In a recent episode of Building Great Tech, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa sat down with Dr. Travis Hoppe, a physicist and AI researcher who has served as the first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at the CDC and as Assistant Director of AI Research and Development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Hoppe is now the Chief AI Officer at GroundVue, a startup that applies AI to public meetings data to strengthen democratic processes. He also co-developed The Pile, the first open-source dataset for training large language models.
During the conversation, Hoppe discussed how AI can shape the future of democracy and the science behind developing large language models. He emphasized the importance of responsible AI adoption in government and public health, drawing on his experience leading the CDC's AI portfolio and launching its enterprise AI strategy.
"We need to bridge cutting-edge AI research with practical government implementation," Hoppe said. His work at the White House involved coordinating AI strategy across federal agencies and advancing responsible AI deployment.
GroundVue, co-founded by former federal technologists, aims to make public meetings more transparent and accessible using AI. The venture reflects Hoppe's belief that AI can enhance democratic participation if developed with openness and accountability.
The episode is part of Building Great Tech, a podcast that explores product decisions, growth strategies, and value creation in tech businesses, drawing on the hosts' experience driving exits and retention improvements.