• UAI News

  UAI Real-Talk Roundtables: Let’s “Chat” About Generative AI

  Posted by Sandi Joralemon (Adm) on June 29, 2023 at 4:36 am

  *To embrace the spirit of our conversations, this summary is brought to you through a collaborative effort with ChatGPT.

  UAI invites members to join us for a three-part series of roundtable discussions on Generative AI.  We will delve into the world of Generative AI, exploring its intricacies, available options, and practical implementation strategies. As a member organization dedicated to fostering innovation through analytics, UAI is excited to host this discussion series led by Andy Kapp, Lead Data Scientist at Evergy along with additional UAI leaders.

  Part 1: Generative AI: What it IS and what it IS NOT

  Monday, July 31^st 9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 12pm ET

  Discussion Leaders:  Andy Kapp from Evergy and Elizabeth Escobar-Fernandes from Duke Energy

  During this segment of our roundtable discussions, we will unravel the inner workings of AI, furthering our understanding of its mechanisms. We will explore the specialized nature of various Generative AI products and debate its significance as a distinct field of study within the AI domain. Our aim is to collectively clarify misconceptions and lay a solid foundation for deeper exploration and knowledge sharing. 

  Microsoft Teams meeting

  Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

  Click here to join the meeting

  Meeting ID: 223 796 324 432
  Passcode: 6NfooR

  Part 2: Generative AI: What are the options out there and how do we get them into production?

  Monday, August 28^th 9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 12pm ET

  Discussion Leaders: Andy Kapp from Evergy along with David Baron and Henry Wu from SoCalGas

  Navigating the vast landscape of Generative AI can be daunting. This part of our discussion will explore the different options available, including open-source, commercial, and home-grown solutions. We will delve into the merits and challenges associated with each option and discuss effective implementation methodologies, empowering participants with the knowledge needed to bring Generative AI into production.

  Microsoft Teams meeting

  Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

  Click here to join the meeting

  Meeting ID: 215 748 091 636
  Passcode: YFsPwz

  Part 3: Generative AI: How can we use it and how should we use it?

  *In Person Only Thursday, November 2^nd 11:15am ET at UA Week 2023 in Orlando, FL

  Discussion Leaders: Andy Kapp from Evergy and Andy Quick from Entergy along with others.

  As analytics professionals in the utilities industry, understanding the practical applications of Generative AI is crucial. In this final segment, we will brainstorm ideas for use cases specifically tailored to the utility industry. Additionally, we will debate the vital topic of AI governance and how we can establish ethical and responsible utilization of these advanced technologies from the foundation up. 

  Join our enlightening discussion series where we will connect the dots between Generative AI and utility analytics.  Let’s embark on this transformative journey together and unlock the untapped potential of Generative AI in the utilities industry.

  Download and open the attached iCalendar files to update your calendar.  Each roundtable has a separate invite.

  Meet our UAI Real Time Roundtable discussion leaders:

  

  Andy Kapp is a Lead Data Scientist at Evergy, an energy utility located in Kansas and Missouri. Since 2001 he has primarily worked in positions focusing on data management, analytics and enterprise architecture. Andy specializes in strategies to help improve delivery of sustainable self-service technologies, democratize data and analytics and assist practitioners converge the missions of IT and the business/operations.

  

  Elizabeth Escobar-Fernandes received a degree in Computer Engineering from UNC Charlotte in December 2014 and graduated Summa cum laude from The William States Lee College of Engineering. Elizabeth joined Duke Energy in 2015. She is a Certified Blockchain Hyperledger developer, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Elizabeth played a key role in the release of a secure Duke Energy mobile app built in-house. Elizabeth leads the Employee Experience and Emerging Tech team at Duke Energy that is embracing the adoption of new technologies such as Generative AI, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Metaverse, AI Chatbots and cloud native modern web and mobile development to deliver digital products that are meeting the needs of our workforce and providing safer training. Currently, over 100 technicians in the Natural Gas and Renewables business units have been safely and cost effectively trained and qualified via Virtual Reality. In addition, the Employee Experience & Emerging Tech team released: an enterprise help desk chatbot to enable self-service for our employees resolving the top 20 issues driving calls to the help desk; an enterprise web app to reserve workspaces on demand to support our new way of working with a predominantly hybrid workforce; and a call center chatbot to reduce and address customer inquiries quickly reducing the wait time by 85%. The team released a native employee mobile app for our employees to connect them with tools, benefits, resources and their workspace on the go at their fingertips and now it is defining the strategy and developing technology to adopt Generative AI in a secure and responsible way to increase productivity and operational excellence.

  

  David Baron has worked at SoCalGas since 2012, and his organization provides support to the rest of the company in Data Science, Process Improvement, Workforce Planning and Change Management.  Currently, David is the Director of Performance Management and Organization Strategy.  Prior to SoCalGas, he spent many years leading a customer analytics consulting practice across multiple industries including Utilities.  He holds advanced degrees in Statistics, Operations Research and Business.      

  

  Henry Wu is the Group Product Manager for Advanced Analytics & Big Data at SoCalGas under Performance Management Organization & Strategy. He reports to David Baron. His group’s mission is to create data products that enable their business partners to make the decisions that achieve the best outcomes.

  

  Andy Quick has been with Entergy for 26 years and is currently Vice President, Business Data & Insights, an enterprise function focused on leveraging advanced analytics to help Entergy be the premier utility. Andy has had held numerous leadership positions in innovation, finance, shared services, and IT. Prior to his current role, Andy was a product owner at KeyString Labs, Entergy’s innovation incubator for new products and services where he led the development of a new digital platform business. Andy has led many departments including robotic process automation, business transformation, enterprise architecture, telecommunications, data center operations, outsourcing relationship management, and two business unit CIO organizations.

  Prior to joining Entergy, Andy worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) where he was an IT consultant for global, multi-industry companies.
  Andy has served as an adjunct instructor at Tulane University and University of New Orleans where he taught robotic process automation courses. Andy also volunteers as an executive mentor to business school students at Loyola University.

  Andy holds a B.S. in computer science from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University. Andy is a certified Automation Anywhere RPA trainer and the winner of the inaugural Automation Anywhere Bot Games competition in 2018.

  Outside of work, Andy enjoys spending time with his wife and four daughters.

  But wait, there’s a lot more “chatting” going on about Generative AI at #UA Week 2023!

  Natural Gas Analytics Community Conversation: Exploring Generative AI and the Art of the Possible for Natural Gas Analytics
  

  *In Person Only Tuesday, October 31st 9:30am-12pm ET at UA Week 2023 in Orlando, FL

  Join us for a dynamic session that covers two important topics. First, we’ll delve into Generative AI with a focus on the art of the possible within natural gas analytics. We’ll explore how organizations are currently utilizing ChatGPT5 and the art of the possible with this technology. Additionally, we’ll discuss other examples of Generative AI, such as Databricks’ open-sourced Dolly, Microsoft’s private sandboxes, AI-based career trajectory assignments, and IBM Watson’s applications. We’ll also address data privacy safeguards, availability of AI applications for employees, handling incorrect connections in AI-generated data, and the level of AI adoption in different industries. In the second part of the session, we’ll discuss the advancement and changing safety culture in natural gas utilities. Through small group breakout sessions, we’ll cover topics like contractor safety, fostering psychological safety, ergonomics safety, preventing fatalities, regulatory frameworks, leadership and management’s role, training and education, risk assessment and management, technology and innovation, employee engagement and communication, continuous improvement and lessons learned, and collaboration and industry partnerships. We’ll conclude with real-world examples and an opportunity to share your company’s collaborations with data analytics organizations.

  Customer Analytics Community Conversation: Using AI in Customer Analytics

  *In Person Only Tuesday, October 31st 9:30am-12pm ET at UA Week 2023 in Orlando, FL

  Join us for an engaging session that combines small group breakout discussions with larger group interactions as we delve into two important topics: “Using AI in Customer Analytics” and “Driving Business Success: Unleashing the Power of Analytics in Price Plan Transitions.” In the first part, we will explore the diverse AI tools used in customer analytics, such as sentiment analysis, marketing strategy development, automated customer support, and communication automation. We will also address the need for explainable AI in highly regulated customer service environments. In the second part, we will discuss how utilities are effectively utilizing analytics to transition business customers between price plans. Through real-life examples and discussions on flags, protocols, and analytics for securing buy-in, we will uncover the art of successfully implementing rate switching initiatives. Be prepared for stimulating small group conversations and valuable large group discussions where we will report out the findings from the breakout sessions, offering a comprehensive view of these critical topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights and contribute to the collective knowledge in the realm of customer analytics and price plan transitions.

  ——————————
  Sincerely,

  Sandi Joralemon
  Sr. Research Analyst
  Utility Analytics Institute
  sjoralemon@utilityanalytics.com
  830.832.5042
  ——————————

  Sandi Joralemon (Adm) replied 1 year, 4 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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