Navigating the Future of AI/ML, Innovations, Challenges, and Ethical Practices in AI : An Interview with Irshad Buchh, Senior Principal Cloud Solutions Architect at Oracle
To say that AI is becoming pervasive in modern life is to underestimate just how disruptive the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence solutions has become. It seems that no matter what the subject matter, service or product, companies are betting that people will want to harness the enormous data processing ability and speed of increasingly advanced and easy-to-use AI solutions.
The value of the AI market in 2024 is estimated to be in the region of $184 billion, an eye-watering leap from a valuation of $50 billion only a year ago. However, the current market size and value pales compared to a projected market value of 826 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.
Many business owners have questions about AI. Such as what is driving this spectacular growth, what is the impact on business and the U.S. economy, and what does the future hold for AI?
We spoke to one man who may have the answers, Irshad Buchh – a Senior Principal Architect at Oracle Corporation, specializing in AI/ML and GPU technologies. With over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, Irshad has built a distinguished career with leading organizations like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle.
Thank you for joining us, Irshad. You’ve traveled a long road to reach your current status as one of the most inspiring experts on AI and the Cloud. For readers unfamiliar with your background can you give some insight into your 30-year journey?
As far as academic credentials are concerned I currently hold an MSc from University College London (UCL) and an MTech from IIT Roorkee (University of Roorkee). I’ve spent my professional life evaluating and leveraging the power of distributed solutions to improve business efficiency. Along the way I’ve authored around over 20 articles on the impact of cloud technologies and I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to spend 15 years providing insight to business audiences at various industry conferences and thought leadership events such as AWS re:Invent, Oracle Cloud World, GitOpsCon, CdCon, Kubecon, and DockerCon.
I’m currently enjoying the challenges of working as a Cloud Solutions Engineer at Oracle Corporation, based in Dallas, TX. Oracle is the perfect environment for me. I get to be at the coalface of startup activity and introduce founders and executives to the transformative advantages of AI.
Oracle is a company that allows you to explore the outer limits of technology, while at the same time providing startups with tangible solutions that have a real-world impact. It’s incredibly rewarding and the fact that each startup is unique, while also sharing many of the same challenges makes it a tremendously rewarding and ever-evolving environment.
Before Oracle, my career included roles such as Principal Cloud Solutions Architect/Consultant and Consulting Technical Manager for some of the most respected solutions providers in the business. I spent 5 years at Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a Principal Solutions Architect, where I specialized in architecting cloud-based solutions for public sector and commercial clients across diverse industry segments such as HealthCare and FinTech.
A fascinating journey. AI has come on in leaps and bounds in the last two years, powered by products from companies like NVIDIA. What are your thoughts on how this GPU manufacturer has grown from providing advanced graphic processing units for gaming to becoming a part of the AI revolution?
It’s hard not to get caught up in the AI hype when the share price of companies like NVIDIA (the market leader in artificial intelligence processors) has skyrocketed 600%[2] since January 2023. Given that I’ve been researching NVIDIA’s accelerated computing for modern applications, it didn’t come as a surprise that the company has become such a significant part of the AI ecosystem, although I must admit I never foresaw such a stratospheric rise in the share price. If I had, we might be doing this interview from the comfort of my private yacht.
The moment that AI and LLM (Large Language Models) started to grab the attention of Cloud solution providers it was almost inevitable that NVIDIA was going to shoot the lights out.
Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) were the dominant forces in the U.S. chip sector, but they were focused on producing CPUs — central processing units, NVIDIA, specialized in graphics processing units (GPUs), used in increasingly advanced video and computer games. Take a look at the latest and greatest video games on the market and the consoles developed by Sony and Microsoft and you quickly are blown away with just how powerful these processors are.
It’s no exaggeration to say that AI is transforming business, and many people are concerned that the technology will end up costing them their jobs. In your opinion should this be a concern?
The transformative power of AI is undeniable, but it’s important to recognize that the technology’s impact on businesses goes beyond just raw processing power. While AI is revolutionizing industries from large corporations to startups, this doesn’t necessarily translate into mass layoffs. Instead, it signals a shift in the workforce where organizations must prioritize upskilling and training to maximize the potential of AI.
In creative fields, AI can indeed write scripts or illustrate books, but human creativity and input remain irreplaceable. AI should be seen as a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them.
Given that creativity and innovation are the beating heart of startup culture, has there been any reluctance to embrace the possibilities of AI?
The sheer breadth of how AI is being used is staggering, and businesses, including startups, have been incredibly quick to jump on board. When AI solutions were first rolled out, startup founders and the C-Suite were skeptical that it was a truly transformative technology, maybe the lessons of the dot-com bubble were still too fresh.
But any reluctance to embrace AI quickly disappeared once the technology became more advanced and the business case for using AI strengthened. Today around 75% of businesses are now using or evaluating AI[3] and 83% of companies are prioritizing AI in their business planning, so I think it’s fair to say that AI is now part of the startup landscape.
If you had to make an elevator pitch for AI to a startup founder, what would you say? The clock starts now!
[Laughter] AI is your startup’s secret weapon. It can turn data into insights, automate routine tasks, and personalize user experiences at scale, giving you a competitive edge. Whether you’re looking to streamline operations, innovate faster, or better understand your customers, AI can drive exponential growth. Start small, think big, and let AI transform your vision into reality.
AI and the Cloud are both technologies that can deliver incredible value to organizations, but staying current can be a challenge. How do you make sure you’re at the bleeding edge of innovation in these areas?
In my case, I like to think I marry creativity and focus to stay up to date with the latest developments in AI. I’ve adopted a strategic approach to managing my time effectively. I follow a simple 80:20 rule. Out of a typical 40-hour work week, I spend at least 8 hours researching new cloud services and advancements and focus on understanding new GPU-based systems from NVIDIA and AMD.
It’s a challenge not to get sidetracked, AI is touching so many people’s lives in so many ways, but the approach allows me to stay updated on not only AWS and Oracle offerings but also the latest developments from other cloud providers.
The cloud services offered by major providers like AWS, Oracle, Azure, and Google have been developed to meet the needs of organizations of any size, and they’re improving in lockstep with the new demands that are now placed on organizations, whether they are at the beginning of their lifecycle or mature companies. Staying up to date requires discipline, but you have to temper that focus with a commitment to some sort of quality of life.
AI is grabbing headlines and it’s now an increasingly important part of the business environment. But there have been some who say that the promise of AI is overblown, what are your thoughts?
It’s not only organizations that are benefitting from AI innovation, AI is contributing to the health and growth of the U.S. economy. Almost 60% more new businesses are being created each year and it’s almost certain they’re going to be making use of AI, and that’s going to contribute to an increase in annual US GDP growth between 0.5 and 1.5 percentage points[4] annually over the next 10 years. That equates to somewhere between $1.2 trillion to $3.8 trillion more economic growth per decade.
This upward trajectory can only be maintained by leveraging the knowledge, skills and experience of those who are focused on the business case for AI.
Irshad Buchh is a leading force in harnessing the potential of AI within the startup ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in advancing the United States’ leadership in the fiercely competitive global AI landscape.
Discover more about his exceptional qualifications, extensive experience, and forward-looking vision on his LinkedIn page.
