Finding the AI Team Members

What’s a team without members? 

I floated the Burrow experiment idea to the smarties I know (friends from childhood, jobs, and other connections). The value prop was compelling:

• Learn AI with all the BS removed. (Smarties love to learn and hate BS)
• Build something you understand the value of and have a sense of ownership for. (This is one of the strongest drivers imaginable for smarties)
• Work with cool people and have a sense of community. (Cherry on top? Yes, please!)

Those who were interested received this welcome message.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for AIIN’T (AI Innovation Training).

Goals for AI Innovation Training

AIIN’T is intended for awesome people who are skilled at product development to explore AI to:

• Learn what is possible (and what isn’t) with AI - both as it is now and as it evolves.
• Be crazy innovative 
• Work with rad people
• Learn what the dividing lines are between product, UX/UI, engineering, and AI tools in this new world. And what best practices are.
• Build something kind of cool
• Bolster your resume with real-world upskilling
• Have a referenceable AI project that demonstrates all kinds of stunning things. 

The “product”

AIIN’T is building an app called Burrow: a solution that connects people to the places and things they love, while helping them discover new local events and organizations. It’s all completely tailored to each person.

This is not intended to be a commercial product that will be an ongoing concern. It’s a testbed for technical AI ideas focused on a specific direction.

We’re here to learn. We can see where that takes us.

The AIIN’T “X-Files” philosophy: Mulder & Scully

Volunteers of AIIN’T follow a balanced X-Files approach

• Mulder - AI is magic and can solve all problems effortlessly. I want to believe.
• Scully - Show me the proof. I’m very skeptical.

AI is pretty impressive and is improving quickly. But we are realists that shan’t believe the hype. Nor shall we be uninformed naysayers. We shall experiment, find the truth, realize that truth may change in a matter of weeks or months, re-examine, and make an honest assessment.

Commitment to AIIN’T

Simplistically, there is no commitment. If other things come up or you lose interest, no worries.

Each person will have small, defined deliverables, and we do ask that you finish whatever you’re working on before jetting, but whatevs.

If you decide to take a break and come back later… it’s all good.

Defining deliverables

A deliverable may be an idea you come up with. Or, it might be something someone else comes up with that piques your interest. Who knows? This is supposed to be fun… we’ll figure it out.