Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I have worked on AI and Data for all of my career. I started my career working on Data Infrastructure for an enterprise software company focused on industry data and AI, called OSIsoft This was around time-series historians, middleware SDKs, and data processing for large-scale systems. I was always interested in how data could be used to make better decisions. I was also interested in how software could be used to automate tasks and make people more productive. Then I worked on building cloud based data platform and IOT platform that could be used for data science, specifically around Industrial AI use-cases. This lead into my foray working for an Enterprise AI company, C3 AI, where I was able to work on cutting edge AI technologies and products. This was a great experience and I learned a lot about how AI can be used to solve real-world problems. Now I am working on building a data-centric AI platform for an AI startup, Labelbox. The AI and data products I have developed are used in mission critical sectors across the world. I am excited to see how these technologies will continue to evolve and change the world.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
The company I currently work for is a startup, Labelbox, building a data-centric AI platform. I think what makes this company stand out is its focus on data. We believe that data is the key to building intelligent software. We have built a platform that makes it easy for companies to collect, label, and manage their data. This platform is used by AI labs to build powerful multi-modal large language models. Many enterprises also use this platform to develop custom task-specific machine learning models. We have customers in a wide range of industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to retail. One of our customers is a large healthcare provider that is using our platform to build AI models for robotic-assisted surgery. Another customer is a large agricultural enterprise that uses our platform for AI driven computer vision solutions. These are all great examples of how our platform is helping companies to use data and AI to make better decisions and improve their business.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Hard work and perseverance. I have always been willing to put in the time and effort to get the job done. I have worked long hours and taken on challenging projects. This has helped me to develop my skills and build a successful career.
- Integrity. I have always tried to do the right thing, even when it was difficult. I have been honest and transparent in my dealings with others. This has helped me to build trust and credibility with my colleagues and customers.
- Continuous learning. I have always been curious and eager to learn new things. I have taken on new challenges and sought out new opportunities for growth. This has helped me to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new technologies and trends, specially in the technology industry, where things evolve at a rapid pace.
Let’s now move to the main point of our discussion about AI. Can you explain how AI is disrupting your industry? Is this disruption hurting or helping your bottom line?
AI is disrupting the software industry in a big way. It is helping us to build better products and services, but it is also creating new challenges. For example, AI is helping us to build more intelligent software that can learn from data and make decisions on its own. This is great for our customers because it means that they can get more value from our products. AI systems are being built using very powerful machine learning models and some of these models are even outperforming humans in certain tasks. This is a big opportunity for us because it means that we can build better products and services that will help us to grow our business.
It also means that we need to be more careful about how we build and train the machine learning models. We need to make sure that our AI systems are fair and unbiased, and that they are secure and reliable. This is a big challenge, but it is also a big opportunity.
Which specific AI technology has had the most significant impact on your industry?
The most significant AI technology that has had an impact on our industry is machine learning. Machine learning is a type of AI that allows computers to learn from data and make decisions on their own. This technology has been around for a long time, but it has become much more powerful in recent years thanks to advances in algorithms and computing power. Machine learning is now being used in a wide range of applications, from self-driving cars to virtual assistants. It is helping us to build more intelligent software that can learn from data and make decisions on its own. This is great for our customers because it means that they can get more value from our products. Specifically, at the intersection of AI and data, there is a strong need for high quality training datasets that enable the building of powerful machine learning models. This is where our company comes in, by providing a platform that makes it easy for companies to collect, label, and manage their data for building and using AI.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you recognized the profound impact AI would have on your sector?
This was a few years back when I was working on building an AI platform for enterprise AI. One of the use-cases was enabling a large enterprise in the energy sector build a data and ML pipeline for analyzing drone pictures of oil pipelines to predict rust rates. This was a very complex problem that required a lot of data and a lot of compute power. We were able to build a system that could process the data and train the models in a fraction of the time it would have taken using traditional methods. This was a pivotal moment for me because it showed me the power of AI and how it could be used to solve real-world problems and thus lead to significant cost savings. It also showed me the potential for AI to disrupt the software industry and create new opportunities for growth.
How are you preparing your workforce for the integration of AI, and what skills do you believe will be most valuable in an AI-enhanced future?
Contrary to what might be the more popular opinion, AI is not going to replace humans in the workforce. Instead, it will augment human capabilities and make us more productive. This means that we need to prepare our workforce for the integration of AI by helping them to develop new skills and adapt to new ways of working. AT the company I work for, we invest in training and development programs that help our employees to develop new skills and adapt to new technologies and trends. We strongly encourage employees to take courses and read research papers in AI and keep up with the latest trends.
Some of the skills that will be most valuable in an AI-enhanced future include:
- Data literacy: Understanding how to work with data, including building data integration pipelines, data curation and developing well annotated datasets for developing machine learning models.
- Knowing how to leverage AI tools: Knowing how to use AI tools and platforms to act as a co-pilot for an individual’s field of endeavor.
- Critical thinking: Being able to think critically and analytically about problems and come up with creative solutions.
- Adaptability: Being able to adapt to new technologies and trends and learn new skills quickly.
- Ethical considerations: Understanding the ethical considerations of AI and how to use AI responsibly.
What are the biggest challenges in upskilling your workforce for an AI-centric future?
One of the biggest challenges in up-skilling our workforce for an AI-centric future is the pace of change. The AI space is evolving at a rapid pace and it can be difficult to keep up with all the new developments. This means that we need to invest in training and development programs that help our employees to stay ahead of the curve. We also need to create a culture of continuous learning and encourage our employees to take on new challenges and seek out new opportunities for growth. A key aspect is to incentivize employees to keep up new research in AI coming out of both academia as well as the AI labs in the industry. This will help us to build a workforce that is ready for the future and able to adapt to new technologies and trends.
What ethical considerations does AI introduce into your industry, and how are you tackling these concerns?
The biggest ethical concern is to ensure that AI is responsible and unbiased. This means that we need to make sure that our AI systems are fair and that they do not discriminate against any group of people. We also need to make sure that our AI systems are secure and reliable, and that they do not pose any risks to our customers or the public. We are tackling these concerns by investing in research and development programs that help us to build responsible AI systems. We are also working with experts in the field to develop best practices and guidelines for building and deploying AI systems. We are also working with our customers to help them understand the ethical considerations of AI and how they can use AI responsibly in their own organizations. Something very important to consider if to be able to curate training data for unbiased learning of AI systems. This is a key aspect of our platform, where we provide tools to help companies collect, label, and manage their data in a responsible way.
What are your “Five Things You Need To Do, If AI Is Disrupting Your Industry”?
- Embrace AI: The first thing you need to do is to embrace AI and explore opportunities to incorporate AI into your products and services. This will help you to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of new technologies and trends. For example, at the company I work for, we have built a data-centric AI platform that makes it easy for companies to collect, label, and manage their data. This platform is used by AI labs to build powerful multi-modal large language models. Many enterprises also use this platform to develop custom task-specific machine learning models.
- Enable up-skilling of workforce for AI: Invest in training and development programs that help your employees to develop new skills and adapt to new ways of working. This will help you to build a workforce that is ready for the future and able to adapt to new technologies and trends. For example, at the company I work for, we have created a culture of continuous learning and encourage our employees to take courses to keep up to date with new trend and technologies in AI.
- Look for collaboration opportunities: Collaborate with other companies and experts in the field to develop best practices and guidelines for building and deploying AI systems. This will help you to build responsible AI systems that are fair and unbiased. For example, at the company I work for, we have string partnerships with other companies to develop best practices and guidelines for building and using AI systems.
- Adopt nimble development practices: Adopt nimble development practices that allow you to quickly iterate on your products and services. This will help you to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of new technologies and trends. This is particularly important given how fast things are evolving in AI with new research coming out every week. For example, at the company I work for, we use agile development practices that allow us to quickly iterate on our products and services and respond to changing customer needs, industry and research trends.
- Take an AI first innovation approach: Take an AI first innovation approach to building your products and services. This means that you should consider how AI can be used to improve your products and services from the very beginning, instead of compartmentalizing AI as a research team. This will help you to build better products and services that will help you to grow your business. For example, at the company I work for, we take an AI first approach to building our data-centric AI platform and AI is built into the core of our products and services.
What are the most common misconceptions about AI within your industry, and how do you address them?
One of the most common misconceptions about AI is that it will replace humans in the workforce. This is not true. AI will augment human capabilities and make us more productive. This means that we need to prepare our workforce for the integration of AI by helping them to develop new skills and adapt to new ways of working. Another common misconception is that AI is a black box and that it is impossible to understand how it works. This is also not true. AI systems can be explained and understood, and it is important to invest in research and development programs that help us to build responsible and explainable AI systems.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
A quote from an ancient Indian polymath and empire builder, Vishnugupta Chanakya, that I like is “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions — Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.” This is a great quote because it reminds us to think carefully before we act and to consider the consequences of our actions. This is something that I have always tried to do in my own life and career. I have always been careful to consider the impact of my decisions and to make sure that I am doing the right thing. This has helped me to build trust and credibility with my colleagues and customers and to make better decisions in my own life.
Off-topic, but I’m curious. As someone steering the ship, what thoughts or concerns often keep you awake at night? How do those thoughts influence your daily decision-making process?
One of the things that keeps me awake at night is the pace of change in the AI space. The AI space is evolving at a rapid pace and it can be difficult to keep up with all the new developments. This means that I need to be constantly learning and adapting to new technologies and trends. This influences my daily decision-making process because it reminds me to stay ahead of the curve and to be proactive in seeking out new opportunities for growth. It also reminds me to be careful and considerate in my decisions and to make sure that I am doing the right thing.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement for a global passport system that would allow people to travel freely around the world. Of course there would be an objective evaluation system for the criteria in order to qualify for such a privilege and responsibility. But regardless this would help to break down barriers and promote understanding and cooperation between people of different cultures and backgrounds. It would also help to promote economic growth and development by allowing people to move freely and work in different countries. This would be a great way to bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people and to promote peace and prosperity throughout the world.
How can our readers further follow you online?
I am on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/manastalukdar/ and on X (previously Twitter) at https://x.com/manastalukdar. I also have a website where I maintain a blog.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!