On the frontlines of adopting revolutionary AI as firms ask, “What’s in it for me?”

A sudden leap forward in the evolution of artificial intelligence has brought the technology’s benefits and risks into much sharper relief and into everyday conversations. Businesses hear warnings that they need to take advantage of AI or else drift into irrelevancy. But when cheerleaders say AI can make businesses more productive, what does that look like exactly? As with the advent of any major technological evolution, will workers lose their jobs? You’ve probably already heard about professions that are vulnerable, such as tax preparers, law clerks, industrial designers, computer programmers, content creators, market research analysts, financial analysts, graphic designers, and customer service agents. Another question: Since data is the fuel of the AI revolution, how can companies keep theirs safe? How can companies avoid unintentionally stealing existing content fed into AI engines? And how can AI avoid adopting the biases lodged in previous data? In the latest edition of the IBJ Podcast, host Mason King poses all of these questions to the founders of an Indianapolis-based startup dedicated to helping business clients integrate AI into their operations. Named Stellar, the firm has been up and running for less than a year, but its executives have decades of experience working with AI applications and developing AI products. Brett Flinchum, Stellar’s CEO, and Zach Linder, the chief operating officer, share their account from the frontlines of a revolution as they try to help companies take advantage of the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.