derek is on the Vertex AI team at Google Cloud where he works on
helping developers build generative AI-powered agents for their
own applications. Derek is also a graduate of the David Eccles
School of Business with a degree in Operations Management.
David and Frances discuss the difference between models and
agents, and why humans are still very much integral to the
process. They address the strengths and weaknesses of these types
of systems and the ways in which they might be used by
organizations most effectively to help them work more
efficiently. Derek speaks to the realistic worries of some AI
critics and gives some of his own real-life examples of how AI
agents help streamline his work life and personal life.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Show Links:
Derek Egan | LinkedIn
Vertex AI | Google Cloud
Master of Science in Business Analytics - The David Eccles
School of Business
David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram
Eccles Experience Magazine
Episode Quotes:
Google Cloud invests in explainable AI and safety filters
to build AI that benefits everyone
[09:06] How can we build AI that's beneficial for all is a
critical question. At Google Cloud, we take that really seriously
for responsible AI. It all starts with a set of AI principles
that translates into multiple things in practice as we build
these products and up front and not as an afterthought. A few
examples of that are ethical reviews. So, internally, there
are dedicated teams that essentially conduct ethical
analysis and risk assessments for any new product that's going to
launch and their job is to identify potential biases. [09:57] We
haven't been perfect here and no one has been perfect here
because it's a process and we're all learning. And that's also
why, as we gain learnings and learn how to interact with these
models and how to control the types of responses, we're also
building explainability into the models themselves. That's really
important.
AI will not take away your job but someone who uses it
better might.
18:35 If I'm a student at the University of Utah right now in the
David Eccles School of Business or an alumni, I would be pretty
anxious about this, right? Like, hey, how does AI impact my job?
What I would encourage people though, is to think about reframing
that question. And the way I reframe it is I don't think AI
is going to replace your job, and I don't think you're competing
directly with AI for your job. I do think you're going to compete
with other people who can competently use AI to do your job and
that will lead to disruption. That will lead to a change in the
way that works done, day in and day out. So, my guidance, my
invitation would be to try it out, embrace AI and start using it.
See how it can make you more productive. See how it can take the
nitty gritty tasks off of your plate and help you to automate
them on your behalf.
Derek shares a developer's guide for building AI
applications.
32:39 If you are a developer and you want to build an
application, my guidance would be to identify something that's
fairly low hanging fruit, fairly simple, where you're going to
get started. And where it's going to be an interaction between
the person and the agent and not something that's going to go run
autonomously and not have the right feedback loop. And then you
can measure and get a sense for how helpful is that agent, and
then iterate on it. And I'd encourage you to check out some of
the use cases. We have like 185 customer use cases on a blog post
published from Google Cloud. But there's a bunch of examples out
there and there's a bunch of documentation that we offer as well
to help people get started.
Mehr
26.12.2024
32 Minuten
We continue our series of conversations about Artificial
Intelligence and how it's changing the world around us. Today’s
episode focuses on the use of AI in the financial sector and both
it’s potential strengths and weaknesses.
Joining the show to help us start making sense of it all is
Jessica Ellett. Jessica is a senior manager and lead modeler at
Cambridge Technology, a financial services technology startup.
Jessica is also an MSBA graduate from the David Eccles School of
Business.
Jessica shares her insights on developing AI-operationalized
applications for large banks, highlighting tools like loan
processing applications, financial report generation, and
predictive trade outcome models. Frances and Jessica cover the
concept of 'human in the middle' AI and the importance of human
involvement in AI processes. Jessica also touches on concerns
around AI bias, data privacy, and the critical need for
business-led AI projects. Jessica also looks forward to what she
predicts the landscape of her industry could look like in five
years.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Show Links:
Jessica Ellett | LinkedIn
CTFSI - Cambridge Technology Financial Services Inc.
Master of Science in Business Analytics - The David Eccles
School of Business
David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram
Eccles Experience Magazine
Episode Quotes:
How the MSBA programme equipped Jessica to be a voice in
the AI space
[37:02]: When I first finished in 2018 with the MSBA program, I
got multiple job offers afterwards when we moved here to
Charlotte, North Carolina. And, often, it was kind of an
undefined structure. Hey, what can you help us do? What can you
help us know or ask? Help us do this in a better way, or help us
ask the right questions. And so I think it's still young enough—I
mean, the whole program, data science programs, MSBA
programs—within the last 10 years, I would consider that a really
young program. And so new talent coming out of those are going to
be the thought leaders on how AI gets adopted and how these
programs run at different companies. And think about that. So you
come out of this program and you think, "Well, I don't know much.
I just got this degree, or I don't have a lot of application."
But people are willing to listen to you because you've had
focused study on this topic more than they have, so for better or
for worse, you're going to be a voice in that space.
How AI works best with people by having the human in the
middle
[07:24]: Think of AI as the best assistant you've ever had, but
you need the right systems or processes in place to interact with
that assistant to get the most out of them, right? So, it's not
just building or designing the perfect assistant. It's when am I
going to use them? How am I going to use the output? How do I
give it the right information to get out of it? What I want—all
that interaction. That's human in the middle. You have to design
that well to get the most out of it.
Why do AI projects need to align with business
goals?
[41:18]: I'd say AI projects need to align with the business
goals, not just tech advancements. You have a shiny new tool, and
you want to use it but don't lose sight of what the business goal
is. Using a shiny new tool could be expensive. If you suddenly
have to build the whole machine that it fits with, that could get
expensive. So, I'd say that transformation has to have a
business-led approach because it has to align with the business
goals. And if none of the business goals are ready or positioned
to need AI—which is hard to believe—but it could be possible,
then it doesn't fit in the plan or the goals.
Mehr
12.12.2024
30 Minuten
Today we are starting our series of conversations about
Artificial Intelligence and how it's changing the way we learn,
work, and even play. AI is a hot topic with the potential to do a
lot of good. But there are also a few pitfalls that we should all
be aware of.
Joining the show to help us start making sense of it all is Mark
Sunday. Mark spent 20 years as the CIO at Oracle/Siebel, and
prior to that role, he spent 10 years at Motorola.
Retirement hasn't slowed him down one bit. He is still very
engaged in the tech industry and currently serves on the boards
of Vutility, Quantum Metric, Chassis, Kaltura, and 1440. He is
also a member of the Eccles Advisory Board here at the David
Eccles School of Business and was appointed by the Governor to
Utah's STEM Action Center.
He sits down with host Frances Johnson to dive into the evolution
of AI technologies, the challenges of bias and discrimination in
AI data, and the opportunities AI presents for enhancing human
productivity. Emphasizing the importance of retraining and
upskilling, this episode highlights the steps organizations and
educational institutions must take to integrate AI into their
curricula and work environments.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Episode Quotes:
Examining the risks of AI
9:00 When I just type the word “Google,” it comes up with stuff
that's relevant. Like, for me, I'm a big Michigan football fan,
so Michigan football, AI, [and] a number of other topics. I like
that it's showing me stuff, but I hate, hate that, based on what
people have demonstrated they like, it's really limiting
what information and news and opinions that people get to
experience. So, I think it's created an incredible amount of
divisiveness within our country. While data can buy a bias,
but also using real data, and then just repeating patterns,
whether it was hiring male engineers, whether it was
suggesting that Black inmates are more likely to create repeat
crimes or just creating a filter bubble where we're only
exposed to opinions that support or reinforce opinions that we've
had, I think is hugely problematic.
How should individuals and institutions respond to the
rise of AI?
11:42 We've always faced this, whether it be computers or the
internet just has to change. Yes, jobs are eliminated,
should be eliminated. It was underemployment to have people
pump your gas, and then, when it became legal in all states
except for Oregon, until very recently to be able to pump your
own gas, I look at that as underemployment when people aren't
reaching the potential of the contribution that they can
do. So, what's going to happen is roles are just going to
have to change. We need to be aware of that. As individuals, we
need to take personal responsibility. But also, as organizations,
we need to invest in retraining because there are a lot of new
jobs that are created—AI trainers, data scientists, ethics
officers. But we're going to have to upskill and adapt.
Despite the risks, Mark urges students to embrace AI’s
game-changing potential.
21:11 We need for our students to be the very, very best at
leveraging this technology. It's game-changing. It's as if
calculators came out, and when I went to school, nope, we're
going to have to select the slide rules, or computers came out
and it's going to do the work for all of us, or the web came out
and now people can do Google searches. This is far, far
bigger. In fact, when we are recruiting for our new dean
for the business school, I’m convinced that higher ed will change
more in the next 10 years than it has in the previous 100. And AI
is going to be the reason for that. And so, as we think of what
we're going to be as a business school, as we think of what we're
going to be as a university, we need to be prepared for this
huge, huge transformation.
Show Links:
Mark Sunday | LinkedIn
Oracle
Kahlert Initiative on Technology - The David Eccles School of
Business
STEM Action Center
David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram
Eccles Experience Magazine
Mehr
28.11.2024
33 Minuten
We are wrapping up our series of conversations with the Kem C.
Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision
Makers. Every year, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at
the David Eccles School of Business recognizes individuals and
entities that contribute to the prosperity of our community here
in Utah, often performing important work behind the scenes and
without much recognition.
Joining us today is Ross Van Vranken, the former executive
director for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which is part
of the University of Utah Health System. The Huntsman Mental
Health Institute is a multi-million dollar enterprise supporting
a behavioral health care system anchored by a 170-bed acute
psychiatric and substance use hospital.
In this episode, host Frances Johnson sits down with Ross to
discuss the evolution of the mental health conversation, the
importance of treating mental health with the same urgency as
physical health, and the critical issue of access to mental
health care. Ross shares his insights on the economic
implications of untreated mental health issues, the impact of the
social environment on mental wellness, and the transformative
vision of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Episode Quotes:
On defining what mental health is
[05:12] When you're talking about mental health, you're talking
about well-being, that sense of well-being. I'm okay. And I know
how to navigate the problems in my life, and I get through it,
and I have an adequate amount of resiliency and reserve to take
on struggles. I ask for support when I need it. I'm willing to
talk about what's going on with myself. And that’s really what it
is, just that sense of well-being. That's what mental health is
where you're able to engage in your life in a way that represents
who you are and what you want to do.
The transformative vision of the Huntsman Mental Health
Institute.
John Huntsman's legacy is council. The nine children looked
around and they've had mental illness in the family and substance
use disorder in their family, and they wanted to make this
their legacy. To actually change mental health on a national
level across everything, including, uh, looking at policy reform
on a federal level, payment reform, access to care, uh, best
practice, specialty, personalized care, all those kinds of
things. a big part of that, so what they're funding right now is
this Stop Stigma campaign, which is a national campaign that's
intended to go out the next 10 years.
What contributes to the mental health crisis?
[21:18] Mental health is the number 1 disability in the world
now. And so part of what contributes to all that, as you know, is
the whole social environment, particularly kids. How do you
interact with your peers? How many people get bullied, isolated
from the rest of the pack, don't feel like they belong early
on and how that carries through. So, creating an inclusive
environment where people just get accepted for who they are, and
they can be a part of the overall social contract without having
to be the popular kids or whatever, you can be whoever you are
and fit into that is a critical piece. And of course, we all know
that there are these different benchmarks that really require a
lot of going from elementary to junior high, junior high to high
school, high school to college. It's a critical thing. The more
you can do to create that kind of wellness environment and
inclusivity of everyone, the better, because we're social animals
and what contributes as much to mental illness as anything is
isolation.
Show Links:
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Ross Van Vranken | University of Utah Health
Ross Van Vranken | LinkedIn
David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram
Mehr
14.11.2024
37 Minuten
Today we are continuing our series of conversations with the
Kempsey Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision Makers.
These are individuals and entities that are recognized for their
unique contributions to the prosperity of our community here in
Utah.
Here today to get a little bit of the fanfare they deserve are
Jerika Mays and Dr. Mark Johnson from the Seager Memorial
Clinic. The clinic's mission is to provide underserved
populations and individuals with easy-to-access, nonjudgmental,
medical, dental, vision, and mental health care. Everything the
clinic does is 100 percent free to everyone seeking care.
Jerika serves as the Executive Director of the Seager Memorial
Clinic and Dr. Mark Johnson is Vice Chair of the Clinic's Board
as well as the Clinic's Volunteer Medical Director.
Listen in as Jerika, Dr. Johnson and Frances discuss the vital
role of the Seager Memorial Clinic in providing free,
nonjudgmental healthcare to underserved populations in Utah. Our
guests highlight the significant barriers to healthcare access
and how the clinic addresses these challenges. We’ll also explore
the clinic's volunteer-driven model, the economic and social
impact of healthcare access, and plans for expansion.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.
Episode Quotes:
What it means to receive nonjudgmental healthcare
according to Dr. Mark Johnson
[Dr. Marc Johnson]: 19:05: We don't screen
patients at the front door or the front desk to try to determine
what their financial situation is. So, we don't ask, do they have
insurance, do they have Medicare, do they have Medicaid? What's
their demographics? We don't ask for W-2 forms. We don't ask for
citizenship documentation, et cetera. So, in that regard, we just
take all comers. Patients don't have to worry that they have to
produce a lot of documents, you know, to prove that they are in
need.
I guess the second part would be the volunteers not judging the
patients for, you know, why they are there. There are people
there for lots of different reasons. We do see a fair number of
patients who have addictions. We see a fair number of patients
who are homeless. We see some patients who have just come out of
prison. We see patients who speak different languages, come from
different backgrounds, some have insurance, some don't. And I
think the culture is that we accept them for who they are and
withhold judgment. So, I think that helps patients feel welcome
because I think, in a lot of cases, those circumstances, you
know, they may feel judged before even being seen.
Making healthcare more accessible to the
community
[Jerika Mays] 14:02: I think
it's easy for patients who don't have insurance to put off their
health. You know, they might need to be seen, but they put it off
because they don't have a point of access or they aren't in a
place financially to afford it.
Even if they do have insurance, maybe the copay is a barrier,
right? So, patients might often put it off until it becomes an
emergency and they might go to the emergency room. And at that
time, it can be a real financial challenge because that can be a
big cost for the patient and their family. So, I think by making
it more accessible, they feel more comfortable coming to us in
those early stages and receiving care before it becomes an
emergency.
Plans for expansion: Creating more space to serve more
people
[Jerika Mays] 27:27: Something
we're very excited about is we're in the process of transforming
Ogden's former Family History Library on 24th Street into our new
home, where we'll have much more space to expand our services,
expand our hours, and see more people in the community. The space
is over 7,000 square feet. And we'll include nine exam rooms, a
dental suite with three dental operatories, a Class A charitable
pharmacy, a room where we can start offering group classes like
diabetes management or mental health wellness. We'll have three
spaces dedicated for mental health therapy in the future. So, I
feel like this space is really going to be a game-changer for our
community.
Show Links:
Seager Memorial Clinic
Board and Leadership - seagerclinic.org
Jerika Mays | LinkedIn
Million-Dollar Murray | The New Yorker
David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram
Mehr
Über diesen Podcast
Welcome to the Eccles Business Buzz Podcast. My name is Frances
Johnson, and your host for our podcast show. We know the Eccles
community is only as strong as its alumni network and as I have
built relationships with alumni across the nation, I’ve learned
how truly remarkable our network is. Our goal is to share alumni
stories, perspectives, and voices on topics that are driving
conversations around the globe and within our school today. The
core values of the Eccles community will underlie everything we
discuss here: Entrepreneurial Grit, Continuous Curiosity,
Empathetic Global Citizenship, and Impacting Your World.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of David Eccles
School of Business and is produced
by University FM.
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