Johannes Otterbach — Unlocking ML for Traditional Companies

Johannes Otterbach — Unlocking ML for Traditional Companies

Author: Lukas Biewald May 12, 2022 Duration: 44:50

Johannes Otterbach is VP of Machine Learning Research at Merantix Momentum, an ML consulting studio that helps their clients build AI solutions.

Johannes and Lukas talk about Johannes' background in physics and applications of ML to quantum computing, why Merantix is investing in creating a cloud-agnostic tech stack, and the unique challenges of developing and deploying models for different customers. They also discuss some of Johannes' articles on the impact of NLP models and the future of AI regulations.

Show notes (transcript and links): http://wandb.me/gd-johannes-otterbach

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⏳ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:04 Quantum computing and ML applications

9:21 Merantix, Ventures, and ML consulting

19:09 Building a cloud-agnostic tech stack

24:40 The open source tooling ecosystem

30:28 Handing off models to customers

31:42 The impact of NLP models on the real world

35:40 Thoughts on AI and regulation

40:10 Statistical physics and optimization problems

42:50 The challenges of getting high-quality data

44:30 Outro

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Connect with Johannes:

📍 LinkedIn: https://twitter.com/jsotterbach

📍 Personal website: http://jotterbach.github.io/

📍 Careers at Merantix Momentum: https://merantix-momentum.com/about#jobs

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💬 Host: Lukas Biewald

📹 Producers: Cayla Sharp, Angelica Pan, Sanyam Bhutani, Lavanya Shukla

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Lukas Biewald hosts Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI, a series that moves beyond theoretical discussions to examine how artificial intelligence is actually built and deployed. Each episode features a direct, unscripted talk with a leading practitioner-you’ll hear from engineers and researchers at places like NVIDIA, Meta, Google, Lyft, and OpenAI. The focus is on the tangible challenges and breakthroughs they encounter, from initial research to the complex reality of putting models into production. This isn't about abstract futures; it's a grounded look at the decisions shaping the field right now. Biewald, bringing his perspective from Weights & Biases, steers conversations toward the practical trade-offs and collaborative efforts that define modern AI work. For anyone in technology or business who wants to understand the mechanics behind the headlines, this podcast offers a rare, candid window into the process. You’ll come away with a clearer sense of how ideas become functional systems and what it really takes to operate at the cutting edge.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI
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