Discussion [Sticky] Please introduce yourself here.

Hello, everyone;

I am Laurence Liew, Director of AI Singapore. My team and I created the AIAP so that I could build an AI Engineering team consisting mostly of Singaporeans to work on various AI projects. These include internal projects for NLP, CV and RPA, and also projects from the industry - under the 100E programme.

I graduated from NUS with a Mechanical Engineering degree and also have a Master's in Knowledge Engineering (when knowledge (aka expert) systems were more popular than neural networks).

I have been in the HPC, cloud and analytics industry since 1993, starting my work at Singtel as one of the first AI engineers in a new AI unit. (Yes, Singtel started their AI journey back in the mid-1990s).

After leaving Singtel, I have been in various startups in high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud space. We deployed many of the first Linux (beowulf) HPC clusters for the various universities here in Singapore, including the first large-scale Linux cluster for A*STAR's IHPC. Our team also deployed one of the world's first Itanium HPC clusters here in Singapore for NUS's MIT-SMA.

Our team also worked on cluster software for the likes of Cray, Dell, HP and Fujitsu.. it powered some of the largest supercomputers in the world at that time.

Before joining AI Singapore, I was GM for Revolution Analytics (enterprise R), and got many governments and companies in Asia Pacific to start their analytics journey with R at scale (Revolution R can scale from a single CPU to a cluster, including Hadoop and Spark with 1-3 lines of code change).

So my journey has been in building production-quality software for large-scale clusters and analytics. Now, my team and I are bringing this experience to AI Singapore through the 100E and AIAP programmes.

We hope to accelerate Singaporeans and Singapore companies' adoption of AI.

Let's chat!

Laurence

Hi everyone, Han here, a current AI Apprentice from Batch 12. I was a freelance video producer and editor, doing advertising and documentary work prior to my transition into machine learning. Happy to share my experiences if it may be helpful to anyone also considering their next steps. I'll also try my best to frequent the various threads here, and offer input as needed. Feel free to DM me as well.

Hello, I am JF, and I joined AIAP Batch 12 in Feb 2023, together with Han.

I've been a web developer for 2 decades (PHP, MySQL, javascript, etc) and was inspired to start studying Python and machine learning after attending one of Laurence's in-person lectures ("AI for Everyone") way back before the pandemic.

I found that I like working with data. My learning has not always been smooth, but I believe if I keep at it, I'll get better and be able to do meaningful things with this new know-how. Looking forward to chatting with like-minded folks who are also learning ML!

Hello friends!

I am Kevin Chng, Assistant Head of AIAP in AI Singapore (AISG). Together with a team of passionate AI Engineers in AISG, we design and execute the curriculum of AIAP to ensure all apprentices are equipped with the necessary AI/ML and software proficiencies upon completing the programme.

I graduated from NUS with a Biomedical Engineering degree. Subsequently, I pursued a Ph.D. to study the efficacy of stored red blood cells for transfusion through in vivo, single cells, and numerical studies.

Garnering a strong interest in AI/ML during my research stint, I joined the AIAP (Batch 6) after completing my graduate study. During AIAP, I undertook a Computer Vision project and had the opportunity to work, learn and play with a team of like-minded individuals from very diverse backgrounds.

Having a strong passion for education, upon graduating from the programme, I joined the AIAP Team to work on different initiatives to accelerate the adoption of AI among Singaporeans.

Feel free to chat with me!

Kevin Chng

Hello everyone! I'm Meldrick, an AI apprentice from Batch 11. I graduated from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Before joining the AI Apprenticeship Program (AIAP), I worked in risk management within the investment banking industry. Although I had no previous formal education in data science, I managed to acquire AI/ML skills through diligent self-study before applying for AIAP.

Having experienced the challenges of learning these skills firsthand, I'm eager to support potential apprentices by answering any questions you may have. Additionally, I'm more than happy to share insights on daily life in AIAP. So please, don't hesitate to reach out – I'm here to help!

Good day to all.  I'm Zhi Qiang, an AI apprentice currently from Batch 12. Prior to joining the AI Apprenticeship Program (AIAP), I majored in Mathematics was in public service as in the defence and land transport industries. While I had some experience in doing a bit of software development, AI related works such as infrastructure setup as well as project management in my short career span previously, I felt that there is a need to bridge the gap in my AI understanding, and hence I decided to enroll in the AIAP programme.

I would be glad to share any insights/thoughts and provide inputs on the AIAP programme.

Hello everyone!

I am Ivan Gu, an AI Engineer with a background in accounting and finance. I started my career in the maritime industry, crunching numbers and balancing ledgers, but soon realised that my true passion lies in the exciting and ever-evolving world of AI and cybersecurity. I graduated from AIAP batch 10 and have since been working tirelessly to hone my skills in the field.

Being an AI Engineer, I believe that technology has the power to transform the world, and I want to be a part of that change. I'm always on the lookout for new challenges that push me to innovate and come up with creative solutions. With every project I undertake, I strive to incorporate the latest AI trends and techniques to deliver the best possible outcomes.

In my free time, I love to read about new AI developments and attend industry events to stay up to date with the latest advancements. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and expertise with others and contributing to the growth of the AI community.

I'm excited to connect with fellow AI professionals and contribute to the growth of this exciting field. Let's connect and chat about all things AI!

Ivan Gu

Hello! I'm Benjamin, currently an AI engineer at AI Singapore and a graduate of AIAP batch 10. My background is in Physics and I was exposed to both reinforcement learning and ML in my studies. Reinforcement learning was used in my lab to ensure that the output of the laser was protected against drifting by allowing it to do self-correction. ML was used in TrackML. Of course, at the time these were just neat ideas that I knew existed but nevertheless it planted the seed of curiosity in me.

I view AI as a paradigm shift, much like how general relativity is to physics; a new lens to observe our world with. Just like how our handheld GPS is so integrated in our lives, I believe that AI will only become more and more integrated too. The predictive text on our keyboard or search engine is an example of it.

I know that a significant portion of our readers are interested in AIAP, so do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

>>> frank = Person()

>>> frank.load_profile(profile_dict)

>>> frank.greet()

Hey guys, Frank here, batch 11 apprentice 🙂

>>> frank.show_journey()

Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's) ->

Process Engineer (5 years) ->

Business Analytics (Master's) + DS Intern ->

AIAP Batch 11

(Man, time flies...)

>>> frank.advise()

We're from different backgrounds, that's clear.

Some just graduated, some switching careers.

Some with relevant skills, some not quite there.

All looking for something, a new path to steer.

AIAP is the place to be.

To get something different, I believe you'll agree.

Life ain't guaranteed, we all foresee.

But I wish AIAP can guide you to where you suppose to be.

(I wrote these lines with ChatGPT, but the last punchline is written by me. Peace.)

>>> frank.stop_cringing()

Hello World, I'm Wayne, nice to meet you 😀

I graduated with a diploma in aeronautical engineering. After that, I was in the Republic of Singapore Air Force as an Air Force Engineer for approximately 5 years. My daily responsibilities were servicing and repairing helicopters. I enjoy problem solving and troubleshooting technical faults.

My degree of study is in mathematics, which is also where I discovered my passion for programming and its ability to solve complex problems. My interest in AI was piqued due to its data-driven nature, and I am excited to apply my skills to automate tasks and develop innovative solutions.

"Every Exception, is a Lesson" - Master Oogway 

I believe that failure is one of life's greatest teachers, and it is from these failures that we learn and grow.

Feel free to chat with me!

Hi,

I am Jarrod Teo, currently I am a Chief Data Scientist of an MNC Direct Sourcing Solutions. 

I lead a Cloud Engineering team in the company and working closely with a few Directors and my C team. 

I have 18 years of experience in Data Science and Statistics. Set up 3 Data Science departments so far.

Most of my machine learning models are deployed and earning money. Some of them ran as long as 6 years and counting.

I had unique experience in deploying machine learning models in extreme Economical situations... Example country protest period, Pre covid to covid to post lock down. And my models are still making money for the company. 

I had trained 3k professionals so far from executive to MD level.

My past experience usually are with Fortune 500 companies.

I had developed 16 Data Science products so far. And one of them causes a company to be valued at 13.4mill USD. 

Dear all,

This is Andy here. I am quite new in AI, I have self- taught from AISingapore and DataCamp for half a year.

I saw above gurus have very strong background on AI. I am looking forward to discussing with all of you gurus to gain more experience.

I may ask some basic questions, hope you give me guide accordingly freely.

Thanks in advance and have a nice day to all of you.

best regards

Andy

I 

@liupan welcome!

Hi All,

Pleasure to be part of this community!

I am Victor, a marketeer in an eccomerce company. 

I started exploring the topic on AI 2 years back as I hope to find AI solution for my industry. Prior to that, I do not have any tech knowledge.

I get more intrigued by what AI can do, as I understand more about it. 

At this stage, my understanding is still very theoretical. I am trying to apply what I have learned and am glad to find a community here to journey together.

Regards

Victor