Episode 1: Beyond chatbots: Machine learning's profound impact on modern business

Enterprises are looking for ways to capitalize on data to accelerate their business agility. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are playing a significant role in helping organizations capture these opportunities.

In the first episode of the new podcast series, Ahead of the Pack, Sri Elaprolu, Senior Manager of the Amazon Machine Learning Solutions Lab, speaks with Tim Crawford about the promise of ML and the real-world business benefits it brings to the enterprise. These include: 

• The ability to dive into data and extract insights that were previously unattainable.
• The ability to transform and improve experiences for customers
• The ability to improve back-end operational processes, such as defects in a production line

Elaprolu cited several real-world use cases that are already delivering value for organizations across all parts of the enterprise. They include better supply/demand forecasting, improved document processing, personalized customer experiences, and more efficient supply-chain logistics.

“There is virtually no area of an organization where machine learning has not been impactful,” Elaprolu said.

For all the progress that’s been made, Elaprolu says enterprises are still just scratching the surface in unlocking ML’s potential.

“I believe we’re just barely getting started,” he said. “Using cloud-based services, any organization can start exploring machine learning for their needs. The democratization of machine learning is the exciting part.”

Elaprolu also offers examples of Amazon’s own use of ML technologies, along with tips on how to get started – and gotchas to avoid.