An Interview with Paul Zikopoulos

Paul Zikopoulos

VP Skills Vitality, IBM Technology Sales at IBM

Key Topics:Leadership, Transformation, Big Data and AI

Location:Toronto

Bio:

Award winning pro speaker/author (21 books 360+ articles on AI/BigData/DBs). Recognized as a thought leader multiple times in the areas I talk about: AI, BigData, Anlaytics, Digital Transformation, Leadership, and building teams. Spare time on social causes like Women 2.0, LGBT+, Coding for Veterans. IBM VP. Being best Dad I can be (no manual provided).

How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?

Waking up every day with a newbie mindset. Never took a computer course in my life before my professional career and hacked my way through it. Found some great sites and people to learn from. Tech years are like dog years … so the most important ingredients are grit, effort, habit.

What sub-topics are you most passionate about?

Well, I love AI and analytics for sure … technology in general. Lately, the passion is about helping people build teams, making AI more ‘fair’ and ‘safe’ … and lending my experience to help others be the best version of themselves they can be… that spans from university kids to diverse groups where I contribute and more.

Who influences you within these topics?

Depends on the topic. The social good pivot was from Deb Bubb (CHRO at United Health Group / Optim) and the CEO of Unshattered, Kelly Lyndgaard. From an AI perspective folks like Adrian Rosebrock (founder of PyImageSearch, the place that got me started) and some other folks along the way.

What challenges are brands facing in this space?

Well, I covered a lot of things. But for companies, it’s totally about culture. Culture is what happens when no one is watching … that’s how you conquer the knowledge gap. For social good, it’s ensuring your efforts are on the right things with the right intensity.

What do you think the future holds in this space?

AI … we are moving from a world that talks about accuracy (we are pretty accurate) to the mix of fairness (hence my pivot to social causes) … explainable AI. Trustable AI, Justifiable AI.

What brands are leading the way in this space?

CognitiveScale has got it going on in this space. I work at IBM, they are doing a really good job on the technology in this area and inclusion overall. But society …. has to do a better job.

If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?

Podcasts, webinars, writing, speaking opportunities, product innovation, video interviews.

What are your passions outside of work?

AI and technology … and then working out and golf (the only sport that seems to defy the ingredients to success I mentioned earlier), and my kid and her horse (whose show name is “Better than a Boyfriend”).

What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?

By Email.

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