AI-podden

One of Sweden’s most popular technology podcasts that sheds light on current AI developments with guests from all sides of society.

Building AI That Actually Works 04/15/2025

Building AI That Actually Works In this week's episode, Ather chats with Magnus Hambleton, investor at byFounders and former data lead at Natural Cycles. Magnus has successfully applied transformers to improve fertility predictions in a medical setting. As an investor, he focuses on agentic AI and backs startups slightly ahead of what’s currently possible, betting on near-future model capabilities. He remains cautious about LLMs’ reliability and generalization, believing new architectures may be needed for AGI. While big tech is dominant, he sees room for startups in complex, workflow-driven applications. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/36147345

Where Science Meets AI 04/08/2025

Where Science Meets AI In this episode, Salla Franzén, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures, returns to AI-Podden to explore how AI accelerates discovery in fields like life sciences and neuroscience. She unpacks the risks of tech hype, the need for explainable, trustworthy AI, and the importance of tools that bridge disciplinary gaps. Salla also shares insights on scientific investing, technical depth, and improving EU funding processes. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/36043470

What AI Can’t Do (Yet)... 04/01/2025

What AI Can’t Do (Yet)... In this week's episode we host John Lamb, Solutions Lead AI & Analytics at TietoEvry. John emphasises that while tools like LLMs are useful for automating repetitive tasks such as code generation or data prep, they fall short when it comes to reasoning and interpreting structured data. He explains that data cleaning still dominates much of a data scientist’s time and that current AI tools, though helpful, cannot yet be trusted for end-to-end analysis. John also discusses why he believes AGI is still years away, requiring a fundamental shift in technology, and shares practical advice for using AI responsibly, underscoring the importance of human judgment in any AI-driven workflow. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35934235

AI, War, and the Human Touch 03/27/2025

AI, War, and the Human Touch In this episode, we host special guest; Senior Business and Tech Correspondent at SVT and author, Alexander Norén. We discuss how AI is transforming warfare, especially through autonomous drones and decision-making systems, as explored in his documentary AI War. Alexander also reflects on AI’s impact on jobs, arguing that human-made work will gain value in the future. The conversation ends with concerns about AI-driven misinformation and the importance of trustworthy, human-centered journalism. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35876665

The AI Revolution: Industry Disruption, Investment Shifts, and Future Challenges 03/18/2025

The AI Revolution: Industry Disruption, Investment Shifts, and Future Challenges In this episode we speak to Anders Indset, a philosopher, deep tech investor, and best-selling author. We discuss AI’s real-world impact, emphasizing Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) that optimize industry-specific data in fields like healthcare, finance, and logistics. Anders critiques Europe’s cautious investment culture, advocating for a bolder approach in AI-driven sectors. Inset stresses the need for balanced AI regulation to foster innovation while addressing global challenges like climate change. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35730465

Data, Independence and Bias: The EU AI landscape 03/11/2025

Data, Independence and Bias: The EU AI landscape In this episode we chat to Niklas Silfverström, CEO of Klang.ai, about Europe's need for AI independence. We discuss data privacy risks, the Cloud Act, and AI bias, emphasizing the need for European infrastructure and language models. Niklas highlights how relying on American AI companies threatens sovereignty, and why investing in GPUs, data centers, and energy is crucial for Europe's competitive future. He also warns that without these efforts, Europe risks becoming a mere consumer of AI rather than a leader in the field. We should note that we use Klang.ai's wonderful platform in the backend processes of AI-Podden - they make our jobs much easier. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35605530

The AI Race: GROK 3, Open-Source Wars, and the Future of AGI 03/04/2025

The AI Race: GROK 3, Open-Source Wars, and the Future of AGI In this episode, we host Anders Arpteg to discuss GROK 3’s rapid innovation, the competitive AI landscape, and the rise of Chinese models. We explore Elon Musk’s influence, AI power concentration, open-source challenges, and the Tesla Agile DNA. The conversation concludes with insights into AI reasoning, AGI development, and future challenges. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35515990

Game on with AI: How King is Levelling Up 02/06/2025

Game on with AI: How King is Levelling Up In this episode, Ather speaks to Galina Esther Shubina, Senior Director of AI Strategy at King. They discuss how AI improves gameplay and development at King through AI-powered playtesting bots. Galina is excited about robotics but sees major technical challenges ahead. On AGI, she is skeptical, predicting it won’t emerge for at least 100 years due to AI’s Game on limitations in reasoning. For 2025, she expects smaller generative models and a shift toward traditional AI methods like supervised learning, which she sees as more valuable for businesses. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/35175275

Driving AI at Volvo 01/14/2025

Driving AI at Volvo In this episode, Ather speaks to Mehrdad Mamaghani, Volvo Group’s Head of Data Science. They discuss AI’s role in predictive maintenance, financial forecasting, and sustainability. Merdad critiques the hype around AGI, emphasizing transparency and practical applications, and highlights the need for AI talent and expertise in Europe. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/34833355

AI-Podden News - December 12/24/2024

AI-Podden News - December Merry Christmas folks! This week, guest host (Sifted's) Mimi Billing and Ather discuss December's AI news updates. Highlights included Uber's entry into AI data labeling, Google DeepMind's Genie 2 for training AI in simulated environments, and Amazon's collaboration with Anthropic to develop a mega AI supercomputer. We covered the importance of new algorithms over mere scaling and the potential of agentic AI to bring advancements toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). The year saw record AI funding rounds, with Databricks leading at $10 billion, while disappointments included unmet expectations for reasoning capabilities in AI models. Looking ahead, we anticipate innovations in AI model architectures, memory integration, and task automation tools. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/34592970

AI-Podden News - November 12/10/2024

AI-Podden News - November This week, guest host (Sifted's) Mimi Billing and Ather discuss November's AI news updates. Topics include; OpenAI’s Slush presentation, which revealed both innovation and cultural challenges, and the diminishing returns of AI scaling laws. They explore the rise of specialized models, new players like Gemesis and Mistral, and OpenAI's ChatGPT search feature. The episode also examines AI’s growing role in medicine, highlighting its diagnostic potential alongside concerns about biases and reliability, while reflecting on the balance between rapid progress and persistent challenges in AI development. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/34351110

AI’s Dual Identity: Philosophy Meets Practicality 11/19/2024

AI’s Dual Identity: Philosophy Meets Practicality Christian Guttmann, Executive Director of the Nordic AI Institute, discusses AI as both a philosophical aspiration and a practical tool. He highlights applications like personalized banking recommendations and data querying with large language models but notes their limitations in reasoning and understanding. Advocating for hybrid AI models and richer data, he emphasizes the need for multimodal approaches that integrate various forms of input, such as speech and gestures, to advance AI capabilities. He also warns that Europe risks falling behind in AI development without greater investment and bold innovation. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33970342

Navigating AI Ethics and Regulation 11/05/2024

Navigating AI Ethics and Regulation This week we welcome back; Reggie Townsend, Vice President of Data Ethics at SAS Institute and member of President Biden's National AI Advisory Council. We discussed AI development and regulation in the US. He stressed balancing innovation incentives with government restraint and cited the CHIPS Act as key for AI infrastructure, though most investments are private. He highlighted that AI trustworthiness varies, suggesting risk-based assessments. Townsend underscored the importance of AI education and common standards. On regulation, he noted a risk-focused, citizen-protective approach with inevitable dissent. Lastly, he urged AI to remain a bipartisan issue, avoiding politicization similar to electricity, with current bipartisan support. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33789472

AI-Podden Live - Special Guest, Ingrid af Sandeberg 10/29/2024

AI-Podden Live - Special Guest, Ingrid af Sandeberg This episode, recorded live, at the third installment of AI-Podden live at Epicenter, features Ingrid af Sandeberg, Strategic Advisor at Epicenter and Chairman of the board at Stockholm AI. She joins Ather & Mimi on the stage to discuss AI trends and tools, including Notebook LM, highlighting the shift toward smaller, specialized models like those on Hugging Face. She emphasizes the challenges of regulating AI in rapidly evolving fields and advocates for outcome-based regulations. Despite Sweden's strong AI expertise, she notes a slow adoption rate and calls for better collaboration between AI experts, domain professionals, and regulators. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33638997

AI-Podden News - September & October 10/22/2024

AI-Podden News - September & October This episode, recorded live, is the third installment of Ather and Mimi's special news updates at Epicenter Stockholm. They discuss Elon Musk's We, Robot controversy, OpenAI's $6.6 billion funding round, and AI limitations like pattern matching. They also highlighted neurosymbolic AI’s potential, Nobel winners in machine learning, and the rapid adoption of generative AI tools, and noted the unreliability of current AI agents and the promise of Google’s Notebook LM. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33547807

AI First: How is Google Shaping the Future of Intelligence 10/02/2024

AI First: How is Google Shaping the Future of Intelligence Ted Schönbeck, Nordic CTO, Google Cloud discusses the current and future landscape of AI, emphasizing its ability to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, with machine learning allowing systems to learn independently. Google, an "AI-first" company since 2016, has integrated AI into products like Maps and Search. Schönbeck highlights recent advancements in large language models and generative AI, particularly the use of large token windows for analyzing extensive datasets and the rise of multimodal AI, which processes diverse data types like text, images, and audio. He also addresses the challenges businesses face in scaling AI, recommending fine-tuned, specialized models over generalized large ones. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33278632

Navigating the Future of Intelligent Systems 09/17/2024

Navigating the Future of Intelligent Systems This episode features special guest, Tom Sodestrom, AWS Enterprise Strategist, speaking on the latest trends in AI and edge computing. Tom shares his insights on the upcoming trends in the next 5-10 years, including the rise of generative AI, increased data volume and importance, productive edge computing, and digital twins and simulation at scale. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/33069597

AI-Podden News - July & August 09/10/2024

AI-Podden News - July & August This episode, recorded live, is the second installment of Ather and Mimi's special news updates at Epicenter Stockholm. They discuss OpenAI and concerns about its shift from research to product development, as well as AI advancements in math reasoning by DeepMind and OpenAI’s new "Strawberry" model. The hosts also touch on Sam Altman's Worldcoin project and the intersection of blockchain, crypto, and AI. Autonomous vehicle progress is covered, particularly Uber's partnership with Wave, while an AI safety issue at Sakana AI raises concerns about system control. Lastly, they explore NVIDIA's growth and share a fun AI project predicting pole vaulter Armand Duplantis’ potential record-breaking jumps. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/32988042

AI-Podden News - June 07/03/2024

AI-Podden News - June This week, guest host (Sifted's) Mimi Billing and Ather discuss June's AI news updates. Topics include Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI over a nonprofit agreement, Anthropic’s Cloud 3 outperforming ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, and major investments in Anthropic by Google and Amazon. They also cover the EU AI Act's approval, marking the first regulatory framework for AI in Europe, and the UN's resolution on ethical AI development. The resignation of Stability AI’s CEO, Emad Mostaque, is discussed in light of the company's financial struggles. The episode highlights the crowded AI startup landscape and the need for innovation. A quick reminder to everyone of our next live recording at Epicenter Stockholm on September 3rd. Sign up at: https://ai-podden-live-at-epicenter.confetti.events/ invite=896d06ea9ecd5f2d0ac122d4cefa8d50c469 Hope to see you all there! /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31984897

From NASA to AWS, Sky's the Limit with AI 06/25/2024

From NASA to AWS, Sky's the Limit with AI In this episode, Ather interviews Tom Soderstrom, AWS Enterprise Strategist, on his career and insights into innovation and generative AI. Tom shares his journey from Sweden to the US, becoming NASA’s first CTO for IT at JPL, and introducing cloud computing. He emphasises innovation through small, low-risk experiments, or “two-way door decisions,” and the formula of Return on Attention plus Return on Interest leading to Return on Investment. The discussion focuses on the potential of generative AI and the gap between excitement and practical applications. Tom encourages leaders to experiment and continuously learn, likening this to being "technology teenagers", and highlights AI's democratisation and the need for a culture of experimentation to solve real business problems. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31863667

Hybrid AI Systems: The Future of Intelligent Reasoning 06/18/2024

Hybrid AI Systems: The Future of Intelligent Reasoning In this episode, Ather interviews Lele Cau, AI research scientist at MotherBrain, part of EQT Partners. They discuss AI as a system integrating software and hardware for intelligent decision-making. Lele describes MotherBrain’s role in aiding deal professionals with data and algorithms, emphasising the importance of knowledge graphs in large language models (LLMs) for maintaining relationships and entities. Lele highlights the need for hybrid AI systems combining various information sources and explore the future of AI hardware, including quantum computing. Lele recommends the movie "Her" and books "The Beauty of Mathematics in Computer Science" and "Algorithms to Live By." /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31776037

Driving Innovation with AI 06/11/2024

Driving Innovation with AI In this episode, Ather meets Caroline Ohlsson, Data & AI Director at Verdane. Caroline explains Verdane's investment in tech-enabled companies and how her team supports them with data and AI. She discusses Verdane's use of generative AI tools like Verdain GPT and Microsoft Co-pilot to boost productivity, and shares examples of AI-driven improvements in code development and sales forecasting. Emphasizing the importance of a solid data foundation and responsible AI practices, she advises companies starting with AI to have a passionate business representatives, a data expert, and an AI owner. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31680132

LIVE at Epicenter: AI-podden News - May 06/04/2024

LIVE at Epicenter: AI-podden News - May In our first ever live recording at Epicenter Stockholm, Ather and Mimi Billing open with Kai-fu Lee's prediction that AI will take 50% of jobs by 2027 and the market's projected growth to $184 billion by 2024. Despite major investments, the profitability of large language models (LLMs) remains uncertain. OpenAI's financial success is noted, but high development costs are a concern. Privacy issues with Microsoft's new AI hardware and Google's challenges with its AI overview feature are highlighted. Ethical concerns arise from Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit threat against OpenAI for voice theft. They also discuss recent AI reasoning research and the need for more efficient training methods. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31579017

Transforming Finance with AI 05/28/2024

Transforming Finance with AI In this episode, Ather interviews Anastasia Varava, Research Lead at SEBX, SEB Banken, about AI in banking. Anastasia's work at KTH and SEB Banken focuses on machine learning, robotics, and AI applications to enhance employee efficiency, decision-making, crime prevention, and customer experience. She discusses data sensitivity, the shift to cloud services, and security measures. Anastasia sees potential in simulating financial markets with AI, combining classical computer science with deep learning, and opportunities for startups. She highlights neurosymbolic systems and recommends Chris Bishop's AI texts. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31484887

The Rise of Large Language Models 05/21/2024

The Rise of Large Language Models In this episode host Ather interviews Mikael Huss, co-founder and Principal Data Scientist at Codon. They discuss the evolution of AI, noting the shift from traditional data science to large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Mikael highlights the overshadowing of other AI applications by LLMs and generative AI. They emphasize the importance of deeply understanding business problems before applying AI solutions and the potential of open-source LLMs. The conversation also covers the challenges of causal inference in AI, the need for better explainability, and the future of artificial general intelligence (AGI). /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31395607

AI-Podden News - April 05/14/2024

AI-Podden News - April This week our guest host, Sifted's Mimi Billing and Ather discuss April's AI developments, including; implications in geopolitics and business, highlighting Microsoft's warning about AI's potential use to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea, and India. They explore China's advancements in AI, the impact of quantum computing on AI development, and recent innovations in human behaviour modeling and reasoning algorithms in large language models. The episode also touches on AI's role in the food and beverage industry, exemplified by an AI-developed coffee blend in Finland, while acknowledging the technological hurdles in mimicking human sensory experiences. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31285227

Redefining Retail with AI 05/06/2024

Redefining Retail with AI In this episode, Ather hosts guest Alex Baker, global retail strategist, entrepreneur, and Principal at Nordic Retail Hub. They discuss the evolution of AI in retail, highlighting its shift from backend applications to enhancing customer-facing experiences with technologies like dynamic pricing and personalized promotions. They also explore various AI applications that are transforming retail operations, from supply chain management to targeted advertising via retail media networks. The conversation also touches on AI's broader impact on personal productivity and corporate efficiency, underscoring the technology's potential to augment human capabilities. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/31139563

Automating Quality Assurance with AI 04/26/2024

Automating Quality Assurance with AI Ather interviews Vilhelm von Ehrenheim, co-founder and CAIO of QA Tech, discussing the use of AI in automating quality assurance for web applications. Wilhelm details how their AI agents test web functionality to ensure reliability before launch, leveraging large language models for enhanced decision-making. He also addresses the challenges of adapting AI to different platforms and anticipates future AI capabilities in broader applications, including the potential developments towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/30997603

AI in action: A real-world IT approach 04/19/2024

AI in action: A real-world IT approach In this episode, Ather interviews Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, AI director at ManageEngine, who clarifies AI's role as a practical tool for pattern recognition and productivity in IT management, rather than a threat to human jobs. Ram discusses how ManageEngine has integrated AI across their product suite since 2011 to optimize IT operations and customer service, enabling proactive management decisions. He emphasizes the evolution of AI from a hyped technology to a crucial component in streamlining business processes and enhancing decision-making capabilities within the IT sector. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/30897203

AI-podden News - March 04/10/2024

AI-podden News - March This week our guest host, Sifted's Mimi Billing and Ather discuss March's AI developments, including; Elon Musk has sued OpenAI, alleging violation of their nonprofit agreement through a Microsoft collaboration and deviation from open-source values. Concurrently, Musk introduced his open-source language model, GROK. Meanwhile, Anthropic's new AI, Cloud 3, reportedly surpasses ChatGPT and Google's Gemini in performance. The episode also covers the EU AI Act and a UN AI resolution, drawing varied perspectives on their impact. Additionally, the resignation of Stability AI's CEO and the company's financial woes post a $101 million October 2022 funding round were discussed, underlining the difficulties in AI monetization and the saturated startup landscape. /episode/index/show/dfec6a3c-cf47-4f42-b784-8ed06c2a6b81/id/30760688

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