Who Gets to Shape the AI Future? | AI4, Agents, Open Source, and Small Business
AGI - Advance, Grow, Innovate with AI
AI is changing the rules faster than most people can make sense of them. In this Weekly Blitz, Jason Padgett talks with Nirav Nimish Shah, co-founder of Quantal AI, about what he saw at AI4 and what it means for people trying to keep up with AI without getting lost in hype or fear.
They cover the move from copilots to agents, governance, security, open source, data privacy, AI companions, and why small businesses have a real opportunity to use AI before larger organizations fully catch up.
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY
How to think about practical AI adoption without ignoring risk.
Why small businesses should start with useful, low-complexity AI workflows.
When open-source or self-hosted models may make sense.
Why technical skill alone is no longer enough for future engineers.
Why AI literacy matters for families, students, and everyday workers.
TAKEAWAY
AI will change the world. Joining the conversation is how we increase the odds that it changes it for the better.
GUEST
Nirav Nimish Shah
Co-Founder, Quantal AI
AI engineer, AI consultant, and automation architect
M.S. in Computer Science, Columbia University
Former quant-trading technology professional at UBS
https://www.linkedin.com/in/theniravshah/
Quantal AI
https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantal-ai/
RESOURCES MENTIONED
AI4 Conference
Quantal AI
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Open-source AI models
CONNECT WITH JASON PADGETT
Jason Padgett | AI Solutions Architect | Co-Founder, Wooden Boy Industries | Host, AGI Podcast | AI Adoption, LLM Systems & Human-AI Workflows
AGI - Advance Grow and Innovate with AI Podcast Network
🌐 https://schoolsout.agipodcast.ai/
CoFounder, Wooden Boy Industries
🌐 https://woodenboyindustriesai.com/
Chief Solutions Architect, Chakra AI Solutions
🌐 https://chakrasolutions.ai/
📧 jason@agipodcast.ai
TOOLS MENTIONED
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini