ChatADS

ChatADS host Daniel Truesdale chats with Nicole Janeway Bills, Founder & CEO of Data Strategy Professionals, to explore how AI is transforming the way organizations operate, and why technology alone isn't enough to drive successful adoption.Nicole shares her perspective on data strategy, governance, organizational culture, and the growing gap between AI capabilities and organizational readiness. Together, they discuss why AI doesn't fail like humans do, the importance of experimentation, how governance must evolve alongside AI, and what skills will matter most in an increasingly automated world.Whether you're a data professional, student, or simply curious about the future of work, this conversation offers practical insights into navigating one of the biggest technological shifts of our time.

In Part 2 of their conversation, MS in Applied Data Science instructor Batu Gundogdu and host Daniel Truesdale explore some of the biggest questions surrounding the future of artificial intelligence. The discussion covers Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the race between leading AI companies, the push for smaller and more efficient models, and whether AI could one day surpass human capabilities across multiple domains. They also examine the challenge of defining intelligence, the possibility of truly original AI-generated ideas, and what may continue to distinguish humans from machines.

In this Faculty Spotlight conversation, Batu Gundogdu traces the evolution of AI from early machine learning research and speech processing to today's large language models and emerging world models. Along the way, he discusses how AI has changed over the last decade, what may come next, and how foundational concepts continue to shape modern systems.Batu also shares lessons from his first AI consulting projects, including how to identify real business problems, communicate across disciplines, and create value with machine learning. The conversation explores career growth, learning through failure, and why adaptability is one of the most important skills in a rapidly changing field.

AI assistants are starting to do more than answer questions; they’re beginning to take action. In this episode of ChatADS, MS in Applied Data Science alumna Hailey Kleban joins Daniel to discuss Resy’s new integration with Claude, the future of agentic AI in restaurant booking, and the real-world challenges of balancing automation, security, and human oversight.

Students from the University of Chicago's MS in Applied Data Science program share how they built a real-time crypto trading system for their Real Time Intelligent Systems class, and what they learned about volatility, model performance, and decision-making in fast-moving markets.Explore the project here on GitHub: https://github.com/shreyast36/nexus-trading