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How do you build a movement around AI optimism in an industry often dominated by hype and fear? Alex Volkov, AI Evangelist at Weights & Biases, did it one live episode at a time. In this conversation recorded live at Imagine AI Live 25, Alex joins host Chris Madden to reveal the origin story of ThursdAI, his weekly livestream that has become an institution for AI commentary and community.
Alex shares his unconventional journey from software engineering in the Soviet Union, Israel, and San Francisco to becoming a leading voice in the AI space. He details how a personal need for community and discussion around emerging tech like Stable Diffusion and Whisper led him to start casual chats on Twitter Spaces. These sessions organically evolved into ThursdAI, a testament to the power of consistency, authenticity, and creating a space for positive, progress-oriented dialogue.
For business leaders and AI practitioners, this episode provides a look under the hood of the AI development ecosystem. Alex demystifies the critical role of Weights & Biases, the de facto platform for MLOps and experiment tracking used by major players like OpenAI and Meta. He also introduces Weave, their LLM observability tool, explaining why monitoring, evaluation, and a “trust but verify” approach are non-negotiable for deploying reliable and accountable AI in production.
This discussion is a masterclass in AI evangelism, community building, and strategic communication. Tune in to learn why Alex deliberately counters AI doomerism, how to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical audiences, and how fostering a culture of excitement and accessibility can accelerate AI adoption and innovation within any organization.
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