Coworking: Abhishek Gupta tames machines

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

Taming machines and the humans building those machines so that we don’t inevitably end up in a world where we serve machines more than they serve us. More seriously, my work focuses on applied technical, policy, and organizational measures for building ethical, safe, and inclusive AI systems and organizations, specializing in the operationalization of responsible AI at the Montreal AI Ethics Institute and Boston Consulting Group.

What’s the most compelling tech project you’ve worked on, and why?

I’ve been doing extensive work on how to build more sustainable software systems and lead the development of the Software Carbon Intensity specification, which provides a standardized way to measure the environmental impacts of software systems. This effort emerged from my seminal work in assessing the environmental impacts of AI systems and their implications on societal inequities such as limited accessibility, data exploitation, and centralization of power structures that negatively impact our ability to democratize the advances in AI systems.

What technologies are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

I’m most optimistic about machine translation, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years with advances such as NoLLB (no language left behind), which brings forth machine translation even to low-resourced languages. The promise of this technology is ultimately enabling communication and knowledge sharing no matter where you reside and which language you speak; your contributions to the advancement of humanity will not be limited any longer by arbitrary barriers.

I’m least optimistic about self-driving at the moment given all the hurdles that need to be overcome to make it functional, especially in places where roads are more chaotic than the sunny and well-governed testbeds where these systems are primarily being developed and trialed at the moment.

What’s the best tech-related media you read/watch/listen to?

I’m a huge fan of the Lex Fridman Podcast, in particular the episode with one of my heroes, Demis Hassabis (who I met in-person in 2018), who highlights just how vast and exciting the world of knowledge and discovery is today. It emphasizes the enduring spirit of human yearning and how that has led to the marvels of the modern world and will continue to yield even more insights that will change the world to be a safer and more inclusive one.

What’s something about you we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

I’m well-known for making a mean daal makhani and have been lauded in both professional and personal circles for my cooking skills!

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?

Combining the best that Mysore and Montreal have to offer: The hunt for a dosa-bagel fusion is on.