Jarlath O'Carroll

My friend Arianna Huffington has brilliant insights on AI, and her recent University of Southern California baccalaureate address is worth watching. She notes that while today’s graduates have been surrounded by tech their whole lives, AI will change how we live, how we work, and our sense of who we are. The class of 2025 is entering the workforce at a time of profound transition, one where AI is redefining “I think, therefore I am.” AI’s cognitive abilities will soon outpace us, and as this technology reshapes our world, we must ask ourselves: What does it mean to be human? At the Special Competitive Studies Project - SCSP AI+ Expo last week, I encouraged people to visit the drone cage display and watch closely. It was the kids, not the adults, who were dominating. They’re not waiting for permission. They’re learning, building, and shaping the future in real time. Arianna urged the Trojans to demand a future of technology that’s worthy of them and to settle for nothing less. I couldn’t agree more. There’s a new generation rising, and I have no doubt they’ll meet this moment with imagination, responsibility, and clarity. I’m inspired by them, I believe in them, and I can’t wait to see what they create. https://lnkd.in/eFRgtgaK #AI #classof2025 #graduation #USC #innovation

272

16 Comments

This AI moment is brimming with opportunity. It’s also delicate. The leaders who will thrive are those who adopt a "serendipity mindset," says Christian Busch, professor at USC Marshall School of Business. This approach requires fostering moments of happy accidents. It demands that leaders remain receptive to unexpected blessings. Your best-laid plans alone won't suffice. The pivotal moments that will define your organization will unfold in hallway conversations and spontaneous coffee chats. Are you creating space for serendipity? Check out Great Place To Work's full list of leadership skills that will make a difference in 2026: https://ukg.inc/4lipuXC

16

1 Comment

We're heading to Portland for Dream 2026! ✈️ For Provosts and VPs of Student Success, the challenge today isn't just "implementing AI"—it’s using AI to drive measurable student outcomes and close equity gaps at scale. At QuadC, we’re proud to partner with institutions to empower their support teams with secure, responsible AI. Our goal? Helping every student persist and succeed. If you're attending #Dream2026, let’s discuss how we can support your institutional goals for 2026! ☕

14

AI Tip of the Week: I was chatting with Saishridhar Balamurali about what happens when an LLM seems to go down a rabbit hole while I’m working on a problem. My usual reaction is to clear the context and start over. Sai suggested a different perspective: the model isn’t “stuck,” it’s just missing a key piece of information needed to solve the problem. Instead of restarting, pause and think about what might be missing and feed that in. That clicked for me — it opens up a whole new way to revisit some of my work-in-progress solutions! #GenerativeAI #AI #ChatGPT #MachineLearning #LLM #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #Innovation #TechTrends #Productivity

37

8 Comments

This week at #UNGA80, PJMF President Vilas Dhar published The UN’s AI Turning Point. It calls for lasting global institutions that can govern AI in service of humanity. For the first time, 193 nations agreed to anchor artificial intelligence in science, evidence, and the public good. That’s no small feat. It’s a reminder that progress is possible when multilateral institutions and civil society push together, and why the day-to-day work we do at The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation to resource and equip those actors matters so deeply. Read Vilas’ full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gdwdf4cb

17

HIMSS is almost here, and I’m looking forward to catching up with so many of you. I'm especially looking forward to our session with UC San Diego Health. Karandeep Singh and Jeffrey Pan will showcase how they're using Notable's Platform and AI Agents to act as a critical workforce multiplier, transforming patient access, care operations, and RCM across the enterprise. Learn more about everything we have going on at HIMSS here: https://lnkd.in/gQifSd2A. And definitely come say hello if you're attending!

29

2 Comments

Have you heard of “Q Day”? I hadn't. I had a great lunch today with Kellyn Beeck, who teaches at the Oregon Institute of Technology. We talked about Q Day, the point at which quantum computing could break much of the public-key cryptography our digital world still depends on. What struck me most was not the exact timeline. It was the lead time. Whether Q Day is a few years away or further out (prognosticators say 3 to 5 years), this feels like one of those issues where the transition may matter more than the date. By the time the threat is obvious to everyone, the organizations that waited may already be behind. This does not feel like another Y2K. It feels slower, deeper, and more structural. Not one deadline, but a long migration across infrastructure, vendors, systems, and trust models. The bigger point is that some of the most important technology shifts do not show up first as headlines. They show up first as planning problems. That seems to be where quantum security is now.

4

🌿 Just dropped: my podcast conversation with Biophilic Solutions on equitable, community-led climate solutions in the Amazon. It features stories from the rainforest, lessons in resilience, and a vision for climate justice. In this episode—Rooted in Wisdom: Indigenous Voices and the Amazon Rainforest—I share thoughts on how to truly address the climate crisis by centering Indigenous knowledge, land rights, and leadership. We also explore climate finance, emerging technologies, and why social integrity must go hand-in-hand with environmental integrity. I highlight the work we’re doing through the Climate Justice Standard, a framework that reimagines carbon markets to be equitable, community-led, and effective: https://www.cjstandard.com Huge thanks to the Biophilic Solutions team for this thoughtful conversation. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/evBWq62C #ClimateJustice #NaturalClimateSolutions #AmazonRainforest #IndigenousRights #CarbonMarkets #ClimateFinance #BiophilicSolutions

75

3 Comments

 Modernizing the Campus Experience at UC Riverside Transitioning a university from a "reactive" IT posture to a "proactive" one is about more than just software—it’s about operational scale. At UCR, we’ve shifted our focus toward building an intelligent campus that removes administrative friction: - Research at Speed: We’ve automated federal compliance through a "Secure Enclave," allowing researchers to bypass paperwork and get straight to the science. - Proactive Security: By streamlining our SecOps, we can now triage threats in minutes, ensuring a secure environment for our 26,000+ students. - Operational Efficiency: We are simplifying complex workflows across the board to ensure our lean team can support a growing institution. The objective is to make technology invisible so that student success and academic research can stay front and center. Full case study details here: https://lnkd.in/gAYYaQiN #UCRiverside #HigherEd #DigitalTransformation #ITStrategy #Innovation 

61

2 Comments

The latest episode of "Where AI Works" just aired. I was honored to discuss AI, technology, and business in an interview by Serguei Netessine, Sr. Vice Dean of Innovation at The Wharton School. We covered topics including strategies for new AI business models, shifts to AI platforms, and the cultural divide between AI adopters and skeptics. You can find the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gCjQnRhU #AI #Strategy #Businessmodels #innovation #Wharton  

30

4 Comments

I took Data 100 (University of California, Berkeley's flagship data science course with 1,000+ students) as an undergrad, so building alongside Josh Grossman and the Data 100 staff team has been especially meaningful. In the past year, the course was able to offer group tutoring sessions made possible by the time savings from Pensive. As Josh put it: “By automating the mechanical parts of the course, Data 100 has actually managed to become a more human experience.” Grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Berkeley community. Huge thanks to the entire staff team for the constant feedback!

51

4 Comments

San Francisco: The Innovation Ecosystem’s Heartbeat San Francisco’s unique blend of culture, talent, and capital creates an unparalleled innovation ecosystem. It’s not just the tech giants; it’s the startups, accelerators, and venture capitalists that fuel a continuous cycle of creativity and disruption. However, this ecosystem is evolving—remote work and rising costs challenge the traditional model. The future of innovation hubs may be hybrid, blending physical proximity with digital connectivity. How do you see San Francisco’s role evolving in the next decade? #SanFrancisco #InnovationEcosystem #Startups #VentureCapital #TechTrends

1

YC’s process is oddly contradictory. They demand an exhaustive amount of information from founders, including a full video pitch, yet provide zero actionable feedback when rejecting teams. For an accelerator that actively encourages re-applications, the absence of even basic guidance feels less like a meritocratic, “open review” model and more like the opaque HR machinery of Big Tech — heavy intake, vague rejections, no insight. Early-stage founders would benefit enormously from transparent critique, but YC seems unwilling to offer the same clarity they expect from applicants!

10

1 Comment

We all hear the talk about AI research scientists at well-funded SF Bay Area startups receiving new hire equity awards worth tens of millions of dollars. Now, with 75% of the Forbes AI 50 list using Pave, we have the data to prove it, and remember, 10% of people are paid above the 90th percentile. Starting in mid-March, Market Data Pro is getting its biggest upgrade yet, and you'll be able to see data like the image I shared today. Here's what's new: → Pay mix benchmarks for commission-based roles (e.g. account execs) → Target bonus % and bonus eligibility benchmarks → Base salary and total cash data for employees with and without bonuses → Multi-select filters; you can now set custom filter ranges and blend headcount, invested capital, revenue, and valuation demographics in a single view → Peer groups; benchmark against a custom list of your closest competitors Underneath all of it: we've enhanced our entire calculation engine. Results are now generated on-the-fly, there's more data across every role, and we've strengthened our data dominance rules so no single company can skew the market. The result? We can go deeper into benchmarks that were previously nearly impossible to find — with confidence in the accuracy of every number. We're walking through all of it live tomorrow. Join us. Registration link in the comments. 👇 #AITalent #Compenation #CompensationStrategy #TotalRewards

60

4 Comments

For decades, the narrative of California’s technological supremacy was localized strictly within the borders of Silicon Valley. However, as the post-pandemic digital economy recalibrates, a significant seismic shift is occurring in Southern California. #AIinnovationinOrangeCounty #AItechnologytrends #CaliforniaAIecosystem #LargeLanguageModels(LLM) #OrangeCountyAIstartups #SaaSInnovation #SiliconBeachSouth #SouthernCaliforniatechhub #UCIrvine(UCI)Wayfinder #VentureCapitalinSoCal

2

A great set of keynotes at #CadenceLIVE with several good takeaways; - Charlie Kawwas believes recent estimates of semiconductor business reaching $2T by 2030 is too low - Anirudh sharing his belief that physicalAI has the potential to dwarf existing AI business with various forms of robotics being the largest portion - Jensen discussing management of engineering teams in the agentic AI era, where engineering teams need to be measured by how many tokens they are using. He stated he believes nvidia must spend billions on tokens in order to stay ahead

21

2 Comments