Dr. Elif Nisa Polat is the AI DC Chapter Lead, a Turkish National, who is dealing with the AI transition for the World Bank and IFC.
Abstract: AI is too important to leave to software developers alone. It needs people who study ethics, sociology, psychology, and history—people with what the tech industry calls "domain expertise." People who think critically, communicate clearly, and ask the right questions. If you chose to be here at Bowdoin College, that's you.
In this talk, I will share how I went from studying International Relations to building AI products for the World Bank Group. We will cover the gap between demos and production-ready systems, how to break into AI through community, and how to make career choices that actually fit your life.
Come for AI, stay for humanity!