How Alberta Wildfire uses AI to suppress fires and save lives​
Alberta Wildfire is the fire management agency of the province of Alberta, Canada. With recent fire seasons growing longer and more intense, the agency has been looking to technology to help them be more strategic in how they allocate firefighters and equipment. ​​In 2022, they began using an AI-powered tool that provides duty officers with data-driven insights for their decisions. Built by AltaML, an AI startup in Edmonton, Alberta, the tool leverages machine learning to analyze tens of thousands of data points and predict where new fires are likely to pop up the next day. This gives firefighters a head start in taking action to suppress burn conditions.​​In this episode, we hear from provincial wildfire management specialist Ed Trenchard, and AltaML’s Graham Erickson, as they describe how AI is helping Alberta Wildfire control wildfires and save lives.​​Their story offers a vivid example of how AI can help solve public sector problems, augment the skills of experts, and deliver better outcomes for communities around the world. ​Link to full episode transcript.Produced by Larj Media.
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Arianna Huffington’s vision of how AI will help humanity thrive
Among her many roles and accomplishments, Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, a leading behavioral change technology company with a mission to redefine productivity through wellbeing.​​Thrive Global is building an AI-powered assistant that will gently nudge people to take small breaks, add a few steps to their day, cut down on processed foods and pursue other habits that are good for our body and soul. The advice dished out by this assistant will be personalized for each individual, and delivered right in the flow of work through apps like Microsoft Teams.​​In a conversation with Hayete, Arianna talks about why supporting people to enjoy happier, healthier and more productive lives is such a personal mission for her. With AI, she believes we now have a unique opportunity to help people focus on what it means to be human, and what matters the most to them.​Link to full episode transcript.Produced by Larj Media.
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Project Gutenberg expands access to literature by creating audiobooks with AI
Project Gutenberg is the world’s first digital library. For over 50 years, it has been steadfast in its commitment to provide free, unfettered access to digitized literature for everyone. Run entirely by volunteers and driven purely by its mission to share public domain literature and information, Project Gutenberg stands out for how closely it hews to its altruistic vision, from creating e-books to audiobooks. Now, they are using AI text-to-speech capabilities from Microsoft to accelerate the progress of creating an extensive audiobook library. They've already created over 5,000 audiobooks using AI, and through this process, they've demonstrated how cost-effective AI can be to help build a world where literature can easily be shared. Link to full episode transcript.Produced by Larj Media.
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AI at scale: Accenture’s journey to empowering 10,000 developers with Copilot
After a successful initial rollout of GitHub Copilot that increased developer productivity, Accenture now has given the tool to more than 10,000 developers worldwide — with a burgeoning waitlist of teams eager to deploy other Copilots. In this episode, we hear from Karen Odegaard, Accenture's Global IT Managing Director, about how the firm is using generative AI and GitHub Copilot to transform the developer experience and reinvent the way developers do their jobs. According to Karen, driving adoption isn’t just throwing new tools at people. It’s making sure the value is clear, and the tools are effective enough to change behaviors and mindsets. She shares her fascinating perspective on business transformation in the age of AI that any organization can learn from. Link to full episode transcript.Produced by Larj Media.
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How the UAE is closing the education gap with AI tutors
What if every student had access to a personal tutor who could help them learn based on customized areas of improvement or subjects of interest? This was the ambitious goal of the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Education. To turn this into reality, they connected with Quddus Pativada, the 20-year-old founder of AI learning firm ASI. Pativada had already developed and tested an AI tutor with the potential to transform how students learn, and was looking for a customer to implement his solution. Rather than trying to block the use of AI in their education system, the UAE is embracing it. Working with ASI and Microsoft, the Ministry is rolling out the AI tutor for all students across the country, providing one-on-one tutoring as a means to modernize and improve learning at all levels. In this episode, we hear from both Quddus and Raghad Aljughaiman, Strategic and Future Planning Advisor at the UAE Ministry of Education, about their ambitious journey toward personalized, AI-assisted learning at scale. Link to full episode transcript.Produced by Larj Media.
At the center of every technology transformation are people with visionary ideas for innovation, and the drive to push them forward. Pivotal with Hayete Gallot from Microsoft spotlights the heroes who are giving technology its purpose and driving impact for their business, community, and society.
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