#205 Nick Loui on Transforming Chaotic Data into Actionable Intelligence

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Nick Loui of PeakMetrics discusses the evolution of the internet, challenges posed by fragmented platforms, and the importance of addressing misinformation. Nick explores the dynamics of social media, particularly TikTok, and the need for companies to proactively manage their online reputation. Our conversation also covered data processing challenges, sentiment analysis, and the significance of narrative in understanding online trends.

Recording Date: 10 Oct 2024

Research Question: Nick Loui suggests an interested student or researcher examine correlating earned media impact to outcome, which is challenged due to data privacy issues. 

Resources:

• PeakMetrics
• Nick Loui on LinkedIn
• PeakMetrics narrative intelligence guide
• Harmony Labs
• Large Multimodal Models
• Okta Statement on LAPSUS$
• Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio:

Nick Loui is the Co-Founder and CEO of PeakMetrics, a leading company specializing in AI-driven narrative threat intelligence. They assist organizations in various sectors by identifying and forecasting the evolution of adversarial messages online. As concerns about social media manipulation continue to rise alongside the proliferation of generative AI, PeakMetrics’ innovative approach has gained recognition and received awards such as the NSIN COVID-19 Disinformation Challenge and the BAE Fast Labs Partner of the Year. Their technology supports a diversity of complex issues, including crisis management, financial manipulation, and countering state-sponsored propaganda.

Prior to founding PeakMetrics, Nick served as the Chief Marketing Officer of an ad-tech startup. During his time, the startup expanded from its initial hire to a team of over 80 members and secured over $70M in funding. He began his career as an engineer and digital marketer, helping Ashton Kutcher become the first person to amass a million followers on Twitter. Nick has been featured by Forbes and garnered viral attention on HackerNews and TechCrunch for his creation of "Parrot.vc," a generative AI tool that humorously targeted the VC community. Nick has held leadership positions at NEXUS, a global community dedicated to bridging the gap between individuals of wealth and social entrepreneurship, and Out in Tech, a global non-profit that supports 50k LGBTQIA+ tech workers in 32 cities.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

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