Recently the hottest topic in the IT space was the launch of  OpenAI’s chat GPT.  Suddenly, everyone was jumping on to test out a widely available AI program.  The interest in AI is exploding.

The IT industry is full of trends and bandwagons. But the huge interest in AI is not just because a cool AI tool captured our interest.  Months before ChatGPT hit the market,our CIO Census, a survey of Canadian CIOs, noted that analytics driven by AI was seen by CIOs as the technology that will have the greatest impact on their business over the next two years. ChatGPT hit the market at just the right time.

Are we at the point where AI will be, in the words of some, democratized? Will this be the catalyst that accelerates the growth and use of AI?

My guest this week is Louis Tetu, CEO of Chairman of Coveo. Coveo is a Canadian company that is a major player in the use of AI in business on the world stage. Long before ChatGPT hit the stage, Coveo had taken an AI offering and built it into a world wide business. He built that business long before AI was top of the news.

We had a wide ranging interview which explore AI in both a practical business application and with a mind to the future. That alone will make it a “must listen” to learn from someone who has already built a successful business based on an AI model.

But Louis is also a great example of the new wave of business. He’s concerned about and speaks knowledgeably about a number of other things.  He has a firm view on social media. He is also a real force in terms of social responsibility. We dive into Coveo’s commitment to donate 1 per cent of its time, products, profit and equity to non-profits.

It’s a wonderful discussion with a Canadian icon who has built a globally successful business.  I hope you enjoy it.

The post Louis Tetu, CEO of Coveo and the “Democratization of AI” – Hash Tag Trending the Weekend Edition interview. first appeared on IT World Canada.