What Do You Do? Data Scientist

Can you describe your professional background?

Oh, I’d love to share my story! I made the leap across the pond from the US to the UK and dived straight into an exciting role at Cleo as a Senior NLP Data Scientist/ML Engineer. I'm part of the lively Chat 2 Squad here.

Although I'm relatively new to the UK, I bring over five years of experience in the ML/NLP domain. While I’m particularly passionate about NLP, I’m a bit of an ML all-rounder and love tackling a variety of challenges head-on.

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What’s your experience with AI and LLMs pre-Cleo?

Before joining the Cleo crew, I spent four incredible years at Salesforce Research, diving deep into the world of ML/NLP. I was lucky enough to play around with cutting-edge projects focusing on few-shot learning and conversational AI. It was a hands-on, thrilling ride from brainstorming and prototyping to the final grand reveal, working alongside some of the brightest minds to bring our innovations to life.

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What is it about Cleo’s products that made you join?

Why Cleo? Well, it was love at first chat! I was captivated by Cleo’s unique charm – think of her as the big sister you never knew you needed, with a hint of sass and a whole lot of helpfulness with all things personal finance. This refreshing approach, mixing humour with practicality, captivated me and highlighted a new standard in fintech: engaging, human-centric, and insightful.

Cleo's innovation didn't just stop at its user experience; it extended to how the product itself aims to revolutionise financial management through AI. The opportunity to contribute to this transformative journey, leveraging my ML/NLP background to enhance Cleo's mission, was irresistible.

The focus here is truly on the product's ability to make financial wellbeing accessible and engaging for everyone, a worthy mission that aligns perfectly with my aspirations around impactful work. My interactions with the Cleo team only amplified this feeling, confirming that I was exactly where I needed to be: at the heart of innovation, surrounded by inspiring, grounded individuals ready to welcome me into the fold.

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What will you be working on at Cleo?

At Cleo, my journey is all about revolutionizing personal finance with a sprinkle of AI magic. I'm engrossed in crafting intelligent agents that not only track users' spending habits but also illuminate the why and how behind their financial decisions. Imagine a personal finance guru tucked in your pocket, constantly analyzing your transactions, offering tailored advice, and nudging you towards smarter spending and saving habits.

It's not just about numbers and charts; it's about understanding the psychological patterns that influence our spending and transforming them into positive financial actions. From alerting users about unusual spending spikes to suggesting practical steps to avoid overspending–I'm all in, ensuring our Cleo users feel empowered, informed, and in control of their finances. It’s a blend of technology, psychology, and personal touch that aims to make financial wellbeing accessible to everyone.

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What recent developments in AI are you really excited about?

The AI landscape is buzzing with innovation, and I find it thrilling. What excites me most is the evolution of AI agents capable of enhancing productivity in new, meaningful ways. We're moving towards a future where these agents, powered by LLMs, seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, simplifying complex tasks and offering personalised support.

This shift towards a multi-agent paradigm represents a significant leap forward, promising to redefine how we interact with technology. Additionally, the prospect of AI-enhanced hardware and operating systems opens up new frontiers for efficiency and user experience.

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What’s a really cool product that uses AI that you find valuable and why?

Talking about my favourite AI-powered gems, Cleo obviously takes a top spot 👀

Branching out, You.com has truly captivated me with its conversational search that feels like chatting with a well-informed friend who always gets the facts right.

There's the ever-charming Duolingo, turning the daunting task of language learning into an adventure filled with joy and engagement.

Not to be overlooked, Character AI has caught my attention with its ability to craft detailed, lifelike personas tailor-made for various user needs.

What ties these favourites together isn't just their innovative use of fine-tuned LLMs; it's their ability to turn routine tasks into engaging, intuitive experiences, transforming the mundane into something extraordinary and making learning and discovery a part of daily fun.