What is your role on the team?
In a broad sense, I am a software developer and work on any problem related to software development. I spend a lot of my time developing machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technology for analyzing data collected by the system.
What made you want to pursue this field of study and work?
Coding has always been a passion of mine. I have been working on projects related to software development over the past few years during my undergrad and at summer internships. The recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence and the large potential for growth is what inspired me to start working on AI-related projects.
What was the best part about living in Madison this summer?
Being an avid biker myself, I really enjoy the biking and general outdoor culture in Madison. Nothing beats biking along the lake at sunset after a long day of coding at Curate.
What is the coolest project you’ve worked on or are working on?
I find the entire system we use for language processing fascinating. Working on this system over the past few months and being able to see the results is gratifying.
What makes working at Curate different than any other internship you’ve had in the past?
There is a lot of freedom to try new things while developing software at Curate as opposed to a more rigid development approach I’ve noticed in my previous internships.
How would you explain what you’re doing to a group of non-techies?
When it comes to projects regarding language processing using AI, I am trying to use software to extract meaning — or context — and find similarities between text just like human readers do.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about artificial intelligence?
To sum it up in one word: Terminator. I feel this is the biggest misconception people have about AI. When presenting about AI technology, I have been asked if AI will take over the world or take away existing jobs. This technology, just like any other technology invented, is meant to aid and not replace humans.
What is your biggest source of inspiration?
The constant advances and the large potential for growth in not just the field of AI but also tech in general is what inspires me to continue working in software development.