update: Video Recording

Abstract: Generative text AI has just recently caught the public’s imagination, but the technology underlying ChatGPT has been well known in industry for years. In this talk, a former Principal Product Manager for Alexa, will demystify what generative text AI models are, what new capabilities they bring, and what risks they introduce. Using real-world examples she’ll illustrate what’s possible, and how professionals in the industry assess and mitigate risks – from user acceptance to legal compliance to ethical considerations – to get to a launchable feature or product.
Bio: Polly Allen has over 20 years experience developing software, building and leading software teams and most recently leading data science and engineering teams as a Principal Product Manager for Alexa AI at Amazon, where she led generative artificial intelligence projects (similar to ChatGPT) for Alexa. As a leader in the application of Machine Learning, she is passionate about DEI in the space and empowering more people to understand, leverage and participate in the field. She founded the world’s first AI-focused career accelerator (AI Career Boost) in November 2022, aiming to increase diversity in the AI industry. Polly is an experienced angel investor, a board member at the Center for Workforce Inclusion Labs, and futurist keynote speaker. She holds a M.Sc. in Software Engineering from MIT and the University of Victoria, and an MBA from the University of British Columbia.