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DJ Patil has a lot of “firsts” to his name. He is the co-inventor of the term “data scientist.” He was the first-ever US Chief Data Scientist. And he is our first podcast guest to recount the experience of being chewed out by a US president.

Patil led some of the biggest data initiatives in government and business, ranging from the pioneering “People You May Know” feature at LinkedIn to the US government’s Cancer Moonshot project. He has also been at the forefront of leveraging AI to solve the thorniest problems businesses face, as well as what he calls the “stupid, boring problems in the back office.” Fans of bestselling author Michael Lewis are probably familiar with Patil—he and his work feature prominently in two of the journalist’s books, The Fifth Risk and The Premonition.

Patil joins the podcast to discuss the potential of AI to change business, how leaders can drive technological transformation, and why it’s vital for data scientists to never lose sight of the human element.

Three big takeaways from the conversation:

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DJ Patil on Using AI to Move Fast and Fix Things

The former US Chief Data Scientist says leaders need to adopt an exponential mindset to tackle the thorniest problems in business—and around the world.

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