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Studies and practices utilizing AI are constantly expanding in scope and application, particularly in the interactions between Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Science. These technologies provide numerous economic and quality-of-life benefits, from automating complex tasks and processing vast quantities of data in short periods of time to operating GPS and running a variety of detection software to catch issues human operators may not.
The problem is that because these branches of computer science, especially AI and ML, are still relatively new and require advanced skill sets, there is little precedent for how to go about developing and implementing these technologies. As such, these fields are currently underpopulated with quality personnel, both on the research and business ends of the spectrum. This unique issue also creates a vacuum within industry standards in AI and ML, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive guidelines that ensure ethical development, responsible implementation, and interoperability across diverse applications and sectors.
Fortunately, a few experts are leading the charge toward accessible and practical AI usage and establishing industry standards, and one such leader is Sr. AI Specialist Solutions Architect Anjanava Biswas at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Tying business and innovation together
Biswas’s work fills a role few others do in his field. While many AI professionals focus entirely on either conducting research or applying research in a business setting, Biswas works to accomplish both research and application. His AI research demonstrates a knack for marrying academic findings with practical innovations, as it’s evident that his work is readily implementable and often serves as a foundation for further research in the AI community.
Biswas is a hands-on AI researcher who excels at turning cutting-edge concepts into real-world solutions. His knack for spotting practical applications in complex theories has made waves in both industry and academia. Beyond his own innovative work, he has left his mark on the field by meticulously reviewing over twenty AI research papers for four different journals, including the prestigious IEEE Access. It’s no surprise that two of these journals tapped him for their editorial boards, recognizing how his sharp eye and industry insights have raised the bar for their academic excellence.
Returning to the business applications of Biswas’s work, multiple corporations across several industries such as medicine, finance, and tech startups have all utilized his AI solutions to solve complex business problems. These companies span the globe and include organizations like ElevanceHealth, PennyMac Financial Services, Veterans Benefits Affairs, and Freshworks Inc.
In 2023, Biswas broke new ground with his groundbreaking research on responsible AI and trust and safety guardrails for generative AI. His work focused on developing robust mechanisms to ensure AI systems remain ethical and controllable, even as they grow more complex. This cutting-edge research didn’t just stay in the lab — it rapidly evolved into two commercial products, now known as Amazon Comprehend Moderation and Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock. These technologies have since been embraced by numerous organizations and researchers, becoming a go-to safety framework in the AI community.
For instance, Freshworks Inc. has deployed this generative AI trust and safety mechanism within their product offerings. As highlighted by Sreedhar Gade, Freshworks’ Vice President of Engineering, during the re:Invent conference last year, “It has been a phenomenal journey in 2023, working closely with the AWS team and the Amazon Comprehend team to be able to come up with these new ways of building these frameworks within our product, and we are looking forward to many more learnings in the future from the team’s research, and then use these to build things that our competition has not built.”
Award winning body of work
In a field where breakthroughs seem to happen daily, Biswas has managed to stand out, not just for his cutting-edge research, but for his commitment to responsible AI development. His work on multi-modal large language models isn’t just pushing the envelope — it’s redefining how we think about AI’s capabilities.
But Biswas isn’t content with just advancing the technology. He’s been a driving force behind establishing crucial industry standards for responsible and safe AI, working closely with heavyweights like OWASP and serving at the Security Industry Association AI Advisory Board. His ongoing efforts are helping shape an evolving framework that’s guiding the industry and informing AI standards for organizations and policymakers alike. Additionally, tens of thousands of people utilize his contributions to open-source AI projects each week. These contributions have allowed users to implement trust, safety, and ethics into their AI-powered applications while following industry standards and best practices.
His multi-faceted focus — innovative responsible AI research coupled with his contributions to AI industry standards and open-source development — didn’t go unnoticed. Biswas was recently honored with the prestigious 2024 Gold Stevie Award for Technology Excellence. Rhonda Vetere,The Chair of the Individual & Achievement Awards Judging Committee at the Stevies, lauded Biswas’s achievements as “exceptional achievements in AI/ML innovation”.
This recognition comes from the Stevie Awards, often dubbed “the Oscars of the business world,” a program that has been setting the gold standard for industry excellence since 2002. Known for their rigorous judging process and global prestige, the Stevies attract over 12,000 entries annually from more than 60 countries. The introduction of the Technology Excellence category in 2023 marks a significant milestone, acknowledging the crucial role of technological innovation in today’s business landscape. Biswas’s Gold win in this inaugural and highly prestigious category not only brings him substantial recognition but also cements his status as a true innovator in the field of AI, setting the bar for excellence in technology innovation right from the award’s inception.
Moving the field forward
Because AI research and usage is still in its infancy, he believes it is vitally important to prepare the next generation of AI experts if the world is to progress socially and economically. To support this belief, Biswas has designed and delivered learning courses on AI and ML through various platforms, which has reached over one million people worldwide.
In Biswas’s world, there’s no ivory tower — just a relentless drive to push AI forward, one practical breakthrough at a time. He continues to work toward making AI, ML, and Data Science increasingly accessible via education as well as furthering his own work to allow for greater opportunities for collaboration, communication, and innovation.
