Best MIT CSAIL Alliances Podcasts (2025)

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Feed Drop: MIT CSAIL Alliances Podcast 46:38

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1d ago46:38

46:38

Today’s episode is a bonus drop from our friends over at the MIT CSAIL Alliances podcast. We'll be back on September 16 with new episodes of Me, Myself, and AI. Chris Miller is professor of international history at Tufts University. He joins the MIT CSAIL Alliances podcast to share insights from his recent book, Chip War: The Fight for the World's …

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The Promise and Peril of Computer Chips with Tufts Professor Chris Miller 43:34

9d ago43:34

43:34

Chris Miller, Tufts Professor and author, explains how semiconductors—those tiny chips inside your phone, car, and coffee maker—have become the most critical technology in the world. Today’s global economy, military power, and AI breakthroughs all hinge on who makes the chips and where. In this episode, Dr. Miller explores how the chip industry evo…

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Training AI to Detect Disease: Stand Up To Cancer’s Julian Adams 31:40

1M ago31:40

31:40

Julian Adams tried but didn’t succeed at retirement after a productive career as a medical chemist with several U.S. Food and Drug Association approvals of cancer-related treatments, including cell therapy for bone marrow transplantation. Soon after, his participation in a Stand Up ToCancer advisory group led to his appointment as the nonprofit’s p…

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Beyond the Hype: How AI is Actually Reshaping Business with Andy Ellis 39:03

1M ago39:03

39:03

Cybersecurity expert and venture capitalist Andy Ellis breaks down why the smartest organizations are using AI to augment their workers, not replace them. Today’s AI systems are best used when they serve as “semi-pro” tools—fast, scalable, surprisingly effective, but still guided by some human oversight. In this conversation, he shares cautionary t…

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Delivering More Connected Care Through AI: CVS Health's Josh Weiner 28:22

2M ago28:22

28:22

Josh Weiner, senior vice president of consumer engagement and analytics at CVS Health, is passionate about making health care more personalized, connected, preventative, and accessible. On today’s episode, Josh joins Sam and Shervin to explain how the integrated health care company is structured and how it is using AI to achieve those goals. Read t…

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Building Better Answers With AI Agents: SAP’s Walter Sun 34:53

2M ago34:53

34:53

The suggestions and support offered by AI are helpful only if they’re relevant. On today’s episode, Walter Sun, senior vice president and global head of artificial intelligence at SAP, joins Sam and Shervin to share how his organization is helping employees get smarter about artificial intelligence through the company’s AI Days. Additionally, Walte…

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Driving Behavior by Design: MIT CSAIL Professor Sam Madden on the Science of Safer Roads with AI 34:20

2M ago34:20

34:20

Can your phone make you a safer driver? Or is it part of the problem?MIT CSAIL Professor Sam Madden shares the origin story of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a CSAIL spinout using smartphones and AI to prevent car crashes and save lives. In this episode, Professor Madden joins host Kara Miller to explore how accelerometers, algorithms, and well-timed…

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Upcycling and Upskilling With AI: Goodwill's Steve Preston 26:37

3M ago26:37

26:37

Many of us know Goodwill Industries International as a retailer that accepts and resells donated goods. What the average consumer may not know is that the nonprofit takes in over 5 billion pounds of goods each year — and not all of it can be resold. For those unwanted or unviable items, the organization can either look into recycling or upcycling, …

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How AI Can Help Save the Natural World, with MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery 14:11

3M ago14:11

14:11

Finches, zebras, Darwin... and AI? 🧠🌍Two centuries after Darwin explored the Galápagos, artificial intelligence is transforming how we study and protect the natural world, rapidly expanding what’s possible in biodiversity and ecology research. In this episode, MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery explains how AI is unlocking new possibilities i…

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Overcoming AI Hallucinations: Truist’s Chandra Kapireddy 33:39

3M ago33:39

33:39

In today’s episode, Chandra Kapireddy, head of generative AI, machine learning, and analytics at Truist, delves into the evolving landscape of AI with a particular focus on how GenAI tools reshape the way Truist and similar organizations must navigate model risk management and regulations. GenAI is more versatile than traditional AI, he notes, yet …

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AI's Hidden Business Effects: MIT Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee Explores how AI is Affecting Enterprise 47:27

3M ago47:27

47:27

What happens when every company becomes a tech company—and the geeks take the wheel?Renowned economist, bestselling author, and MIT Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee unpacks how AI is transforming corporate strategy—from cement makers to software engineers. Drawing on insights from his book The Geek Way and his startup Workhelix, McAfee sh…

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Speed, Ease, and Expertise With AI: Lenovo’s Linda Yao 31:59

4M ago31:59

31:59

Linda Yao, chief operating officer and head of strategy for Lenovo’s Strategy, Solutions, and Services Group and vice president of hybrid cloud and AI solutions, joins us to explain the organization’s transition from technology product company to managed services provider. It’s now helping organizations with the change management required to implem…

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Reskilling the Workforce With AI: Harvard Business School’s Raffaella Sadun 30:02

4M ago30:02

30:02

Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun’s research has historically focused on digital reskilling. Now, rapid technological changes — like AI — are reshaping the nature of work. Raffaella’s research has explored how AI might empower those with intermediate expertise, such as store managers and blue-collar workers, to become more efficient…

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Feed Drop: How AI Will Change Your Job: MIT’s David Autor 40:18

4M ago40:18

40:18

Today’s episode is a bonus drop from our friends over at the MIT CSAIL Alliances podcast. We’ll back in two weeks for Season 11 of Me, Myself, and AI. David Autor, the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor, Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow in MIT’s Department of Economics, says that AI is “not like a calculator where you just punch in the numb…

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AI's Language Leap: MIT CSAIL Associate Professor Jacob Andreas Explores NLP and LLMs 27:49

5M ago27:49

27:49

For a full, uncut video version of this show (shot in Professor Andreas' MIT CSAIL office!), watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBV5Bj_NnbA MIT CSAIL Associate Professor Jacob Andreas walks listeners through how LLMs like ChatGPT evolved from academic curiosities to industry-disrupting technologies. Reflecting on the transformations he has…

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Monetizing Data With AI: MIT CISR's Barb Wixom 34:31

5M ago34:31

34:31

Barbara Wixom, principal research scientist at MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR), draws on 30 years of research in this bonus episode of the Me, Myself, and AI podcast. She believes data monetization is the key to enterprise success with AI and breaks down why. With hosts Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh, Barb details case …

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Me, Myself & AI: AI Hype and Skepticism with Economist Paul Romer (Bonus Episode!) 24:52

5M ago24:52

24:52

The MIT CSAIL Alliances Podcast is collaborating with MIT Sloan’s Me, Myself, and AI podcast to share a special bonus episode this month.Paul Romer once considered himself the most optimistic economist. He rightfully predicted that technology would blow up as an economic driver coming out of the inflation of the 1970s, but acknowledges he did not f…

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Tackling Injuries With AI: The NFL's Jeff Miller 30:37

5M ago30:37

30:37

Jeff Miller moved from a career in government to focus on the health and safety of NFL players. Due to the nature of their sport, they are more prone to injuries, including concussions, than other professional athletes. By leveraging the game’s unique elements, such as the volume of cameras filming on-field activities, the NFL can gather large data…

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MIT CSAIL Podcast: How AI will Change Your Job and The Potential of Self-Supervised Learning 44:17

6M ago44:17

44:17

How AI will Change Your Job with MIT Economics Professor David Autor & The Potential of Self-Supervised Learning with CSAIL PhD Student Sharut GuptaHost: Kara MillerPart One: MIT Economics Professor David Autor says that AI is “not like a calculator where you just punch in the numbers and get the right answer. It's much harder to figure out how to …

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How a 160-Year-Old Startup Uses AI: The Heineken Company’s Ronald den Elzen 28:54

6M ago28:54

28:54

After trying his luck at the stock market, Ronald den Elzen, pursued a career in technology leadership instead. Today, as the chief technology and digital officer of The Heineken Company, he encourages his team to think about the legacy beverage company as a 160-year-old startup with global scale, operating with multiple brands in more than 80 mark…

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The Revolutionary Potential of AI with CSAIL Professor Manolis Kellis 43:32

6M ago43:32

43:32

Have we achieved Artificial General Intelligence? MIT CSAIL Professor Manolis Kellis argues yes. Computers can do nearly every intellectual task that humans are capable of and are rapidly tackling the physical tasks. What does this mean for the future of AI integration, regulation, and development? Hear Professor Kellis’ ideas about how businesses …

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Collective Learning With Generative AI 30:52

7M ago30:52

30:52

Over the past year, we’ve seen generative AI explode. In this episode, we review insights shared with us from five prior guests — from Microsoft, GitHub, Meta, Partnership on AI, and NASA — and consider what’s changed, what’s the same, and what new concerns organizations face. With GenAI tools becoming ubiquitous and democratized, organizations gra…

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Leveling the Playing Field With AI: Special Olympics's Mary Davis 38:28

8M ago38:28

38:28

Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics, wants the people she represents to “have a seat at the table” as AI evolves. In this episode of the Me, Myself, and AI podcast, Davis talks about her organization’s mission along with the growing role of AI and how it’s crucial to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities — a group often ove…

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AI’s Bias in Predictive Healthcare with Associate Professor Marzyeh Ghassemi 31:33

8M ago31:33

31:33

Associate Professor Marzyeh Ghassemi discusses why, despite its tremendous potential for good, AI must be approached with caution, especially in high risk areas like healthcare. Biases in training data can perpetuate real-world inequalities, providers might rely too much on potentially faulty AI, and tools created for one demographic might not nece…

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Bonus Episode: Lessons From Jobs in the Age of AI 26:24

8M ago26:24

26:24

On Sept. 4, 2024, Me, Myself, and AI host Sam Ransbotham moderated a panel discussion at a Georgetown University/World Bank event, Jobs in the Age of AI. Afterward, he interviewed keynote speaker Carl Benedikt Frey, Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI and Work at the Oxford Internet Institute, and panelist Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s chief eco…

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Sharing AI Mistakes: Partnership on AI’s Rebecca Finlay 41:26

8M ago41:26

41:26

Rebecca Finlay, CEO of Partnership on AI (PAI), believes that artificial intelligence poses risks — and that organizations should learn from one another and help others avoid the same hazards by disclosing the mistakes they’ve made in implementing the technology. In this episode, Rebecca discusses the nonprofit’s work supporting the responsible use…

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AI in Healthcare with UCSD Prof. Karandeep Singh & Robot Conversations with CSAIL Prof. Andreea Bobu 43:41

9M ago43:41

43:41

This month’s podcast is a double feature. First up, Associate Professor and Chief Health AI Officer at the University of California San Diego Karandeep Singh explains the reality of using artificial intelligence for medicine. Professor Singh extrapolates on what works, what doesn’t, and how some challenges are social rather than technical.Plus, MIT…

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The Risks of Too Much AI: Fortune’s Jeremy Kahn 35:12

9M ago35:12

35:12

Jeremy Kahn’s investigation into the risks and effects of artificial intelligence are reflected in a new book, Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future. But he has also written extensively about the technology in his role as Fortune magazine’s AI editor. On today’s episode, he joins Sam and Shervin to share the insights on AI that …

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Never Too Much AI: Upwork's Andrew Rabinovich 36:37

9M ago36:37

36:37

Andrew Rabinovich began his career in technology working on AI applications for cancer detection. He also spent time at Google, working on early iterations of products like Google Glass. Now at Upwork, as vice president and head of AI and machine learning, Rabinovich and his team are working to enhance the digital labor platform’s capabilities with…

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How companies can rebuild trust around data with Danny Weitzner 29:58

9M ago29:58

29:58

Founding Director of the MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative CSAIL Senior Research Scientist Daniel Weitzner says a lack of visibility about how personal data is being used is leading to an erosion of customer trust. However, companies increasingly need to leverage data for analytic advantage, generative AI applications, and more. His research …

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Ethically Sourced Creativity: Shutterstock's Alessandra Sala 36:50

10M ago36:50

36:50

Alessandra Sala, senior director of data science and AI at Shutterstock, brings an impressive background in responsible AI to her role. Also the global president of Women in AI and cochair of the Women4Ethical AI platform at UNESCO, Alessandra joins this episode to describe how Shutterstock, widely known as a stock photo company, has become a go-to…

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Meet Your New Teammate, AI: Asana’s Saket Srivastava 35:17

10M ago35:17

35:17

Saket Srivastava, CIO at work management platform Asana, has had technology roles at organizations such as General Electric, IBM, and Fujitsu, moving from back-end IT services positions to more strategic business leadership roles. Asana has already been working with artificial intelligence for several years, Saket notes, and has seen the technology…

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How AI can help with financial decision making with Professor Andrew Lo 36:23

11M ago36:23

36:23

Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management and CSAIL Andrew Lo believes AI can help everyday consumers make important financial decisions by democratizing access to quality finance advice. His research aims to address the challenges of deploying AI in finance by, for example, answering questions around responsibility and engaging wi…

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Hype vs. Reality: the Current State of AI with Arvind Narayanan 33:29

12M ago33:29

33:29

Princeton Professor Arvind Narayanan, author of "AI Snake Oil," sheds light on the stark contrast between the public perception and actual capabilities of AI. In this podcast, he explores the significant gap between the excitement surrounding AI and its current limitations. Find out more about CSAIL Alliances, as well as a full transcript of this p…

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Feed Drop: Why Only 10% of Companies Succeed With AI With Sam Ransbotham, Professor at Boston College 45:28

12M ago45:28

45:28

In the time before Me, Myself, and AI returns for Season 10, we're pleased to bring you a special episode from our friends at the Modern CTO podcast. Read the episode transcript here. From Modern CTO: Today we’re talking to Sam Ransbotham, professor at Boston College. Sam shares with us the reason that the vast majority of companies are falling beh…

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Understanding Generative AI with Stefanie Mueller 10:11

12M ago10:11

10:11

Associate Professor Stefanie Mueller, who leads the Human-Computer Interaction group at CSAIL, discusses her groundbreaking research using generative AI for 3D applications. Specifically she explains how generative AI can be combined with mechanical simulation to create stable and personalized 3D models. Find out more about CSAIL Alliances, as well…

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Reimagining Software Design with Daniel Jackson 37:48

1y ago37:48

37:48

MIT Professor Daniel Jackson, associate director of CSAIL and the author of The Essence of Software, argues that if your design is flawed, so is your product. In this podcast, Prof. Jackson shares some cases where software design makes or breaks big companies and what can be done to improve software design in the future. Find out more here: cap.csa…

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Building Connections Through Open Research: Meta’s Joelle Pineau 33:35

1y ago33:35

33:35

Joelle Pineau’s curiosity led her to pursue a doctorate in engineering with a focus on robotics, which she describes as her “gateway into AI.” As vice president of AI research at Meta, Joelle leads a team committed to openness in the service of high-quality research, responsible AI development, and community contribution. In this episode, Joelle, w…

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Authoring Creativity With AI: Researcher Patrick Hebron 29:52

1y ago29:52

29:52

If you’ve played with Photoshop’s Generative Fill feature or worked in Nvidia’s Omniverse platform, you’ve touched tools that Patrick Hebron’s work has made possible. A dual major in philosophy and film production, Patrick approaches creative pursuits with a deep curiosity and the belief that if a “tool gets used in exactly the way that we anticipa…

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When is the right time to use AI in business? 29:21

1y ago29:21

29:21

This week on the CSAIL Alliances Podcast we’re joined by George Westerman, a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Founder of the Global Opportunity Initiative. Westerman discusses the future of AI, the opportunities it presents, as well as some potential pitfalls. Find out more about CSAIL Alliances, as well as a full transcrip…

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If 10% of the World Were Developers: GitHub’s Mario Rodriguez 28:47

1y ago28:47

28:47

When Mario Rodriguez emigrated from Cuba to the United States at age 14 with his parents — a university professor, and a teacher turned electrical engineer — they had already instilled in him the value of education and a love of learning. That passion has guided him throughout his career — as a program manager with Microsoft; then as part of GitHub…

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“Generative AI: Is it copying or creating?” Special Crossover Episode from the Click Here Podcast 24:34

1y ago24:34

24:34

Today’s generative AI programs know how to write, compose music, and even create works of art. But it learned to do so by training on data made by human creators without asking their permission. As independent artists and giant media companies bring their cases to court, the question is: will all this fundamentally change the human-AI relationship?…

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AI Hype and Skepticism: Economist Paul Romer 29:19

1y ago29:19

29:19

Paul Romer once considered himself the most optimistic economist. He rightfully predicted that technology would blow up as an economic driver coming out of the inflation of the 1970s but acknowledges he did not foresee the inequality that technology advances would lead to. On this episode, Paul shares his views on AI advances and their implications…

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What's keeping two cybersecurity researchers up at night with Srini Devadas and Vinod Vaikuntanathan 24:28

1y ago24:28

24:28

MIT CSAIL Professors Srini Devadas and Vinod Vaikuntanathan join the CSAIL Alliances Podcast for a conversation about cybersecurity, addressing topics from federated protocols, the importance of data-driven approaches, and how quantum computing could change the landscape. Find out more about Professor Devadas, Professor Vaikuntanathan and CSAIL All…

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Lights, AI, Action: Wonder Dynamics's Tye Sheridan 27:43

1y ago27:43

27:43

Actor Tye Sheridan may not consider himself a technology expert, but his knowledge of visual effects (VFX) processes led him to cofound AI-driven startup Wonder Dynamics. With the company’s new product, Wonder Studio, creators can upload 2D video and transform it into 3D animations at a fraction of the cost of the motion-capture animation process t…

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Fashioning the Perfect Fit With AI: Stitch Fix’s Jeff Cooper 37:17

1+ y ago37:17

37:17

Jeff Cooper parlayed his interest in neuroscience and human behavior into a career in data science and today works as a senior data science director for online retail subscription service Stitch Fix. Jeff joins Me, Myself, and AI to share how the company pairs human employees with intelligent technologies to keep up with customer preferences while …

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Solving Real User Problems With Generative AI: Slack’s Jackie Rocca 33:22

1+ y ago33:22

33:22

Like many product leaders in the technology space, Jackie Rocca took a somewhat circuitous path to that role. After beginning her career in management consulting with Bain, she earned her MBA at Stanford and then worked at Google, where she helped launch YouTube TV. Now, she serves as vice president of product at Slack, where she focuses on the col…

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How Corporate Leaders Should Think About Cybersecurity with Andy Ellis and Amy Herzog 37:24

1+ y ago37:24

37:24

On this episode of the CSAIL Alliances Podcast, hear from industry experts Andy Ellis (former Chief Security Officer at Akamai) and Amy Herzog (Chief Information Security Officer, Ads & Devices at Amazon) about what companies should be focused on in a changing security landscape. Ellis and Herzog discuss the role of AI, the future of security, and …

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Driving Manufacturing Efficiency With AI: Pirelli’s Daniele Petecchi 25:30

1+ y ago25:30

25:30

Daniele Petecchi didn’t realize how complex the process of producing tires was until he joined Pirelli, a company that’s been in the business of manufacturing tires for more than 150 years. But now, as head of data management and AI, he’s focused on leveraging the company’s wealth of data to meet the stringent technical, quality, and performance re…

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Bonus Episode: How Can Organizations Better Measure and Manage Artificial Intelligence? 21:06

1+ y ago21:06

21:06

On this bonus episode, we head to the World Bank offices in Washington, D.C., where hosts Sam and Shervin joined organizers Jonathan Timmis and Timothy DeStefano from the World Bank and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business for the day-long conference, “How is Artificial Intelligence Transforming Firms?” in December 2023. In our fina…