The MAD Podcast with Matt Turck Inside the Paper That Changed AI Forever - Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez on 2025 Agents
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Jun 5, 2025 
Aidan Gomez, CEO of Cohere and co-author of the groundbreaking Transformers paper, reveals the serendipitous origins of this pivotal AI architecture. He discusses the role of synthetic data in creating cutting-edge enterprise solutions, emphasizing productivity over AGI hype. Aidan shares insights on building secure AI for industries like finance and telecommunications while adapting to multilingual needs in markets like Japan and Korea. His candid perspective on AI's real-world implications and the evolution of research environments is both enlightening and thought-provoking.
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AGI as a Continuum, Not a Threshold
- Definitions of AGI and ASI are ambiguous and likely exist on a continuum rather than a clear cutoff.
- Many domain-specific AI models already outperform humans in certain tasks, indicating partial AGI presence.
Gradual Shift to CEO Role
- Transitioning from AI researcher to CEO was gradual and included continued involvement in research initially.
- Aidan values mentorship and has learned from experienced CEOs and board members in leading Cohere.
Synthetic Data Powers Modern AI
- Synthetic data is effective and now forms the majority of training data for models like Command-A.
- Synthetic data stilizes responses to be empathetic and engaging, which human-generated data often lacks.