Western AI Podcast
Season 1
Western AI Podcast - Alexander Harmsen
Western AI Podcast - Chris Doyle
Western AI Podcast - Jason Rolfe
Western AI Podcast - Mitch Joel
Western AI Podcast - Pablo Arredondo
by Western AI
Alexander Harmsen is an experienced tech entrepreneur, CEO, board member, and advisor, having founded multiple successful companies and organizations. His work has seen him produce multiple AI-driven products, scale sales globally, hire world-class executives, manage hundreds of employees, raise over $30M in venture capital, and successfully navigate an M&A process. He is focused on hard problems that have a meaningful impact on the world, knowing that very few others are in a unique position to take on such challenges.He is currently CEO & Founder at Global Predictions, a company bringing hedge fund inspired AI-based socio-economic models to mainstream investors through its flagship AI Financial Advisor product portfoliopilot.com. He formerly founded, built, and sold Iris Automation, an AI modeling software company focused on perception and navigation software. As an advisor, he helps companies like computational biopharma company VeriSIM Life, whose AI-based technology models the entire human body and is used by pharma giants to accelerate the drug development cycle.Alexander is recognized on both Inc' and Forbes' 30 Under 30 lists. He holds a degree in Engineering Physics and Economics from Canada’s top institute, the University of British Columbia, and has a number of patents and published papers to his name. He is also a Loran scholar and graduate of Y-Combinator. He has earned a pilot license and in previous work has built AI perception systems for NASA’s Mars Helicopter, a drone to accompany the rover to explore Mars’ surface autonomously.
In this episode, Owen speaks to Chris Doyle, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Ascent, a company that specializes in machine learning and regulatory compliance. Doyle has over 15 years of experience in software development, with both startups and large companies. Throughout the episode, the pair discuss how Doyle’s team at Ascent uses AI, the future of AI, and advice for getting started in this field.
This week, Owen speaks with Jason Rolfe, Co-Founder and CTO at Variational AI, an AI-based biopharmaceutical platform. Their conversation delves into Jason’s expertise in computational and neural systems, the intersection of AI and job displacement, as well as the essential skills to navigate our technological future.
In this episode, Owen has a conversation with Mitch Joel, renowned author, speaker, and digital expert. Mitch is the Founder of Six Pixels Group, an investing and publishing firm dedicated to the convergence of technologies and consumer behaviour. To add, he is the Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that offers leadership insights from some of the best thinkers in the world. Together, the pair discuss Mitch’s accomplished career, various AI tools, and share valuable advice for those in the early stages of their careers.
This week, Owen speaks to Pablo Arredondo, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Casetext, a legal research platform powered by AI. In this episode, the two discuss the convergence of AI technologies and the legal field, the ethical implications of AI in relation to job displacement, and finally, Pablo’s vision for revolutionizing the legal profession.
Starting this academic year’s WAI podcast, Owen speaks to Rob Mallery, former Head of Software Engineering Hiring at OpenAI and current Head of Talent and Operations at Magic. Throughout the episode, the pair talk about Rob’s experiences at OpenAI and the prospect of AGI, and Rob shares wisdom for students aspiring to make their mark in AI.