EmpatheticAlly by Sarah Schulz

AI coaching - Knowing buzz from value

With all the models out there and people claiming they can do close to anything with them, there's a critical need for professionals who truly understand the basics of AI - like the way input is modelled, or the importance of proper evaluation. These fundamentals are the backbone of AI, and without them, it's easy to get lost in the sea of "fancy" algorithms and buzzwords.

This is where AI coaching can help: I find joy in helping others grasp these essential concepts. It’s always surprising to see how mastering the basics can cut through the noise and help evaluate all the impressive-sounding solutions out there. There's incredible value in a strong foundation, and it's exciting to guide others in building theirs to make responsible decisions in their specific context.

AI coaching is different from taking a course in AI:

it's 1:1 so I can adapt to your knowledge, your speed and your calendar
it's a safe space: you can ask any question - nothing is too basic
it's specific to your domain: you are the expert and I support you find the puzzle pieces that are missing
it's fun: we adapt to the way you learn best - be it examples, drawings, stories, nothing is out of the question
it's not just a dump of knowledge that you cannot digest: I support you work out the answers yourself

Why me?

For the last 10 years, I have specilised in working on the intersection between AI and domain experts. First in my work as an iterdisciplinary researcher in academia, then as an engineer and manager in medical tech companies.

A challenge that is less obvious to most became my passion: how can I help people communicate who do not speak the "same language". I enjoy finding the appropriate level of complexity to discuss a problem. In academia, I taught humanities students methods of computational linguistics. In my AI coaching programme, I combine my experience as a coach with my expertise in AI: I create a safe space where you feel comfortable asking me to slow down, where admitting that you didn't get something on the first go becomes easy. I help you, help yourself: I will often play a question back at you if I feel like you have everything you need to answer it. This will give you confidence in yourself and help you learn an approach that will support you in find answers long after our programme is over.

What does this look like?

I will help you understand the basics in three key areas before we move on to discussing the decisions you have to make at work, answering your questions and everything else you. We need:

Rule-based AI - how it began: the area of domain experts
Feature-based AI - where math kicked in
Paradigm shifts: from tasks to transformations and from features to preprocessing

How often do we meet? How long is one session? How many sessions do we need? It's up to you!