Kevin J. Neary

Orcawise

Co-Founder & CEO 

CeADAR Ireland

Industry Steering Board

IP Commercialization Committee

The AI Roadmap

Host and AI Keynote Speaker 

Event Manager @ Bank of Ireland, Grand Canal Square

MassChallenge Switzerland

Mentor Expert Judge. 

NovaUCD

Founder and CEO at UCD Campus Company 

Google for Startups EU

Google Scaling Program 

The ORCA Organization

SoftSkills - Staffing services
www.orcabi.com 
www.orcawise.com www.corporateskills.com
www.orcaresources.com 
www.connectorsmarketplace.com
 - Disruptive ventures focused on audience participation film making, business intelligence, productizing valuation models, micro staffing agency marketplace.... 
 - Supporting knowledge intensive scale-ups in US/EU with access to 
academic research , prototyping , hr and executive search and funding.

Business Owner / Investor

Founder & CEO at Orcawise 🚀 AI Advisor 🌍 Investor 🎤 The AI Roadmap Series

I work at the intersection of business and AI (Artificial Intelligence) helping C-suite leaders ensure their AI strategies are responsible. I build custom models around the EU AI Act and US Bill of Rights so that businesses can easily tap into the legal and compliance that ensures AI is ethical, transparent, explainable.   

As the CEO at Orcawise, a researched-backed AI advisory and services firm, I lead an in-house team of experts that know how to fuse the work of data scientists / legal professionals. I endeavour to foster an ecosystem that connects our clients, researchers, fellow service providers and universities. I believe this interconnected approach rooted in collective expertise and shared goals will ensure that AI innovation progresses in a responsible and sustainable manner.
    
At the heart of this ecosystem are client organizations and brands looking to embrace the best way forward. We deploy experts teams consisting of AI specialists who we trained in the art of responsible AI and as necessary we partner with research institutions, big tech and fellow service providers, both in the technology and legal domains.     

I serve on steering board at CeADAR's, offering insights for marketing their EDIH Programme Services. CeADAR is one of only thirty European Digital Innovation Hubs delivering AI services to EU industry. Previously I was the longest standing member of the CeADAR IP (Intellectual Property) Committee to commercialize AI research. 

I'm a committed networker and run "The AI Roadmap Event Series" where you'll find the top industry speakers sharing knowledge to make AI accessible and actionable for everyone. In addition I participate as a keynote speaker at conferences inspiring audiences about the future of business and humanity and finally I contribute a a guest lecturer at three international universities. 

My AI enthusiasm was recognized in 2016 as a finalist in the European DataSci awards.

BACKGROUND
Prior to the AI era, I provided software and contracting services to leading Banking, Internet, and Telecom companies. At that time, my focus was on "new business" development and I generated over $100 million in new revenue, both as an employee and entrepreneur, launching and growing various businesses I founded and invested in.

Chief Executive leading AI Transformations with Advisory & Services for Entrepreneurs and  Marketers

AI & The Future of Academic Libraries: This is not just an institutional concern but a societal one. Libraries stand as cornerstones of our communities, reaching into every aspect of our lives from early literacy to lifelong learning. 

This well researched article by Henrietta Thornton in the Library Journal about the role of AI in the future of libraries with insightful contributions from... 

💡  Leo Lo from the The University of New Mexico 
💡  Nicole Hennig from the University of Arizona Libraries
💡  Trevor Watkins from George Mason University
💡  Sarah Paige from Eastern Florida State College
💡  Kevin Neary from Orcawise, a firm that helps organizations implement responsible AI into work.

...are all pioneering ways to maintain academic integrity and leverage AI's transformative power responsibly. 

They've observed a noticeable shift in AI awareness and literacy among students and instructors, attributing it to an increased understanding of AI's capabilities and how to navigate its challenges. 

Tools beyond #ChatGPT, such as #Claude, #Copilot, #Perplexity, and #Elicit, are being explored for their grounding capabilities and ethical application in academic settings.

Projects like augmented reality tours and conversational agents, spearheaded by Watkins, showcase the innovative ways libraries are enhancing user experiences. 

Moreover, the establishment of communities of practice, as encouraged by both Lo and Neary, signifies a collective effort to raise AI literacy and foster an environment of shared learning and ethical AI use.

As a Responsible AI (RAI) leader, I believe this is an important milestone in the journey towards responsible AI integration in academic settings. The collaboration between librarians, educators, and students exemplifies a proactive approach to AI literacy, emphasizing the importance of ethical guidelines, transparency, and inclusivity. 

Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/e63Dts9G

Kevin Neary

Responsible AI Leader / CEO at ORCAWISE / Board Member at CeADAR: European Digital Innovation Hub / Keynote on the Future of Business & Humanity / Investor / Follow me for the RAI stories you need ⤵️↗️

Why is ethical AI use important in academic settings?

How are libraries enhancing user experiences?

What is the impact of AI on academic integrity?

What are the implications of the blurred lines between reality and AI?

How can Viggle AI be used in video creation?

What is the importance of responsible AI regulation?

This is insane! This new AI tool can replace anyone from a video 😳

Viggle AI is the first video-3D foundation model with actual physics understanding, starting from making any character move as you want.

The best part? 

You can use Viggle for FREE in their Discord and create a similar video in less than 5 minutes.

The lines between reality & AI have never been so blurry.

Wild.

h/t @AIWarper

P.S. for more great stuff, check out 🔔linas.substack.com🔔, it's the only newsletter you need for all things when Finance meets Technology. For founders, builders, and leaders.

The EU AI Act: 7-Strategic Steps for Success before October 2024 Deadline. The European AI Act will to take effect in October 2024. The EU AI Act provisions will be rolled out gradually through 2025 and 2026. But the reality is that the Act is upon us and now is the time get started as all EU based organizations must start to meet compliance obligations starting in October.
‍
Here are the 7 steps to consider:
‍‍
1. Adopt a Responsible AI Framework
‍
For example leveraging the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Framework for Responsible AI, organizations can guide their teams through the vital steps to align with theEU AI Act. There are many RAI frameworks available so choose one that fits your business and/or customize a framework and make it work for you. Every business is unique!
‍
2. Engage the Stakeholders
Through workshops, surveys, and feedback sessions, organizations can gather diverse perspectives on AI's impact, addressing concerns and identifying opportunities for improvement. 
‍
3. The AI Systems Audit
An AISystem Audit involves creating a comprehensive record of AI decision-making processes. This entails establishing a method to trace and document the rationale behind AI-generated outcomes, which can help in identifying biases, errors, or areas needing refinement. By maintaining a detailed audit trail, organizations can ensure accountability.

4. Real-time Regulation Updates
Deploy automated news feeds to deliver, not only timely updates to existing laws, but also tap into the wisdom on the community. How companies are currently compliant, how certain verticals are interpreting the law, precedent being established by sector, and generally the collective sentiment around the EU AI Act, The US Bill of Rights and other state and sector specific regulations.

5. Ethical AI Practice
Establishing ethical AI practices goes beyond compliance; it's about embedding respect within AI development team. 
‍
6. Technology Partnerships
Forming technology partnerships with AI providers can enhance both compliance and innovation for businesses. Through these collaborations, companies can access cutting-edge AI technologies tailored to their specific needs while ensuring these tools align with current regulatory standards. 

7. Training Programs
Developing training programs on AI ethics and compliance is crucial for ensuring that staff understand the implications and responsibilities of working with AI. These programs should cover the ethical principles guiding AI use, such as fairness, transparency, and accountability, as well as specific compliance requirements related to data protection and nondiscrimination.

A Proactive Conclusion
Proactive adaptation is critically important as well as the role of continuous learning in navigating the AI regulatory environment. Conduct regulation specific assessments and map, mitigate and monitor the risk.

Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/eCwVCRQz

The "Responsible AI Index Report 2024" delves deep into the evolving space of Responsible AI (RAI). The report particularly focuses on privacy and data governance, transparency and explainability, security and safety, and fairness. 

Key Takeaway: 
Don't let innovation outpace responsibility. It'll be too costly to turn back the clock on AI projects that are not built on a solid Responsible AI foundation. 

Organizations struggle with securing consent for data use and balancing utility against privacy rights, emphasizing the need for strict data governance frameworks to safeguard sensitive information. 

Many AI models act as 'black boxes' with limited understandability, underscoring the necessity for models that are not only high-performing but also interpretable and transparent. 

Ensuring the integrity and safety of AI systems is paramount to prevent misuse and manage inherent risks. AI systems must avoid biases that can lead to discrimination, ensuring that decisions are equitable across all user demographics.

I believe these insights reinforce the urgent need for proactive measures, including comprehensive regulatory frameworks like the EU's AI Act and other guideline frameworks that are not yet leglislation.  

Next Steps:
Companies should adopt RAI practices as a foundational aspect of their operational and strategic frameworks. This approach not only mitigates risks but also enhances trust and drives long-term value creation in the AI ecosystem. 

#Fintech #Banking #ECommerce #Retail #RESPECT #FMCG #Health #Education #Pharma #Medtech #Consumer #Solicitor #Autonomous #Legal #Compliance #Lawyer #GDPR

Responsible AI - Stanford AI Index Report 2024

Does AI worry about its life choices? 🤖💭

Here's to all the developers making sure our AI doesn't have to face a moral dilemma every time it makes a decision! Responsible AI isn't just about coding; it's about teaching our digital friends right from wrong. And yes, even robots need a little guidance! 🌟 #ResponsibleAI #AIethics #TechHumor #DigitalParenting


Are Responsible AI benchmarks fit-for-purpose? 
Yes the Responsible AI benchmarks in the market are fit for the purpose of evaluating responsible AI attributes such as truthfulness, toxicity, and bias. These benchmarks are designed to assess how well AI models manage ethical challenges, which is necessary for ensuring that AI operates safely and fairly.

So what's the issue? 
The biggest issue lies in standardization when implementing these benchmarks across different AI developers and models. Without a uniform approach to applying these benchmarks, it becomes challenging to compare AI models objectively and ensure that all models are held to the same ethical standards. 

This lack of standardization can lead to discrepancies in how responsible AI is measured and reported, potentially giving an incomplete picture of an AI model’s ethical performance.

For the benchmarks to work correctly, there needs to be consensus on how they are applied, along with clear and consistent reporting standards. This will enable better comparability and transparency, fostering trust in AI technologies by demonstrating their adherence to established responsible AI criteria.

https://lnkd.in/ew7TzjDM

Key Benchmarks for Responsible AI:

🌐 TruthfulQA: Evaluates the truthfulness of responses from AI models.

🌐 RealToxicityPrompts: Measures the degree of toxic output from language models.

🌐 BOLD and BBQ: Analyze biases in AI outputs, ensuring fairness and impartiality.

There is a lack of standardized approaches to applying these benchmarks across AI developers. This inconsistency complicates the direct comparison of AI models in terms of responsible AI practices. For example, while TruthfulQA is increasingly used, its application is not uniform across all platforms. Source: AI Index 2024.

It important to not just adopt these benchmarks but implement them consistently. This ensures that the AI technologies we develop or advise on are not only advanced but also align with the highest standards of ethical responsibility.

ORCAWISE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH 

💡 Standardized Testing
Implement a standardized set of benchmarks for all AI models. 

💡 Transparency in Reporting
Ensure clear and consistent reporting on how models perform against these benchmarks is crucial for accountability.

💡Continuous Improvement 
Benchmark results to continuously refine and improve AI models, ensuring they meet the evolving standards of responsible AI.

Reported responsible AI benchmarks

Time to Compliance: How US Companies Can Navigate the EU AI Act
 
Time to Compliance
As the EU Artificial Intelligence Act takes shape, it's crucial for U.S. companies to understand the roadmap for compliance and take action. The Act's phased implementation includes certain prohibitions effective just six months post-enactment, with additional obligations rolling out over the following 36 months.
 
Risk Categorization
The AI Act's risk categorization of AI systems, with varying compliance requisites, is at the crux of the regulation. To comply, U.S. enterprises must scrutinize their AI offerings and classify them within the unacceptable, high, limited, or minimal risk categories.
 
US Companies Operating In EU
For U.S. companies operating in the EU or handling EU data, the time to act is now. A thorough familiarization with the Act's final version upon its publication is the initial step, followed by an introspective evaluation of AI systems against the stipulated risk levels. This classification will chart out the path to compliance.
 
Gap Analysis
Conducting a gap analysis is equally essential, pinpointing discrepancies between current AI operations and the AI Act's mandates. This preparatory phase is not merely about compliance but embracing the ethos of Responsible AI—incorporating ethical, transparent, and secure AI practices as a fundamental business principle.
 
Demonstrate Commitment to Compliance
U.S. companies can showcase their commitment to ethical AI conduct by engaging in the European Commission's AI Pact, a voluntary initiative that serves as a testament to a company's dedication to embodying the Act's stipulations ahead of their mandatory application.
 
In essence, U.S. companies must leverage this period to fortify their AI systems against the impending EU regulations. As an advocate of Responsible AI, the counsel is clear: prioritize transparency, fairness, and diligence in AI applications to ensure not only adherence to the EU AI Act but also a strong footing in the global AI domain. 

#RAI #Legal #Compliance #US


Everyone is talking about AI, every business has a plan of sorts, but most business are slow to adopt; certainly at the scale that's possible right now. And of course this it because businesses have humans at the core. People are looking to protect their businesses from the risks that might arise, and most importantly, people want to protect themselves, their values and the future of humanity.
    
It seem to me that one of the key question business leaders must answer and build a narrative around: "Is it possible to manifest human values through technology?" As leaders in various sectors, from #healthcare to #finance, #education to #humanresources, strive to uphold the highest standards of compliance, there's a growing tension around AI adoption beyond "lip service" and most basic of strategic roadmaps. 

The problem for businesses that adopt a "wait and see" approach may risk missing out on the necessary progress required to stay competitive and even lead in their industries with new business models and revenue streams.

This fear exists at a very human level. Addressing the fear of AI broadly at the humanity level is crucial to enabling enterprise adoption at scale. AI is ubiquitous, and we need business and the humans within it to innovate and fund AI initiatives. It's a classic chicken and egg scenario: should we first alleviate human fears through education and research to pave the way for enterprise adoption or does business innovation drive societal comfort with AI?

Maybe the responsibility of alleviating human fears about AI will fall to researchers and educational institutions. With society more well-informed about AI’s potential and risks, we can ensure a future where the adoption of AI is not only taken for granted but also steered by fearless and informed decision-making. From this society leaders will naturally emerge, and fully equipped to embrace AI opportunities in a confident and responsible way.
#ResponsibleAI #AiInnovation #Society #AILeaders 

Catriona Maye, thank you for hosting the The AI Roadmap seminar again and for the insightful Bank of Ireland presentations from Gerry Nolan (Professional Banker LIB QFA) and Matthew Brady-Grehan into how the bank is supporting business on their AI journey. The FDI Landing Space is truly a unique venue for the business community to come together, network, learn and have fun 😀 Look forward to the next seminar by popular demand from business owners.  

Bank Manager at Bank of Ireland South City Cluster

Delighted to Host the AI Roadmap Event in our unique FDI Landing Space In BOI St Stephens Green Last Week.

A relevant and current topic for all Business Owners and organisations.

Thanks to Kevin Neary from Orcawise for his extensive knowledge on navigating AI for Business Owners.

Thanks to my colleagues Matthew Brady-Grehan  BOI Financial Wellbeing Coach who spoke about the importance of Financial Wellbeing and Gerry Nolan (Professional Banker LIB QFA) Business Banking BOI who spoke about BOI Lending Facilities and the supports available through BOI for Business Owners looking to embark on the AI Journey.

A very interactive evening and I look forward to supporting more events in this space.

Karen Cunningham Carla Delaney Alan Durcan Susan Russell Gerry Nolan (Professional Banker LIB QFA) Matthew Brady-Grehan Ronan Bruton  MBA QFA BBS Kevin Neary 


Understanding the EU AI Act’s Implications for AI Providers

🚀 Introduction to the EU AI Act
The European Commission is expanding its regulatory reach with the AI Act, poised to become a global benchmark in AI regulation. Starting in October 2024, this comprehensive framework will directly impact providers of general-purpose AI models and systems, significantly affecting how AI technologies are developed, deployed, and managed across Europe.

📜 Key Provisions and Powers
Under the new act, the European Commission gains unprecedented investigative and enforcement powers specifically tailored to the AI sector, a notable extension beyond its traditional competition law remit. These powers include demanding technical documentation and conducting assessments to ensure compliance, particularly targeting providers of general-purpose AI models (GPAIMs).

🔍 Enforcement and Compliance Strategies
AI providers, especially those operating within the EU or dealing with EU citizens, must now navigate a landscape that includes stringent compliance measures. The Act introduces staged implementation, allowing businesses a transitional period to align their operations with new legal standards. This includes engaging in the voluntary AI Pact, which encourages early adoption of the Act’s critical obligations.

🎯 Strategic Recommendations for U.S. Companies
For U.S. companies, the AI Act represents both a challenge and an opportunity. To remain compliant and competitive, businesses should:
Thoroughly understand the risk categories and compliance timelines established by the AI Act.
Start by classifying AI systems according to risk levels to determine specific obligations.
Conduct a detailed gap analysis to identify and address any areas of non-compliance in current AI practices.

🌐 Beyond Compliance: Embracing Ethical AI Practices
As a Responsible AI thought leader, I advocate for not just compliance but embracing ethical AI practices that elevate business operations and societal impacts. This approach not only mitigates risks but also enhances trust and loyalty among users, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and ethical AI ecosystem.

💡 Conclusion: Proactive Engagement Is Key
The AI Act’s entry into force is a call to action for U.S. companies to proactively engage with the new regulations. By understanding the intricacies of the Act and integrating ethical AI practices, businesses can navigate this evolving regulatory environment effectively, ensuring compliance and driving innovation responsibly.

#EUAIAct #EthicalAI #AICompliance #ResponsibleAI #TechRegulation

Responsible AI dimensions with examples: 

💡 Data governance 

EXAMPLE 
Policies and procedures are in place to maintain data quality and security, with a particular focus on ethical use and consent, especially for sensitive health information. The platform can articulate the rationale behind its treatment recommendations, making these insights understandable to doctors and patients, ensuring trust in its decisions.

💡 Explainability 

EXAMPLE
The platform can articulate the rationale behind its treatment recommendations, making these insights understandable to doctors and patients, ensuring trust in its decisions.

💡 Fairness 

EXAMPLE 
The platform is designed to avoid bias in treatment recommendations, ensuring that patients from all demographics receive equitable care.

💡 Privacy 

EXAMPLE
Patient data is handled with strict condentiality, ensuring anonymity and protection. Patients consent to whether and how their data is used to train a treatment recommendation system.

💡 Security and safety 

EXAMPLE
Measures are implemented to protect against cyber threats and ensure the system’s reliability, minimizing risks from misuse or inherent system errors, thus safeguarding patient health and data.

💡 Transparency 

EXAMPLE
The development choices, including data sources and algorithmic design decisions, are openly shared. How the system is deployed and monitored is clear to healthcare providers and regulatory bodies.

Source: Stanford AI Index, 2024

#Health #HealthTech #Medical #Medtech #SaaS #Legal #Compliance

Introducing Meta Llama 3: the next generation of our state-of-the-art open source large language model — and the most capable openly available LLM to date.

These next-generation models demonstrate SOTA performance on a wide range of industry benchmarks and offer new capabilities such as improved reasoning.

Details in the full announcement ➡️ https://go.fb.me/a24u0h
Download the models ➡️ https://go.fb.me/q8yhmh
Experience Llama 3 with Meta AI ➡️ https://meta.ai

Llama 3 8B & 70B deliver a major leap over Llama 2 and establish a new SOTA for models of their sizes. While we’re releasing these first two models today, we’re working to release even more for Llama 3 including multiple models with capabilities such as multimodality, multilinguality, longer context windows and more. Our largest models are over 400B parameters and while they’re still in active development, we’re very excited about how they’re trending.

Across the stack, we want to kickstart the next wave of innovation in AI. We believe these are the best open source models of their class, period — we can’t wait to see what you build and look forward to your feedback.

this is good advice, don't overthink it your content, if it's of value your audience will prefer it authentic .... 

This is why a 14-year-old kid living in Missouri can go viral on social media while that 40-year-old marketing executive who has a Harvard MBA and works for a multi-billion dollar company can’t crack 100 views.

The marketing executive plans everything…

From the script, the editing, keyword research and even making sure brand guidelines are met.

Social media isn’t a formula.

Companies are trying too hard... just create authentic content.

People relate to real messages… no one cares for content that is dull but looks perfect.

Stop making your team jump through so many steps and hoops to create content.

It just doesn’t work.

And streamlining your social media process is just going to kill your views.

See the 14-year-old doesn’t think about data, systems, or processes… they just think, “Oh this is cool, let me post it”.

While the 40-year-old executive, wants to have meetings to go over ideas, then has a copywriter script it, and then brings in actors and videographers to help create the content.

Social media marketing isn’t that complex. Think like a kid, not an adult and you’ll do better.

$1m for an AI engineer. Does this mean they will be ~10x more productive than traditional engineers? 

What impact will AI have on the workplace?

CMO, Hypergrowth Advisor, Took Atlassian Public

$1M for Top AI Engineers... this underscores how hard it will be for small startups to compete with all the big, influential companies scrambling amidst a small supply. I'm enjoying Pascal BORNET's newsletter. See his blue links from the image blow here: https://lnkd.in/daEv7_nB
#AI #Talentwar #MaybeIshouldbecomeanAIengineer

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