David Colwell, Vice President of Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... and Machine Learning at Tricentis, brings a wealth of industry experience and academic curiosity to the DevReady Podcast. With a background that spans automation, quality engineering, and cutting-edge AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... research, David leads the charge in making enterprise AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... practical and effective. Having spent years building and training neural networks and raising five “natural networks” at home, David blends technical rigour with a wry sense of humour, offering a grounded and entertaining take on the challenges of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... adoption in business today. In this episode, David joins host Anthony Sapountzis to unpack the reality behind the AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... hype and what it takes to build systems that truly deliver value.
The episode opens on a light-hearted note, with David comparing the training of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... models to parenting his children, drawing a parallel between machine learning hallucinations and childhood fibs. He shares his journey from automating his own QAQuality Assurance is the process of reviewing a piece of work to ensure that the quality and standards are met.... role to spearheading Tricentis’ Vision AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... product, reflecting on the early days of experimentation with models like BERT and GPT-2. David recalls how, in the past, it was a struggle to convince stakeholders that AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... had practical utility, whereas now, the challenge lies in tempering the overwhelming demand for AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... solutions with thoughtful implementation.
As the conversation deepens, David and Anthony discuss the growing trend of companies branding themselves as “AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... startups” despite simply integrating off-the-shelf language models. David likens this to previous hype cycles around blockchain and cloud When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,..., pointing out that while we’re currently in a “quick wins” phase of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through..., lasting value will come from building proprietary tools and tapping into unique data sets. He warns that early movers relying solely on public LLMs may struggle to differentiate, especially as customers become more agile in switching providers.
The duo also delve into the practical limitations of today’s AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tools, especially in areas where precision, repeatability, and auditability are non-negotiable. David argues that while hallucinations can be creatively useful (such as stress-testing systems with unpredictable input), they’re unacceptable in high-stakes environments like finance. He emphasises that any AI-powered system must be designed to tolerate and recover from failure, with humans in the loop where necessary. At Tricentis, generative AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... is used to accelerate creative tasks like generating test ideas, but the execution remains deterministic to ensure reliability.
Closing the episode with wit and technical insight, David and Anthony critique the current obsession with AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... agents. They explore how unnecessarily complex agent setups often lead to inefficiencies, especially when predictable outcomes could be achieved with simpler workflows. David amusingly describes his ongoing side project—testing how AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... models choose between tools based on psychologically manipulative prompts, a concept he calls “SEO for tools.” It’s a fitting end to a conversation that blends sharp analysis, ethical considerations, and a deep understanding of the balance between human and machine intelligence.
Topics Covered
- David Colwell’s career journey from QAQuality Assurance is the process of reviewing a piece of work to ensure that the quality and standards are met.... automation to leading AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... at Tricentis
- Early days of working with neural networks, BERT, and GPT-2
- Rise of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... hype and the proliferation of “AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... startups”
- Challenges of building durable, consistent AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tools
- The problem of hallucinations and how to handle them in real-world applications
- Ethical concerns around systemic AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... errors and lack of human recourse
- Practical use of generative AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... in software testing
- Misuse of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... agents vs. effective workflow automation
- Overcomplication in agent toolchains and decision fatigue
- David’s experiment: “SEO for tools” using psychological manipulation to influence AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... decision-making
Important Time Stamps
- Before ChatGPT Was Cool: A Tricentis AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Origin Story (0:07 – 8:00)
- Why Most AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Startups Will Get Left Behind (8:01 – 14:11)
- Your Secret Sauce Is the Moat: Building Durable AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Value (14:12 – 19:37)
- Systemic AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Errors? Why ‘Good Enough’ Isn’t Good Enough (19:38 – 26:47)
- Agents Are Overrated: Use a Workflow, Not a Sledgehammer (26:48 – 31:47)
