Articles

Staff Picks – Nestor Gomez

By CFIN Newsdesk posted 04-28-2023 08:00

  

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A lot of material comes across our desks at CFIN, and we love to share new information with YODLers! This one in a series of articles highlighting what CFIN staff are reading, listening to, watching, and posting. Here’s CFIN’s Chief Technology Officer Nestor Gomez. 

 

What are you reading? 

Work-related/professionally I’m reading Isaac Sacolick’s Digital Trailblazer, a compilation of important lessons in digital transformation and technology leadership. This resonates a lot with my past years working at a large food and beverage corporation. The other one is Winning the Room by Bill Franks, one of my favourite gurus in data analytics. This packs practical and proven recommendations for creating and delivering data-driven presentations. 

 

Personally/for fun I’m reading Del templo al temple: silencios y escándalos de la masonería cubana, by Camila Acosta. This is an absorbing investigative essay into the history of the Cuban Freemasonry, splendidly crafted by a brave independent Cuban journalist. 

 

What are you listening to? 

I listen to podcasts. Lots of them. And I also follow their equivalent YouTube channels. Among my favourites are Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell that focuses on overlooked and misunderstood yet significant events in history; Sean Carroll’s Mindscape, a 360 view of philosophy and science with a lot of cosmology and particle physics; StarTalk Radio, with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice, a fun take on very serious astrophysics and science; The Ezra Klein Show; Freakonomics Radio; The Hidden Brain; and the list goes on and on… 

 

Who are you following? 

I don’t tend to follow people. Perhaps some of the authors I mentioned in my previous answers. I rather follow topics of interest and those vary substantially. Right now, like millions of people, I am fascinated with generative AI. The technology itself is captivating, but how to embrace it, reject it or react to it is even more mesmerizing. In my opinion, when it comes to generative AI, we are in between the Innovation Trigger and the Peak of inflated Expectations, using Gartner’s hype cycle terminology. I’m not looking forward to the Trough of Disillusionment, but it is inevitable. When you have lived through a few of these cycles (i.e. dot coms bubble, 3D printing, Blockchain) you learn to identify the patterns. 

 

What are you watching? 

Do you mean what’s in my Netflix’s list? I think Netflix lists are aspirational lists. I have several of these aspirational lists, including one on Amazon. I think they reflect the person I wish I could be if I had time to watch or money to buy it all. The genres I prefer include historical fiction, thrillers, comedies, horror, and some sci-fi. Recently I have been watching Transatlantic on Netflix and Chance on Disney+. 

 

What are you posting about? 

I tend to post about the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, sharing articles and discussions on ethical considerations in AI development. I also post about privacy and security issues, raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding our digital identities and about cybercrime and people awareness as the first line of defense against it. Occasionally, I share content related to food security, human rights, and the promotion of peace and equity. 

 

Anything else to add? 

I am looking forward to this fiscal year and to all the exciting plans we are working on for CFIN’s content production, YODL 2.0 and all the technologies we want to bring to our member’s attention this year. 

 

 

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#AI 
#Machinelearning 
#Digitization