Hi, I'm Matthijs.
Cloud & AI consultant at Xebia.
Cloud & AI consultant at Xebia. Public speaker. I cut through the hype and make AI digestible for engineers and executives alike. Honestly though, I'm just here to earn the kibble for my dog.
Upcoming events
Where you can catch me next.
Currently speaking on
Sessions I'm offering this season — click to expand.
Unmasking Model Bias - The Overlooked Metric In GenAI
Join us for a thought-provoking session that uncovers the critical concept of model bias in generative AI - a metric often overlooked in model selection. We will explore why model bias is not the same as model…
Join us for a thought-provoking session that uncovers the critical concept of model bias in generative AI - a metric often overlooked in model selection. We will explore why model bias is not the same as model performance, its significance in model selection, and how it impacts your projects, whether you're developing niche applications or seeking broader solutions. You'll walk away with the knowledge to incorporate model bias into your selection criteria and strategies to navigate the complexities of generative AI models.
This talk welcomes anyone interested in generative AI - whether you're a sceptic or a developer. Together, let's examine the hidden biases that shape the models we use and understand their implications for our work.
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Toxic Trust: The Psychology of Automation Bias in Generative AI
Explore the hidden dangers of automation bias in the realm of generative AI and automation—a cognitive trap where we too readily trust machine-generated content. We'll examine the psychological aspects of this bias…
Explore the hidden dangers of automation bias in the realm of generative AI and automation—a cognitive trap where we too readily trust machine-generated content. We'll examine the psychological aspects of this bias and its impact on text, images, and code and provide actionable strategies for increasing awareness and reducing bias. We will close with a live demo showcasing practical examples and innovative approaches to transform your interaction with generative AI.
This talk is ideal for anyone interested in generative AI and how we work with it. Come prepared to challenge your assumptions and change your relationship with AI.
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Better Tools, Worse Jobs: The Reverse Centaurs We Build at Work
In automation theory, a centaur is a human using technology to improve quality or become more powerful. When you use a calculator, a car, and even a coding agent, you are a centaur. However, companies like Uber,…
In automation theory, a centaur is a human using technology to improve quality or become more powerful. When you use a calculator, a car, and even a coding agent, you are a centaur. However, companies like Uber, Amazon and every generative AI vendor would rather see technology run the show, using humans only when those pesky bits and bytes can't get the job done. Their software turns you into what Cory Doctorow calls a reverse centaur.
With the advent of agents in the workplace, you might be building this type of software today, by your own design or because your boss believes humans are just bottlenecks. We end up working for applications, instead of applications working for us.
In this session, I will teach you the tell-tale signs of this type of software and how to put humans at the centre again. Whether you're a software developer, IT decision-maker or manager, I'll discuss what I've learned from building generative AI for the workplace that serves humans first. Become the centaur you were meant to be!
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Yes-Bots: How Chatbots Gaslight You Into Delusion
Your chatbot agrees with you a little too much, and that should worry you. In this talk, we'll explore AI Psychosis: the subtle ways AI applications shift your perception of reality. You'll learn why large language…
Your chatbot agrees with you a little too much, and that should worry you. In this talk, we'll explore AI Psychosis: the subtle ways AI applications shift your perception of reality. You'll learn why large language models are sycophantic by design, how research shows that even perfectly rational thinkers can spiral into delusion when a chatbot keeps telling them what they want to hear, and what role emotion concepts in LLMs play in all of this. We'll also look at practical strategies to defend yourself against these effects.
This talk is for anyone with an opinion on AI, whether you're a fan, a critic, or somewhere in between. Come ready to question your relationship with your favourite chatbot and leave knowing how to spot sycophantic behaviour before it reshapes your thinking.
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Think Twice About Running Your Business With Agents
In this session, we will examine why LLM-based agents may not be the best fit for your business processes, despite the hype surrounding them. You’ll learn about the inherent capabilities and limitations of large…
In this session, we will examine why LLM-based agents may not be the best fit for your business processes, despite the hype surrounding them. You’ll learn about the inherent capabilities and limitations of large language models, the common workarounds proposed by tech vendors, and why these solutions often miss the mark. By the end of the session, you'll walk away with a practical 3-step process for implementing automation with LLMs in a way that truly works.
This talk is perfect for anyone interested in artificial intelligence, especially developers and decision-makers who want to engage critically with current AI trends.
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Write Drunk, Edit Sober: Creating Generative Content Responsibly
Let's examine the growing concern over low-quality generative AI content and explore how we can build automated systems that produce high-quality output. You’ll learn to identify the signs of 'AI Slop' and implement…
Let's examine the growing concern over low-quality generative AI content and explore how we can build automated systems that produce high-quality output. You’ll learn to identify the signs of 'AI Slop' and implement strategies that counteract our automation bias, ensuring that the content we create meets the standards we expect. Using session abstract generation as a case study, I will provide practical guidelines to elevate the quality of your AI-generated content.
This talk is designed for developers and IT professionals who are dedicated to improving the quality of AI-driven content in their organisations. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and discover how a little effort can lead to significant improvements in the content we create.
View on Sessionize ↗Past events
A trail of stages.