Enlightening the Future of AI and Photonics
On the 42nd episode of Enterprise Software Innovators, host Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) talks with Amit Shah, EVP & CIO of Excelitas Technologies. Excelitas is a global technology company specializing in generating and sensing light in photonics. In this conversation, Amit shares insights into how Excelitas utilizes AI to enhance its photonic technologies, the impact of generative AI on productivity and cybersecurity, and the future of enterprise AI.
Excelitas, often called "the light people," boasts a diverse portfolio that includes lasers, light sources, optics, and sensors. Amit explains, "We make products that create light, such as IR and UV sources, and the sensors that detect this light." These technologies play critical roles in various industries, from aerospace to medical and security sectors. For instance, Excelitas' IR sensors are integral to home security systems like Ring and Google Nest, enabling them to identify objects based on heat signatures. Amit elaborates on the company's use of AI, particularly in enhancing night vision goggles for soldiers on the battlefield. By integrating sophisticated machine learning algorithms, Excelitas improves object identification accuracy, potentially saving lives. "AI has created step function improvement and proven value, which people are willing to pay for," says Amit. Additionally, AI-driven optical inspection machines are revolutionizing Excelitas' quality assurance processes, ensuring high standards and efficiency.
Amit also highlights the potential generative AI in boosting productivity across various business functions and stresses the importance of having a solid data foundation before adoption: "There's a golden principle in the IT world - Garbage in, garbage out. No matter how good the technology is, if you're feeding garbage to that technology, it's just going to spit out garbage. Cleaning up your data sources and streamlining processes is crucial." Today, Excelitas is exploring gen AI for employee productivity tools and developer aids, recognizing its potential to drive significant value creation. Amit believes that while the technology is still nascent, it holds immense promise for the future. He says, "Generative AI can transform how we approach coding and development, potentially shortening innovation cycles significantly." Enhancing code creation, testing, and deployment processes could revolutionize software development and productivity. Furthermore, Excelitas is evaluating gen AI to streamline operations and improve decision-making processes, which could lead to significant efficiency gains. Amit envisions a future where AI becomes integral to everyday business functions, driving productivity and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
To prepare for this AI-driven future, Excelitas is focused on simplifying and harmonizing data silos to enhance AI outcomes. Amit explains, "For you to have better AI outcomes, you need to have good data going into that system, especially for gen AI. So, reducing the complexity of our data silo is number one. We are a decent-sized company with 9000+ employees, 25 locations, and 12 different countries, so we need to come up with things that are federated but comply with different cyber and privacy regulations." Amit also advocates for an entrepreneurial mindset within structured corporations, encouraging experimentation and learning from failures. He notes, "Being an entrepreneur doesn't mean you have to be an investor-driven company. You can be an entrepreneur within a multi-billion-dollar company too." This approach fosters innovation and agility, enabling Excelitas to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Excelitas' innovative approach, under Amit's leadership, showcases how AI and photonics can drive technological advancements and achieve exceptional outcomes. As AI continues to evolve, Excelitas remains at the cutting edge, committed to delivering value for its customers and setting new industry benchmarks. Amit's forward-thinking vision and the company's strategic initiatives position Excelitas as a leader in both AI and photonics. By focusing on practical, incremental improvements and maintaining a strong foundation in data governance, Excelitas is well-equipped to tackle future challenges and seize opportunities in the AI-driven era.
