Shows
Mixture of ExpertsDisney's AI bet: USD 1B OpenAI content deal explainedVisit Mixture of Experts podcast page to get more AI content → https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/mixture-of-experts Why did Disney pay OpenAI a billion dollars to use their characters? This week on Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang and experts Marina Danilevsky, Martin Keen and Kush Varshney analyze Disney's three-year OpenAI licensing deal, and what it means for IP owners, content creators and the future of fan-generated AI content. Next, Time Magazine names “Architects of AI” as 2025 Person of the Year—it’s not the first time the person of the year was not a perso...
2025-12-1938 minMixture of ExpertsThis week in AI models: Granite 4.0, Claude 4.5, Sora 2What’s new in AI models? In episode 75 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kaoutar El Maghraoui, Kate Soule and Kush Varshney to debrief a frenzy of model drops this week. IBM debuts Granite 4.0 hyper-efficient hybrid models, Claude Sonnet 4.5 delivers longer run times and sharper reasoning and Sora 2 takes vibe coding to the next level with vibe video production. Then, we dig into OpenAI’s new feature, Buy in ChatGPT. Finally, it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and we are joined by special guest, Matt Kosinski, host of the Security Intelligence podcast—can you trust your AI? Tune...
2025-10-0342 minMixture of ExpertsChatGPT study mode, shift from UX to AX and Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025Is ChatGPT making you dumb? In episode 66 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kaoutar El Maghraoui, Kush Varshney and Volkmar Uhlig. First, ChatGPT released a new study mode. The intention is to support education, but what is the reality? Next, AI agents are changing design interfaces; is agentic experience (AX) the new UX? Then, a new paper released by Nature about generative neural networks contextualizing ancient texts. How is AI supporting historical research? Finally, special guest, Suja Viswesan, joins us to debrief the 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report. What do we need to know...
2025-08-0148 minMixture of ExpertsAnthropic’s Project Vend, computer science education and AI prompts in papersWill AI agents run all businesses? In episode 62 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Gabe Goodhart, Kush Varshney and Marina Danilevsky to debrief Anthropic’s Project Vend. Next, do we still need massive data centers? We analyze DiLoCoX and discuss the possibility of distributed model training. Then, the New York Times released an article discussing how computer science education has changed in the era of AI; should people still study computer science? Finally, is the paper review process broken? And is it AI’s fault? All that and more on today’s episode of Mixture of Exp...
2025-07-0449 minMixture of ExpertsLlamaCon, Qwen3, DeepSeek-R2 rumors and JP Morgan’s open letter on AIWe are celebrating MoE podcast’s one year anniversary! In episode 53 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by the O.G. panel of experts from our pilot—Chris Hay, Shobhit Varshney and Kush Varshney. This week, we cover some exciting announcements at LlamaCon. Then, we discuss some new Chinese AI models from Qwen3 to the rumored DeepSeek-R2. Next, J.P. Morgan’s CISO, Patrick Opet, released “An open letter to our third-party suppliers,” covering the need for AI security. Are we doomed? Finally, we look back at some of the topics we discussed in episode 1—the Rabbit AI de...
2025-05-0239 minMixture of ExpertsDeepSeek-V3-0324, Gemini Canvas and GPT-4o image generationWhat’s the best open-source model? In episode 48 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kate Soule, Kush Varshney and Skyler Speakman to explore the future of open-source AI models. First, we chat about the release of DeepSeek-V3-0324. Then, more announcements coming out of Google including Gemini Canvas and Gemini 2.5. Next, Extropic has entered the chat with a thermodynamic chip. Finally, AI image generation is on the rise as OpenAI released GPT-4o image generation. All that, and more on today’s Mixture of Experts. 00:01 – Intro 00:42– DeepSeek-V3-0324 09...
2025-03-2841 minMixture of ExpertsEpisode 36: OpenAI o3, DeepSeek-V3, and the Brundage/Marcus AI betIs deep learning hitting a wall? It’s 2025 and Mixture of Experts is back and better than ever. In episode 36, host Tim Hwang is joined by Chris Hay, Kate Soule and Kush Varshney to debrief one of the biggest releases of 2024, OpenAI o3. Next, DeepSeek-V3 is here! Finally, will AI exist in 2027? The experts dissect the AI bet between Miles Brundage and Gary Marcus. All that and more on the first Mixture of Experts of 2025.The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of...
2025-01-0339 minMixture of ExpertsEpisode 26: Granite 3.0, NVIDIA’s Nemotron AI model, and Perplexity’s fundraisingCan chat replace search? In Episode 26 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kate Soule, Kush Varshney and Petros Zerfos for IBM TechXchange week! First, the experts describe how the team created the Granite 3.0 models. Next, NVIDIA enters the open source model game, what does this mean for the competition? Finally, Perplexity AI is seeking over double their valuation in new funding rounds, what does this mean for start-ups? All that and more on today’s episode.The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do no...
2024-10-2537 minMixture of ExpertsEpisode 18: Cursor hype, Perplexity introduces ads, and AI at the US OpenIs search less trustworthy? In Episode 18 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by the IBM Fellows—Aaron Baughman, Kush Varshney, and Trent Gray-Donald. Today, the experts chat how AI is being integrated at the US Open. Next, the Perplexity is introducing ads in Q4, what is the affect on search? Finally, what's all the hype with Cursor? Tune-in to today’s episode for all this and more.0:01 - Intro00:59 - AI at the US Open13:35 - Paid search in Perplexity24:12 - Cursor hype!35:53 - IB...
2024-08-3040 minMixture of ExpertsEpisode 15: OpenAI Structured Outputs, character.ai “acquisition,” and is it an AI bubble?Is it an AI bubble? In Episode 15 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by our veteran panel: Marina Danilevsky, Kush Varshney, and Shobhit Varshney. Today, the experts chat the stock market crash and the involvement of AI companies. Then, OpenAI released Structured Outputs, and analyze how this can support enterprise implementation of AI. Finally, Google "acquires" character.ai, does this make any sense? Tune-in for the breakdown. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other...
2024-08-0932 minMixture of ExpertsEpisode 8: NVIDIA’s Nemotron-4 340B models, Safe Superintelligence Inc. and AI agentsIs there a new major player in the AI space? In Episode 8 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kush Varshney, Kate Soule, and Maya Murad. First, the experts react to NVIDIA’s Nemotron-4 340B model launch and the future of LLM training. Next, new developments in enterprise agents create a great discussion around the reality of AI agents. Finally, we discuss the launch of a new AI company, Safe Superintelligence Inc. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of...
2024-06-2143 min
The AI with Maribel Lopez (AI with ML)IBM Think 24: A Discussion on AI Governance with AWS and IBMEpisode Summary: In this episode, recorded live at the IBM Think event in Boston, Maribel Lopez moderates a panel on AI governance with key figures from IBM and AWS. The discussion revolves around the current state and future of AI governance, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and the role of innovation and regulation in shaping responsible AI adoption.Speakers: Maribel Lopez, Lopez Research Karthik Bharathy from Amazon SageMaker Heather Gentile from IBM Watsonx.GovernanceKush Varshney from IBM Research. Key themes:Th...
2024-06-1713 minMixture of ExpertsThe state of open source, InspectorRAGet, and what’s going on with Kolmogorov-Arnold NetworksIn Episode 2 of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kush Varshney, Marina Danilevsky, and David Cox. This week, the three AI experts weigh in on the explosion of open source technology and identify how it will shape the market. Kush and Tim produce the single most easy explanation of what’s going on with Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks and why it matters. Finally, we kick it back to the 90s with Inspector RAGet!The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any ot...
2024-05-1046 minMixture of ExpertsRabbit AI hiccups, GPT-2 chatbot, and OpenAI's licensing deal with the Financial TimesIn the inaugural episode of Mixture of Experts, host Tim Hwang is joined by Kush Varshney, Shobhit Varshney, and Chris Hay. The three AI experts debate the pros and cons of Rabbit’s R1 device. They also unpack GPT-2’s potential evolution and OpenAI’s licensing deal with the Financial Times. Finally, what do Sam Altman and Taylor Swift have in common? Join us to find out!The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organi...
2024-05-0341 min
Humans of AI#24. Pioneering AI Fairness and Decolonial Perspectives with Kush VarshneyIn this episode of the Humans of AI Podcast, host Sheikh Shuvo engages in a deep conversation with Kush Varshney, a distinguished research scientist and senior manager at IBM's Watson Research Center. They delve into the intellectual and career journey of Kush, shedding light on his groundbreaking work in the realm of trustworthy machine learning.Highlights of this episode include:Insights into AI Colonialism: Kush Varshney discusses the colonialism of AI, analyzing Western values in AI development and advocating for inclusivity and global perspectives in AI technology.The Evolution of AI and Ethics...
2023-12-0128 min
ACM ByteCastKush Varshney - Episode 43In this episode of ACM ByteCast, Bruke Kifle hosts Kush Varshney, a distinguished research scientist and manager at IBM Research in New York. He leads the machine learning group in the Foundations of Trustworthy AI Department, where he applies data science and predictive analytics to the fields of healthcare, public affairs, algorithmic fairness, and international development. He is also the founding co-director of the IBM Science for Social Good initiative. He has contributed to the development of several open-source toolkits such as AI Fairness 360 and AI Explainability 360. In 2022, he independently published the book Trustworthy Machine Learning. Kush has been...
2023-09-1456 min
MLOps.communityTrustworthy Machine Learning // Kush Varshney // Coffee Sessions #124MLOps Coffee Sessions #124 with Kush Varshney, Distinguished Research Staff Member and Manager, IBM Research, Trustworthy Machine Learning, co-hosted by Krishnaram Kenthapadi.Join the Community: https://go.mlops.community/YTJoinInGet the newsletter: https://go.mlops.community/YTNewsletter// Abstract Trustworthy ML is a way of thinking and something to be worked on and operationalized throughout the entire machine learning development lifecycle, starting from the problem specification phase, which should include diverse stakeholders.// Bio Kush R. Varshney was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1982. He received a B.S. degree (magna cum laude) in electrical and computer engineering with honors from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 2004. He received the S.M. degree in 2006 and the Ph.D. degree in 2010, both in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge. While at MIT, he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.Dr. Varshney is a distinguished research staff member and manager with IBM Research at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, where he leads the machine learning group in the Foundations of Trustworthy AI department. He was a visiting scientist at IBM Research - Africa, Nairobi, Kenya in 2019. He is the founding co-director of the IBM Science for Social Good initiative. He applies data science and predictive analytics to human capital management, healthcare, olfaction, computational creativity, public affairs, international development, and algorithmic fairness, which has led to recognitions such as the 2013 Gerstner Award for Client Excellence for contributions to th...
2022-09-2158 min
AI with AI: Artificial Intelligence with Andy Ilachinskithe sentience of the lamdasAndy and Dave discuss the latest in AI news and research, starting with the Department of Defense releasing its Responsible AI Strategy. In the UK, the Ministry of Defence publishes its Defence AI Strategy. The Federal Trade Commission warns policymakers about relying on AI to combat online problems and instead urges them to develop legal frameworks to ensure AI tools do not cause additional harm. YouTuber Yannic Kilcher trains an AI on 4chan's "infamously toxic" Politically Incorrect board, creating a predictably toxic bot, GPT-4chan; he then uses the bot to generate 15,000 posts on the board, quickly receiving condemnation...
2022-07-0241 min
Pipeline ConversationsTrustworthy ML with Kush VarshneyI enthusiastically read Kush Varshney's book when it was released for free to the world several months back. Trustworthy Machine Learning is a concise and clear overview of many of the ways that machine learning can go wrong, and so I was especially keen to get Kush on to talk more about his work and research.
I also got a stronger sense of appreciation for how good MLOps practices and workflows offered a clear path to ensuring that your machine learning models and behaviours could become more trustworthy. Kush has done a lot of interesting work, particularly...
2022-04-1439 min
Artificial Intelligence and You082 - Guest: Kush Varshney, AI Trustworthiness Research ScientistThis and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ .
Never mind fantasies about Skynet and Terminators; how to trust AI is a real issue right now, as AI is used in life-impacting decisions like medical diagnoses and loan granting. Kush Varshney has a PhD from MIT and is a distinguished researcher at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, where he leads the machine learning group in the Foundations of Trustworthy AI department. He is the author of the book Trustworthy Machine Learning. We talk about the whole ecosystem of trustworthiness, finding out whe...
2022-01-1028 min
WHAT the Data?!Kush Varshney - We should thrive for a trustworthy AI (#24)Kush Varshney - We should thrive for a trustworthy AI (#24) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatthedata.substack.com
2022-01-0357 min
In AI We Trust?Kush Varshney: Can we trust AI?Dr. Kush R. Varshney is a distinguished research staff member and manager in IBM Research AI at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center where he has conducted cutting edge AI and Machine Learning research for the past ten years. Varshney also serves as co-director of IBM’s Science for Social Good program. Varshney received both a Masters in Science and a Ph.D. in electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. In addition to writing numerous articles on AI, Varshney helped develop AI Fairness 360-a comprehensive open-source toolkit of metrics to check for unwanted bias in datasets and machine learning mo...
2021-04-2737 min
Making Data SimpleThis week Al and Kush Varshney discuss machine learning and trustworthy AISend us a textWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [almartintalksdata@gmail.com] and tell us why you should be next. AbstractHosted by Al Martin, VP, Data and AI Expert Services and Learning at IBM, Making Data Simple provides the latest thinking on big data, A.I., and the implications for the enterprise from a range of experts.This week on Making Data Simple, we have Kush Varshney who is a Distinguished Research Staff Member...
2020-12-0939 minMaking Data SimpleThis week Al and Kush Varshney discuss machine learning and trustworthy AISend us a textWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [almartintalksdata@gmail.com] and tell us why you should be next. AbstractHosted by Al Martin, VP, Data and AI Expert Services and Learning at IBM, Making Data Simple provides the latest thinking on big data, A.I., and the implications for the enterprise from a range of experts.This week on Making Data Simple, we have Kush Varshney who is a Distinguished Research Staff Member...
2020-12-0939 min
Talking MachinesAI for Good and The Real WorldIn episode nineteen of season four we talk about causality in the real world, take a question about being surprised by the elephant in the room and talk with Kush Varshney of IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2018-10-1932 min
Talking MachinesAI for Good and The Real WorldIn episode nineteen of season four we talk about causality in the real world, take a question about being surprised by the elephant in the room and talk with Kush Varshney of IBM.
2018-10-1900 min
Talking MachinesAI for Good and The Real WorldIn episode nineteen of season four we talk about causality in the real world, take a question about being surprised by the elephant in the room and talk with Kush Varshney of IBM.
2018-10-1825 min