On Wednesday October 30th, Hans van Dam (CEO of Conversation Design Institute) and Luke Kempen (Conversational AI Practice Lead at CDI Services US), delivered two sessions at Rasa’s CALM SUMMIT in NYC.
Early on in the day, Hans delivered a keynote titled ‘from 1M to 1B Customers: Scaling with Conversational AI’, whilst in the afternoon, Hans and Luke delivered a masterclass titled Getting it Right at the Top and Tail.
Their discussion explored the benefits of utilizing the CDI Standards Framework to inform strategic planning upfront, and ensuring ongoing review and optimization are built into internal processes to achieve outstanding chatbot results. The masterclass drew upon a number of CDI Services’ US Advisory experiences, reflecting on real world examples along with fielding engaging questions from audience members.
After her session, we spoke briefly with Hans and Luke to get their reflections on a great event and some of the key takeouts from their masterclass.
CDI: That was a big day filled with activity. What were some of the key points of inspiration that you took away from CALM sessions?
LK: The discussions around the risks of Generative AI really stood out. There’s a growing focus on quantifying risks to minimize harm, recognizing that while risk can’t be fully eliminated, responsible approaches can make AI safer and more effective.
HvD: Most of the people in the room represent organizations that operate in highly regulated industries. They all seem to have a responsible view on conversational AI. They don’t buy into the hype, and all seek to be in control when using AI to talk to people.
CDI: How did you find your masterclass? What would you say are the key points that really resonated with the audience for those who couldn’t attend?
LK: The audience seemed to appreciate our focus on avoiding the hype around new tech like ChatGPT and instead prioritizing real problem-solving. They were also very interested in the idea of starting slowly and thoughtfully in planning so they can accelerate during implementation.
HvD: Most people were interested in how much planning there should be before doing anything with AI. Having a vision isn’t enough, the vision needs to include certain things about CX, cost, satisfaction, automation etc. This then needs to be translated into a strategy with sustainable business plans. People seemed really keen to understand some of the nuanced elements of building winning conversational AI capabilities.
CDI: One of the key aspects of the masterclass was acquainting the audience with the CDI Standards Framework. For those who couldn’t attend, can you please share why this is a significant part of how CDI approaches the auditing and consulting work we undertake with leading organizations?
LK: The CDI Standards Framework gives organizations a clear picture of their AI maturity, highlighting both strengths and areas for growth. By pinpointing where to invest resources, it helps teams build robust, scalable capabilities. This framework ensures that every aspect of an organization’s AI operations is designed to deliver sustainable, human-centered outcomes.
HvD: CDI Standards Framework is a systemized approach to building human centered AI Assistants and the capability you need to manage and scale them. We have evaluated many organizations over the years and the things that high performing organizations are doing have been captured in this standards framework. It allows us to audit enterprises to help them create better roadmaps, and it informs our consultants on how to turn every operation into a high performing one.
CDI: Finally, what else is in the calendar coming into the home stretch of 2024 that is exciting you both?
LK: I’m really looking forward to our upcoming webinar, Solving Real Problems with RAG: A Live Demo and Discussion, on December 5th. This session builds on the extensive work we’ve done to develop RAG best practices. It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in seeing how RAG works in action and learning valuable tips and strategies we’ve picked up along the way.
HvD: I’m really excited about a few courses that are coming out. Digital Humans, Prompt Designing, Design Patterns, and lots of other great stuff.
On Thursday December 5th, at 10AM EST and 4pm CET, Luke Kempen will be part of a unique CDI Services webinar titled Solving Real Problems with RAG: A Live Demo and Discussion. You can learn more about the webinar and secure your spot here
If your organization would like to learn more about the auditing and consulting services being delivered by CDI in the US (from our Expert Reviews through to our holistic Audits utilizing the CDI Standards Framework), please contact [email protected]
