AI FOR GOOD INTERVIEWS: Bret Kinsella (TELUS)

Quick Overview

Bret Kinsella, General Manager of Fuel iX at TELUS, attended the AI for Good Global Summit to discuss how TELUS is embedding humanity into AI development, specifically through their generative AI platform, Fuel iX, which they use internally with over 50,000 employees and externally with many customers worldwide.

Key Points: Bret Kinsella is the General Manager of Fuel iX, the generative AI platform used at TELUS. TELUS is a leading technology company in Canada with large divisions in health and agriculture. Kinsella attended the summit because TELUS sponsored a workshop called 'Indigenous Intelligence' (00:40), based on work from their data and trust office and reconciliation office. The goal of the workshop was to work closely with Indigenous communities in Canada to ensure AI models are representative and provide context relevant to the Indigenous experience (1:02, 1:44). Fuel iX was designed because previous AI capabilities were missing humanity, focusing instead on productivity or automation (2:16, 2:28). The summit experience was positive for Kinsella, marking his first visit to the AI for Good Summit in Geneva in ten years (2:52). TELUS prioritizes a 'humanity in the loop' and 'humanity-centered AI' approach (2:05).

Context: Bret Kinsella, General Manager of Fuel iX at TELUS, is interviewed at the AI for Good Global Summit. TELUS is identified as a major Canadian technology company with significant operations in health and agriculture, alongside its core telecom business. Kinsella's discussion centers on TELUS's commitment to ethical AI development, exemplified by their internal generative AI platform, Fuel iX, and their specific focus on incorporating Indigenous perspectives into AI model training.

Detailed Analysis

Bret Kinsella, General Manager of Fuel iX at TELUS, explained his presence at the AI for Good Global Summit was due to TELUS sponsoring a workshop titled 'Indigenous Intelligence'. This initiative stems from the work done by TELUS's data and trust office and reconciliation office to engage more closely with Indigenous communities in Canada. The purpose is to ensure that AI models and capabilities, which often lack information about Indigenous people or present only a third-party perspective, are made more representative and contextually correct regarding the Indigenous experience. Kinsella highlighted that their generative AI platform, Fuel iX, used internally by over 50,000 employees and externally by many customers, was specifically designed to address this gap, as previous AI efforts were missing humanity and focused too heavily on productivity or automation. He noted that the summit aligns with TELUS's core view of maintaining 'humanity in the loop' and promoting 'humanity-centered AI'. The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss tools and techniques used to work closely with Indigenous communities and integrate their feedback to improve AI models, ultimately aiming to augment human capability and effectiveness.