Making Better Decisions: Leaders in Data | The Philosophy of AI Consciousness - Stephanie Shipp - Making Better Decisions

The Philosophy of AI Consciousness - Stephanie Shipp - Making Better Decisions - Episode #51

April 9, 2025 / 50:56/E51

What does AI consciousness mean? Today, Stephanie Shipp, Director of Business Analytics at Beacon Building Products joins to hash out this exact question, drawing from her background in philosophy and AI. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of balancing speed, insights, and accuracy in analytics. She talks about the need for setting clear expectations with stakeholders using accuracy scores and the importance of understanding the business context. The episode concludes with a discussion on the challenges of rapid technological advancements and the need for continuous learning and skill development in analytics.

Key Takeaways:

Balance Speed, Insights, and Accuracy: Emphasize the importance of finding a balance between speed and accuracy when analyzing data to make timely and informed decisions. Understand and communicate the trade-offs to stakeholders clearly.
Set Clear Expectations with Accuracy Scores: Implement accuracy scores or similar metrics to manage stakeholder expectations better. By doing so, you can help set realistic expectations about the reliability and precision of data insights.
Report Real-World Impact: Move beyond basic reporting metrics to provide insights that are actionable. Help stakeholders understand the broader implications of the data, rather than just presenting the numbers.
Focus on Fair Metrics: Implement fair metrics in your analytics to account for variables such as seasonal changes, business days, and other relevant factors. This ensures more accurate performance evaluation.
Embrace Challenges and New Discoveries: Foster an environment where new ideas and anomalies are explored. Encourage your team to be curious and to pursue insights that may challenge the status quo.

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