The transformative power of neurodiversity and AI | EY, Neurodiversity Center of Excellence
Great minds think alike—or do they? In this episode, Susan speaks with Hiren Shukla, Global Neurodiversity and Inclusive Value Leader, Ernst & Young LLP, about how neurodiversity—the idea that there is no single “right” way for the brain to function—is a source of compressed innovation, especially as generative AI expands the ways we interact with technology. Hiren discusses the mission of the Neurodiversity Center of Excellence (NCoE) and how his work has intersected with his personal journey. He shares examples of recent projects, from designing more inclusive interview experiences to collaborating with neurodivergent developers on the user experience for Azure AI Foundry. Finally, Hiren shares advice for leaders: to learn about and embrace the innovation potential of neurodiversity: what he calls “the beautiful capacity of thinking differently.”Guest: Hiren Shukla | Ernst & Young LLP, Neurodiversity Center of Excellence (NCoE) Related: EY helps enhance the inclusivity of AI development with Azure AI Get more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure. Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts. Host: Susan Etlinger The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.
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AI and analytics on and off the basketball court | NBA
Basketball is life. And like life, it’s fast, fluid, and hard to measure. It’s about movement, split-second decisions, team dynamics, fan engagement and running a great business. In this episode, Susan talks with Charlie Rohlf about how his early days as a student manager for the legendary “Coach K” and his background in computer vision prepared him for his current role as Vice President, Stats Technology Product Development of the National Basketball Association. Charlie traces the evolution of basketball analytics from a single metric—the box score—to today’s ability to capture player pose tracking data, which enables the NBA to offer unprecedented insights to its customers, teams, and fans. Finally, Charlie shares his advice for leaders: make sure everyone understands the “why” behind everything you do.Guest: Charlie Rohlf | NBALearn more about the NBA app.Related: How the NBA is innovating with cloud and AIGet more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.Host: Susan Etlinger The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.
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The future of generative AI for scientific discovery | Microsoft Research
Most of us think of generative AI in the context of text or image generation, but it’s also a powerful tool for scientific discovery. In this episode, Susan Etlinger speaks with Ade Famoti, a senior leader on the Microsoft Research Accelerator team, about what he calls “AI’s physics moment,” and why he believes generative AI feels fundamentally different from past platform shifts. Ade shares examples of the work Microsoft Research is doing to uncover the opportunities of generative AI for materials discovery—to improve energy efficiency and carbon capture, and for drug discovery, to fight disease. Ade also highlights the role of culture in building trust, informing priorities and driving adoption of emerging technologies.Guest: Ade Famoti | Microsoft ResearchLearn more about AI and Materials Discovery.Learn more about AI for Science.Learn more about inorganic materials design.Host: Susan EtlingerGet more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure. Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.
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Innovating with generative AI in financial services | Moody's
Would it surprise you that some of the most impressive generative AI innovations are happening in older, larger, highly regulated industries such as financial services? Cristina Pieretti, GM of digital insights at Moody's, shares how her team-built Research Assistant, a first-of-its-kind search and analytical tool powered by generative AI. Since its launch in December 2023, Research Assistant is the product with the fastest adoption to date in Moody's history. Cristina shares how Moody’s considered the opportunities of generative AI, how they engaged deeply with customers during the development process, and how they centered trust from the start—all best practices for building innovative and trustworthy products.Guest: Cristina Pieretti | Moody'sLearn more about Research Assistant: How GenAI is rewiring financial servicesGet more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.Host: Susan EtlingerThe Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.
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Remixing the Coldplay fan experience with AI | Pixel Lab
“In many ways, the future of AI is how it’s going to empower people to be even more creative and even more expressive,” says Robby Ingebretsen, Founder and Creative Director of Pixel Lab. In this episode, Susan and Robby discuss the evolution of technology in the music industry—from Robby’s father’s early work in digital sound to the invention of the synthesizer—and how it parallels the AI platform shift. Robby shares a recent project they worked on with Coldplay, where they created an AI-powered fan remix experience that builds on the release of Coldplay’s new album, "MOON MUSiC," and its film compendium, "A Film For The Future." They discuss the process Pixel Lab used to map video content to user inputs, techniques to minimize energy consumption, and what Robby has learned by using generative AI to further his practice as a developer. This episode offers insights for any industry seeking to deepen engagement with its audiences.Guest: Robby Ingebretsen | Pixel LabBlog: Coldplay evolves the fan experience with Microsoft AIRelated: Building AI Solutions That Drive ValueGet more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.Host: Susan EtlingerThe Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.
The AI platform shift brings immense opportunity, but the road to success isn’t always clear. On Leading the Shift, we talk with leaders in organizations of all kinds about how they’re using data, AI, and cloud technologies to deliver meaningful, trustworthy innovation to their teams, customers, and communities. Guests share how the platform shift is affecting everything from data strategy and customer relationships to organizational structure and culture, to their own lives and career journeys. Join us for conversations about navigating the era of AI, tackling new challenges, and advice for getting started.
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