Principles of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence has captivated me since I worked on projects at Google that ranged from detecting fraud on Google Cloud to predicting subscriber retention on YouTube Red. Looking to broaden my professional experience, I then entered the world of venture capital by joining Baidu Ventures as its first summer investment associate where I got to work with amazingly talented founders building AI-focused startups.

Now at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, I am looking for opportunities to meet people with interesting AI-related ideas and learn about the newest innovations within the AI ecosystem. Within the first two months of business school, I connected with Nicholas Lind, a second-year Wharton MBA student who interned at IBM Watson as a data scientist. Immediately recognizing our common passion for AI, we produced a lunch-and-learn about AI and machine learning (ML) for our fellow classmates.

Using the following deck, we sought to:

• define artificial intelligence and describe its applications in business
• decode buzzwords such as “deep learning” and “cognitive computing”
• highlight analytical techniques and best practices used in AI / ML
• ultimately, educate future AI leaders

The lunch-and-learn was well received. When it became apparent that it was the topic at hand and not so much the free pizzas that attracted the overflowing audience, I was amazed at the level of interest. It was reassuring to hear that classmates were interested in learning more about the technology and its practical applications in solving everyday business challenges. Nick and I are now laying a foundation to make these workshops an ongoing effort so that more people across the various schools of engineering, design, and Penn at large can benefit.

With its focus on quantitative rigor, Wharton already feels like a perfect fit for me. In the next two years, I look forward to engaging with like-minded people, both in and out of the classroom, sharing my knowledge about AI with my peers, and learning from them in turn. By working together to expand Penn’s reach and reputation with respect to this new frontier, I’m confident that we can all grow into next-generation leaders who help drive companies forward in an era of artificial intelligence.

I’d love to hear what you think. If you found this post or the deck useful, please recommend them to your friends and colleagues!