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Back to All Episodes
S1E117•June 25, 2025•11 minutes• #AI Transformation

AI Evangelism in Action: Alex Volkov on ThursdAI and Weights & Biases | Imagine AI Live 25 - E117

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Episode Overview

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.

Key Takeaways

  • •Authentic communities are built organically. ThursdAI began on Twitter Spaces to fill a need for discussion, proving that valuable content and consistent engagement are more important than a formal launch strategy.
  • •The role of an 'AI Evangelist' is to bridge the gap between complex technology and the public, fostering understanding and countering fear with a focus on progress and positivity.
  • •Professional AI development requires dedicated tools. Platforms like Weights & Biases are essential for moving beyond spreadsheets to effectively track experiments, collaborate, and scale machine learning operations.
  • •Observability is crucial for trust in production AI. Tools like Weights & Biases' Weave allow developers to monitor, evaluate, and understand LLM behavior, which is critical for enterprise-grade reliability.
  • •A proactive, optimistic narrative is a strategic advantage. Focusing on AI's potential and celebrating incremental progress can drive adoption and innovation more effectively than succumbing to 'AI doomerism'.
  • •Consistency creates loyalty. Attaching a podcast to a weekly schedule, while challenging, was a key factor in ThursdAI's success by building a reliable habit for its audience.
  • •The 'Trust but Verify' principle applies to AI implementation. Both end-users and enterprises must adopt a mindset of verifying AI outputs through robust evaluation and monitoring.

Featuring

Chris Madden

Chris Madden

(Host)
Chris Madden, a co-founder of the IMAGINE AI LIVE conference, and host of the Imagine AI Podcast, is a dedicated AI enthusiast and podcaster with a knack for creating engaging content. Prior to Imagine AI Live he was the driving force behind the popular All-In-Tok and formerly produced the 20VC podcast. His diverse experiences, from teaching English worldwide to hosting the newly launched Imagine AI podcast, underscore his commitment to fostering learning and dialogue about AI. Madden envisions the Imagine AI platform as a vehicle to help all AI creators and startups share their insights and discuss the future of AI. When he’s not travelling the world or interviewing podcast guests, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and young daughter from their home in Seoul, South Korea.
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Topics

#AI Evangelism#Community Building#Weights & Biases#LLM Observability#MLOps#AI Optimism#AI Trust & Safety#AI Podcasts

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