Abstract: 

The hype around machine learning has reached epic levels, and many executives are eager to reap the benefits for their company. But how should they get started - and what can they learn from others' experiences?
There is little information to help managers and business executives understand and deploy machine learning in the enterprise. This is understandable for two reasons: 1) machine learning has only recently reached a point where there were enough practical applications to merit attention by managers, and 2) (in part due to 1) there have been relatively few people that have significant experience deploying machine learning in the enterprise.
In this talk, AI entrepreneur Robbie Allen shares the lessons he's learned over the past eight years deploying AI-based solutions across a variety of organizations. Attendees will learn how to:

"" Recognize patterns of success and failure with ML projects.
"" Find ML talent in a time of high demand.
"" Evaluate potential ML projects, build a project plan, and interpret results.
"" Avoid common ML project pitfalls.
"" Build systems to retain the value of an ML project after implementation.
Robbie's lessons come from his real-world experiences leading two successful AI companies. As founder and CEO of Automated Insights, he was one of the first to deploy natural language generation (NLG) solutions for customers like Yahoo! and the Associated Press. Automated Insights was acquired in 2015 by Vista Equity Partners. Now, Robbie leads a new, well-funded machine learning startup, Infinia ML, that helps organizations implement machine learning across the enterprise.
The talk will give managers and executives concrete strategies for putting machine learning into practice. Although Robbie's lessons are shaped by his technical experience, attendees won't need a programming or machine learning background.

Bio: 

Robbie Allen is the CEO of Infinia ML, a team of advanced machine learning experts focused on making business impact. The company helps Fortune 500 companies and cutting-edge startups reduce costs, increase efficiency, and achieve breakthroughs with data science. Infinia ML serves industries from manufacturing and healthcare to marketing and human resources. The company’s capabilities include natural language processing, recommendation engines, object detection, 3D image modeling, and anomaly detection.

Previously, Robbie founded and led Automated Insights, whose natural language generation software helps automate content production for The Associated Press, Yahoo!, and many others. Automated Insights was successfully acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2015, and Robbie currently serves as the company’s Executive Chairman. Before starting Automated Insights, Robbie was a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco. Robbie has authored or coauthored eight software books, owns six patents, and has spoken at a variety of conferences including the O’Reilly AI Conference, Strata, SXSW, and the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. He holds two Master’s degrees from MIT and is completing his Ph.D. in computer science at UNC-Chapel Hill.