Fueling and Riding the AI Wave with Risto Miikkulainen, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin

In this episode, we dive deep into the AI wave and the nexus between academic research and commercial applications. Joining us is Risto Miikkulainen, an esteemed computer science professor at the University of Texas at Austin and AVP of Evolutionary Intelligence at Cognizant Technology Solutions. Together, we explore the journey to the current AI boom, delve into the era of digital natives, and assess Austin's pivotal role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.Episode HighlightsThe recent explosion of progress in AI has been powered primarily by scaling up existing models with massive amounts of data and compute, rather than fundamental breakthroughs in new techniques.Unlike previous waves of technology adoption, these AI tools were in the hands of consumers before the enterprise, allowing for more fearless experimentation. In a real-world example, Jason's nine-year-old son created nonsensical prompts in Midjourney, yielding fascinating results that facilitated creative thinking and provided unique insights into the AI. The integration of AI into educational platforms like Khan Academy, along with decentralized research tools, raises the intriguing possibility of fostering 'citizen scientists.' However, there is still an open question about how fully this vision could be realized. Risto's current work specializes in using AI to create 'digital twins' of patients, enabling precise simulations to test and optimize various treatment strategies for conditions like stroke and dementia.UT Austin's new online master's programs extend its AI expertise globally while also potentially attracting more talent to Austin and aligning education with local industry needs.What’s next Austin? “We have lots of faculty and bright students who are learning about AI. Austin has a thriving startup community that hopefully will grow as a result. And one more factor is the medical school that was started. There are great opportunities, even for these large language models and generative AI in that domain. Try to encourage the AI folks and the medical folks to get together and identify these opportunities. That could be something that becomes a strength in Austin and we can become a world leader in it.”Risto Miikkulainen: Website, LinkedInConstant Therapy Health: WebsiteBoston University Center for Brain Recovery: Website AI Empowers Researchers to Bring Precision Medicine to Post-stroke Speech and Cognitive Rehabilitation -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack