From 3D printing to Augmented Reality to Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies have become the subject of wide discussion, criticism and awe for their irrefutable ability to change the world in which we live. To better understand the explosion in AI and how to thrive in the industry, world-renowned AI expert Gregory Renard joined Julien Barbier, Chief Product Officer at ALX and The ROOM, for an engaging Fireside Chat with members of The ROOM’s tech community.
Gregory Renard and Julien Barbier are both forces to reckon with in the fields of innovation, education and technology. Gregory is a renowned expert in AI and Machine Learning, with over two decades of experience in the field. In addition to his work in academia, he is also an early investor in Holberton, founded in Silicon Valley, which African Leadership International acquired to offer ALX’s world-class Software Engineering programme. Currently, he is leading and advising on applied AI visions and strategies for highly reputable institutions, including the Social Science Matrix at UC Berkeley. His ultimate goal is to positively impact more than one billion people with knowledge discovery technologies and EdTech, with a focus on applied AI for good.
Julien is the co-founder of Holberton, and in his current role, he is driving ALX to become one of the largest software engineering programmes in the world.
In a captivating and informative session, Gregory shared his thoughts on the latest developments of OpenAI’s GPT-3, DALL-E as well as AI systems from Google and Nvidia. He highlighted the impact of these emerging technologies, especially in terms of the future of education, and how we can exploit them to augment ourselves.
Here are our top takeaways from their Fireside Chat.
Education is The Key
“I’m in love with education, and considering the direction civilisation is headed in now, I believe that education is part of the solution. Cognitive and physical tasks will be disrupted more and more, and to embrace this, we must do so through education”.
Technology Is About Solving Problems For People
“My career journey has revealed to me that I don’t care about technology so much as I care about solving problems for people, helping them to grow and using technology to empower them. The goal is to make sure that technology is not only in the hands of a few like me, but can be in the hands of everyone.”
Master the Basics
“Master the basics of Software Engineering if you want to go into AI. That is why I personally decided to come back to coding more often. Today, I think I am spending between 50% to 80% of my time coding myself because I cannot lead my team if I do not understand everything deeply.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
“Get out of your comfort zone and become aware of everything happening in the field of technology, because what you do today, a machine may be able to do better tomorrow.”
Embrace Technology
“Create your own future with technology. Understand how you can work with technology and do all jobs better with machines.”
Try New Things
“Trying new things makes you a better person and makes you grow. I’m not smarter than anyone here; I just started super early and made thousands of mistakes, but I learned from them.”
Fail Fast, Learn, and Move Forward
“Don’t just listen to classes…practice, practice, practice. Just like martial arts, when you are starting out in tech, you may not want to continue because your body is in pain and not used to it, but the more you do it, the better you get.”
Use Machines to Augment Yourself and Save Time
“Today, what you do may be taking 100% of your time, but with a machine you can do it within 10% of the time. What will you do the remaining 90% of the time? You can learn, rest and spend time with your family. For example, ChatGPT saves me about 30% of my time.”
Surround Yourself With the Right People
“You need to find inspiring people. This has nothing to do with jealousy; this is about gathering inspiration for where you want to go. Afterwards, decide who you want to become and contact people who are where you want to be. Never forget that you become the average of the five people you meet the most in a day. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are surrounded by people that can help you grow.”
The ROOM is home to a highly specialised network of top technology talent that will power the future. Offering incredible support and access to global career opportunities in tech, this unrivalled community propels its members into the most innovative and cutting-edge spaces. To join a passionate community of technology professionals, visit www.theroom.com today.
