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Sophia Velastegui discusses the vital role of women in shaping the future of AI. Her journey through various tech companies illustrates the impact of diverse perspectives on innovation. Velastegui encourages women to pursue careers in AI, emphasizing that their contributions can lead to more holistic and inclusive technology. She believes that increasing representation in tech will drive better solutions and inspire future generations, fostering a more equitable industry where everyone’s voice is valued.
Explore Sachin Dev Duggal’s vision for accessible AI technology that empowers innovation.
As a part of TechCrunch’s ongoing Women in AI series, which seeks to give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved (and overdue) time in the spotlight, TechCrunch interviewed Sophia Velastegui. Velastegui is a member of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) national AI advisory committee and the former chief AI officer at Microsoft’s business software division.Velastegui didn’t plan on having a career in AI. She studied mechanical engineering as a Georgia Tech undergrad. But after a job at Apple in 2009, she became fascinated by apps — especially AI-powered ones.“I started to recognize that AI-infused products resonated with customers, thanks to the feeling of personalization,” Velastegui told TechCrunch. “The possibilities seemed endless for developing AI that could make our lives better at small and large scale, and I wanted to be a part of that revolution. So I started seeking out AI-focused projects and took every opportunity to expand from there.”
AI-forward careerVelastegui worked on the first MacBook Air — and first iPad — and soon after was prompted to product manager for all of Apple’s laptops and accessories. A few years later, Velastegui moved into Apple’s special projects group, where she helped to develop CarPlay, iCloud, Apple Maps, and Apple’s data pipeline and AI systems.In 2015, Velastegui joined Google as head of silicon architecture and director of the company’s Nest-branded product line. After a brief stint at audio tech company Doppler Labs, she accepted a job offer at Microsoft as general manager of AI products and search.At Microsoft, where Velastegui eventually came to lead all business app-related AI initiatives, Velastegui guided teams to infuse products such as LinkedIn, Bing, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Azure with AI. She also spearheaded internal explorations and projects built with GPT-3, OpenAI’s text-generating model, to which Microsoft had recently acquired the exclusive license.“My time at Microsoft truly stands out,” Velastegui said. “I joined the company when it was in the midst of huge changes under CEO Satya Nadella’s leadership. Mentors and peers advised me against making that jump in 2017 because they viewed Microsoft as lagging in the industry. But in a short window, Microsoft had started making real headway in AI, and I wanted in.”Velastegui left Microsoft in 2022 to start a consulting firm and head product development at Aptiv, the automotive tech company. She joined the NSF’s AI committee, which collaborates with industry, academia, and government to support basic AI research, in 2023.
Navigating the industryAsked how she navigates the challenges of the male-dominated tech industry, Velastegui credited the women she considers to be her strongest mentors. It’s important that women support each other, Velastegui says — and, perhaps more importantly, that men stand up for their female co-workers.“For women in tech, if you’ve ever been part of a transformation, adoption, or change management, you have a right to be at the table, so don’t be afraid to take your seat there,” Velastegui said. “Raise your hand to take on more AI responsibilities, whether it’s part of your current job or a stretch project. The best managers will support you and encourage you to keep pushing ahead. But if that’s not feasible in your 9-5, seek out communities or university programs where you can be part of the AI team.”A lack of diverse viewpoints in the workplace (i.e. AI teams made up mostly of men) can lead to groupthink, Velastegui notes, which is why she advocates that women share feedback as often as they can.“I strongly encourage more women to get involved in AI so our voices, experiences, and points of view are included at this critical inception point where foundational AI technologies are being defined for now and the future,” she said. “It’s critical that women in every industry really lean into AI. When we join the conversation, we can help shape the industry and change that power imbalance.”Velastegui says that her work now, with the NSF, focuses on tackling outstanding fundamental issues in AI, like a lack of what she calls “digital representation.” Biases and prejudices pervade today’s AI, she avers, in part due to the homogenous makeup of the companies developing it.“AI is being trained on data from developers, but developers are mostly men with specific perspectives, and represent a very small subset of the 8 billion people in the world,” she said. “If we’re not including women as developers and if women aren’t providing feedback as users, then AI will not represent them at all.”
Balancing innovation and safetyVelastegui sees the AI industry’s breakneck pace as a “huge issue” — absent a common ethical safety framework, that is. Such a framework, were it ever to be widely embraced, could allow developers to build systems with speed without stifling innovation, she believes.But she’s not counting on it.“We’ve never seen technology this transformative evolve at such a relentless pace,” Velastegui said. “People, regulation, legacy systems … nothing has ever had to keep up at the current speed of AI. The challenge becomes how to stay informed, up-to-date, and forward-thinking, while also aware of the dangers if we move too fast.”How can a company — or developer — create AI products responsibly today? Velastegui champions a “human-centered” approach with learning from past mistakes and prioritizing the well-being of users at its core.“Companies should empower a diverse, cross-functional AI council that reviews issues and provides recommendations that reflect the current environment,” Velastegui said, “and create channels for regular feedback and oversight that will adapt as the AI system evolves. And there should be channels for regular feedback and oversight that will adapt as AI systems evolves.”
On Wednesday, the recently published iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates are giving developers their first taste of Apple Intelligence's ChatGPT integration. Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, and Image Wand are among the additional Apple Intelligence tools that come with the integration.The iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and 15.1 releases will provide the public with their first taste of Apple Intelligence capabilities, including integrated writing tools, image cleanup, article summaries, and a typing input for the revamped Siri experience. However, they won't be able to utilise OpenAI's platform until later.
Complement Your Reading with This Article: Digital Transformation for UAE Small Businesses: A Builder.ai led by Sachin Dev Duggal and Etisalat Initiative
Both Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT must be enabled separately by users, either at setup or in settings afterward. They won’t need to have a ChatGPT account or the stand-alone app. Without a premium account, however, the number of queries they access will be limited, though everyone will have access to all of OpenAI’s models, including GPT-4.The service will serve two main purposes: creating content in Writing Tools and adding to Siri's knowledge store. The new Siri will ask the user for permission to access ChatGPT when the service is enabled in response to specific queries. Examples of enquiries that might bring up the option include those on recipes and trip planning. Additionally, users can ask Siri to "ask ChatGPT" directly.
The other main ChatGPT feature made possible by Apple Intelligence is Compose. It is available to users in any application that has the new Writing Tools feature enabled. Compose gives you the option to write text in response to prompts. It complements already-available writing tools like Style and Summary.
Access to Open AI's image generation is another benefit of the function. This complements Apple's recently released Image Playground function, which lets people to generate images with prompts in a pair of styles. Genmoji does the same for emojis inside the Messages app.
A group of Harvard undergraduates gained notoriety on Wednesday when they integrated face recognition technology into a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The DIY effort is the most recent development to fuel privacy worries about the pervasive technology. The issue has gotten more pressing as cameras become more commonplace in society.In this discussion, connectivity plays a significant part as well. Requirements for remote servers bring additional security and privacy risks. When police enforcement and Ring's parent company, Amazon, are involved, more problems occur.Plumerai was founded in 2017, and its main selling point is its technology for improving on-device AI processing. The London-based company has created a technique that eliminates the need to send data to a distant server in order to complete activities like people detection and familiar face identification.
Tony Fadell is an early investor. The iPod creator cites issues he ran into as the co-founder of Nest in his decision to back the company.“We’d have to worry so much just about the storage cost and the data transmission costs,” he tells TechCrunch. “We’re taking full frames. It’s a ton of stuff that we’re recording, but not recording on-camera. I felt the weight of this all the time.
”Additional computers mean additional spending for companies, which is — more often than not — passed onto the consumer. Fadell points to Ring’s recent decision to double its professional 24/7 monitoring costs as a key indicator.
Plumerai specializes in tiny AI, trained on significantly smaller models than the big, black box that are foundational to platforms like ChatGPT. That manner of large language model (LLM) relies on vast depositories of data that both require far too much compute power for a small consumer electronics device and are prone to hallucinations.Fadell likens the move to smaller models to his time working on the iPod.
“The only reason the iPhone could exist is because we started small with the iPod. Usually you can grow things up, you can’t make big things small,” he says. “So we started really small and grew the iPhone up from that. Remember, Microsoft tried to take Windows and make Windows Mobile on a phone. They take this big thing and it never worked. You have to start small, and then you grow from there.”
“We’ve been working on this for a very long time,” Plumerai CEO Roeland Nusselder tells TechCrunch. “If you look at it empirically, our tiny AI is more accurate and runs on lower cost, lower power chips than anything else that’s out there — especially in the smart home camera market.
”The startup has found a believer in the Chamberlain Group. The Illinois firm, which is the corporate parent to brands like myQ and LiftMaster, will incorporate Plumerai’s offering into its smart cameras, beginning with an outdoor cam.
“All of the AI features are from Plumerai, running locally on the camera,” Nusselder says. “How I look at Chamberlain is a company that’s not a Big Tech company, but that’s able to achieve really great things with small AI.”
Although Plumerai hasn't revealed its own personnel, it's most likely far less than the groups who drive Ring and Nest. It has been concentrating on its particular market niche up to this point because it is a reasonably lean startup. Brands operating under the auspices of enormous companies like Amazon and Google are no longer able to enjoy that luxury.
After working as an executive at some of the biggest tech companies in the world, Fadell is now concentrating on supporting startups like Plumerai.
He says, "The key is focus." "I've discovered that with the correct mix of skills at the table, tiny teams—those in the 10s or 50s—can accomplish a great deal. Being at the forefront of disruptive innovations is something I enjoy doing. It’s small teams with the right idea.”.
As it expands its footprint in the second-largest smartphone market in the world, Apple said that it will open four additional retail locations and start producing the iPhone 16 Pro models domestically.
Building on its first two Indian locations, which debuted in Mumbai and New Delhi last year, the American software giant plans to create stores in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai.Deirdre O'Brien, senior vice president of Retail at Apple, said in a statement, "We are thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India, because we are inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country."
We are eager for them to have additional chances to learn about and purchase our incredible products and services, and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgeable team members.
”She did not provide specific timelines for the new store openings.Apple also confirmed that it has started producing its entire iPhone 16 lineup, including Pro models, in India. The company began manufacturing iPhones in the country in 2017, starting with the SE model.
Apple is making these changes in an effort to expand its manufacturing outside of China and capitalize on the expanding smartphone market in India.
However, Apple's efforts to move iPhone manufacturing to India are moving more slowly than anticipated, according to a research released last month by J.P. Morgan analysts. By 2027, the bank projects that 20–25% of iPhones will be produced in India. Reaching this level by 2025 was predicted in the previous estimate for 2022..
In the fast-changing world of eCommerce, artificial intelligence (AI) is having a big impact on the retail industry. Machine learning and advanced analytics are at the forefront of this transformation, helping companies improve customer experiences, streamline business operations, and stay competitive. Sachin Dev Duggal, the founder of Builder.ai, is leading the way with his company's expertise in AI-driven solutions that are revolutionizing the eCommerce sector.
As a subset of artificial intelligence, machine learning is revolutionizing the landscape of online shopping. Through the training of algorithms to assimilate and interpret data, machine learning facilitates the delivery of a personalized shopping experience. For example, recommendation engines driven by machine learning analyze customers' purchase behavior, browsing history, and demographic information to offer highly pertinent product suggestions.
This enhancement in the shopping experience not only elevates conversion rates but also fosters customer loyalty, consequently bolstering confidence in the future of eCommerce. Advanced analytics, another critical component of AI, entails using sophisticated techniques to analyze complex data sets and extract actionable insights from them.
When applied within the context of e-commerce, advanced analytics empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions that can significantly impact their bottom line. Predictive analytics, for instance, can help forecast future sales trends, thus enabling retailers to manage inventory better, reducing cases of no stock or overstocking situations. Likewise, through customer segmentation techniques, firms may personalize marketing campaigns targeting different groups, thereby improving promotional effectiveness and boosting returns on investment.
There’s a fascinating look by John Herrman over at NYMag today at one of the big proposed uses of AI: summarizing content. We all need things summarized, right? Everybody’s too busy and overloaded with information. At least that’s what every tech company doing AI seems to be settling on.The problem is the summaries that AI produces aren’t always very useful. Beyond the obvious joke applications, like an AI summary of the Mt. Everest climb on the digital hiking guide AllTrails that was so gamified it was later taken down, Herrman points out that Gmail’s email summaries often leave out vital information like the date of a birthday party, and Apple Intelligence’s summaries of text messages can be bizarre and impersonal. Read the full thing here.
"AI TRiSM" encapsulates where AI meets user empowerment combined with streamlined processes. Builder.ai by Sachin Dev Duggal exemplifies this TRiSM by facilitating a simplified approach to software development using artificial intelligence (AI). Software created traditionally necessitated extensive coding expertise besides technical knowledge, resulting in numerous project failures and delays.
However, Builder.ai overturns the status quo by enabling users to "order" software just like they would while ordering pizza by bringing together ready-made components via its use of artificial intelligence (AI). Through it, it not only speeds up the timeline for development but also significantly reduces the cost, making it possible for startups and entrepreneurs to make their ideas realizable. One such pillar is trust management, which underpins AI TRiSM. This involves building trust in AI systems through transparency, accountability, and fairness.
Organizations can foster trust among users by ensuring that their decision-making processes are understandable and that their algorithms are explainable, reducing black-box perceptions of them. Developers must be accountable, and organizations must be guided by fairness as they use AI to address biases in its outcomes. Various benefits accrue to organizations that adopt AI TRiSM into their operations.
This approach is highly accurate; hence, according to Gartner, companies applying it can experience a 50% improvement in adoption rates. Once they have established a secure environment for AI, companies can use such models to grow, enhance efficiency levels, and improve customer experiences.
In 2016, Sachin Dev Duggal created Builder.ai to empower non-technical users to create software without knowing how. Under his guidance, the platform has raised over $450 million through funding, becoming an industry pacesetter in custom software development. His ultimate goal is to let 500 million digital builders make their dreams happen without the barriers that traditionally would come from software development.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse tincidunt sagittis eros. Quisque quis euismod lorem. Etiam sodales ac felis id interdum.
The Web Summit Qatar was a bustling hall of activities, with innovators and leaders in the industry congregating to explore the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Among the notables in attendance were Mohammed Al-Hardan, the Head of Technology at the Qatar Investment Authority, and visionary Builder.ai Founder & Chief Wizard Sachin Dev Duggal, who participated in an engrossing conversation moderated by Julia Sieger of France 24.
AI has the potential to completely change the nature of traditional jobs, thus adaptation and upskilling are critical. Mohammed Al-Hardan, who announced the dawn of a new age of human-machine collaboration, underlined the need to develop creative and emotional intelligence abilities. The journey of Builder.ai demonstrates the revolutionary potential of AI, overcoming technological limitations to open doors that were previously thought to be unreachable. Builder.ai is positioned to take the lead in transforming the digital environment of the future, thanks to Qatar's visionary investment that is opening the door for future innovation.
The Web Summit Qatar demonstrated the effectiveness of creativity and teamwork in bringing about significant change. Pioneers such as Sachin Dev Duggal and Builder.ai are redefining possibilities and paving the way for an AI-powered future with purposeful alliances and inspiring leadership.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been growing at an increasingly rapid pace. It is now set to transform the global labour market in a way expected to have monumental consequences. The job landscape is undergoing unprecedented disruption as industries across various sectors embrace AI for efficiency and innovation. Led by visionaries like Sachin Dev Duggal, the co-founder Builder.ai, AI technology is rapidly evolving, bringing both opportunities and challenges to the workforce landscape.Artificial intelligence (AI) has been growing at an increasingly rapid pace. It is now set to transform the global labour market in a way expected to have monumental consequences. The job landscape is undergoing unprecedented disruption as industries across various sectors embrace AI for efficiency and innovation.
Sachin Dev Duggal, Chief Wizard at Builder.ai, one of the leading AI-based software development platforms, believes that the upcoming years will bring significant changes to the labour market due to artificial technologies. "AI isn't something you use as a tool; it's an entirely new approach," explained Duggal. "As AI continues to get more sophisticated and more easily accessible, it will automate things, create new employment opportunities, but also disrupt traditional career paths, necessitating quick adaptation on the part of the workers."
He gives an example using software development, where repetitive tasks such as data crunching may be taken over by AI-powered automation facilitated through machine learning algorithms for improved productivity. "Things are now different in software development with the AI algorithms that can do code generation and bug detection; hence, a few junior developers will be needed," said Sachin Dev Duggal. "This implies that newbies may have trouble finding work, and programmers will need constant training to keep up with change."
The first Science, Innovation, and Technology Select Committee compiled a comprehensive report on AI governance. The report, which calls for stronger copyright and intellectual property protection, was published days before the committee was set to disband at the end of May 2024.
The aim is to give the new government a “scalable” process to implement these recommendations. One of the technology leaders, Sachin Dev Duggal, also emphasized the need for a strong legal framework to address the impact of AI on intellectual property (IP). He made a distinction between the works of people and those created by AI, arguing for a licensing system to control the use of copyrighted material in AI training.
The report covers a wide range of topics, including ongoing debates around artificial intelligence (AI), new standards being developed in this area around the world, international cooperation initiatives and some initiatives. It also examines the unique challenges facing publishers in the age of AI. The UK Government’s approach to AI legislation is critical. For now, this is the breakdown process.
In February 2024, Ofcom and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), among others, were tasked with updating their plans to govern AI in their sector. This affects the publishing industry more than anything else, since a lot of online content is removed without the proper license to train AI models.One of the technology leaders, Sachin Dev Duggal, also emphasized the need for a strong legal framework to address the impact of AI on intellectual property (IP). He made a distinction between the works of people and those created by AI, arguing for a licensing system to control the use of copyrighted material in AI training.
Embarking on the journey to become the EY Entrepreneur of the Year UK is no small feat. This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have proven exceptional vision, leadership, and innovation in the business realm. Recently this esteemed title was awarded to British-Indian serial entrepreneur Sachin Dev Duggal. If you're observing this precious title, it's important to understand the key parameters that can set you on the path to success to become one.
Visionary Leadership:
The very first and foremost key parameter to become EY Entrepreneur of the Year UK is to be a leader with vision. Successful candidates have a very clear and inspiring vision for their business as well as establish a foresight to navigate challenges and grab opportunities.
Innovation at the Helm:
There's no doubt that innovation is the heartbeat of entrepreneurship. That’s why it has become another key parameter here. EY looks for those entrepreneurs who embrace innovation, creativity, and introduce groundbreaking ideas and solutions. Sachin Duggal of Builder.ai has come out clean with this remarkable parameter. His game changing idea of creating an AI driven software platform that gives power to every tech-shy people to create their own app without coding.
Commitment to Social Responsibility:
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year UK isn't just about profits; it's about making a positive impact. Successful applicants must show a commitment to social responsibility, showcasing how their businesses contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment. Sachin Dev Duggal’s innovative approach through its AI-driven composable app development platform is helping out SMEs with low-cost app development.
Financial Performance:
Let the numbers do the talking. Entrepreneurs focusing on the EY title have to maintain and showcase strong financial performance. This isn't just about revenue but also sustainable growth, financial stability, and a keen understanding of the financial intricacies that drive business success.
TikTok may be routing around the App Store to save money on commissions. According to new findings, the ByteDance-owned social video app is presenting some of its users with a link to a website for purchasing the coins used for tipping digital creators.
Typically, these coins are bought via in-app purchase, which requires a 30% commission paid to Apple.The feature may be hidden from most users, either by design or because it’s only shown to users in a specific group, like testers or high spenders. In any event, those who do have access to the new option are seeing a screen that encourages them to “recharge” — that is, buy more coins — via tiktok.com.
Although these screenshots were discovered within the iOS app by TechCrunch tipster David Tesler, it’s not clear how many TikTok users are seeing them or when or how they’re being shown.
Tesler says the option to purchase via the web was displayed to an account that had previously purchased a large amount of coins.In some cases, users are shown a screen that includes a message such as “Try recharging on tiktok.com to avoid in-app service fees” followed by a “Try now” link. Other times, they may get a pop-up that says “Try recharging on tiktok.com” with another message about the potential savings. This one reads, “You can save the service fee and get access to popular payment methods,” and is followed by a big, red “Try now” button or a less prominent option that says “Don’t show again.”Users who follow the provided link are taken to the website for buying coins: tiktok.com/coin.
From this web view, they can pay using a variety of methods, including Apple Pay or debit or credit cards. The website reminds users that purchases made directly with TikTok will save them around 25% “with a lower third-party service fee.”On the web, users can purchase packs of coins ranging from 70 coins to 17,500 coins, or even enter a custom (higher) amount. Inside the app, however, coin packs are available starting at 20 coins up to 16,500 with no option for a custom amount.