Joining MIMIO
The past year has been an adventure for me. I’ve had the opportunity to try my hand at a whole bunch of different possible career paths, jobs and vocations. I’ve tried out public speaking, explored the possibility of starting a podcast and most lately have been working as a consultant. Ultimately though I decided that I really do enjoy programming, engineering and research. Fortunately I have found a startup with great leadership and a product vision that I can really get behind. I’m happy to announce that this week I’m starting full time as the AI strategy lead for MIMIO.ai.
MIMIO.ai is an early stage startup that is working on some very interesting technology. Our product will let you create an account, link your social media and answer a few personality quizzes then you create an authentic, verified AI version of you. This digital extension of yourself can then be used for any of a number of purposes. Celebrities and influencers will be able to interact with more of their fans through their Mimio AI persona. Grand-parents and great-grand-parents will be able to leave it as a repository of their wisdom for generations to come. Or you could have it answer your email for you. The possibilities are endless.
Right about now, some of you are probably thinking “Isn’t that a Black Mirror episode?” Yes, it is and it’s an episode in that series because it’s an obvious use case for the technology. In fact, that episode is a case study in how to pursue this use case the wrong way. One error they made in particular is that they weren’t mindful of data ownership. At MIMIO.ai, the only person who will ever be able to commission the creation of an AI version of you is you. You are the owner of your data and your likeness. You are the one who will decide if your MIMIO is similar enough to you for the purpose that you’re creating it for. You will control how it’s deployed and you will keep it updated as you grow as a person. By keeping the rights to your data and identity firmly in your hands we will avoid many of the ethical pitfalls surrounding this technology.
In fact that’s part of why they hired me specifically. Our Founder and CEO, Praveena Dhanalakota, wanted an AI lead who thinks about ethics first. I’m looking forward to helping her build this technology in a way that truly benefits everyone while respecting people’s rights. I’m excited to be starting on this new journey.
