RHEMINISCING with Dr. Tony Rhem: Artificial Intelligence, Past, Present and the Possible!
RHEMINISCING is a thought-provoking podcast hosted by Dr. Tony Rhem, a globally recognized expert in AI, Knowledge Management, and ethical tech innovation. Through strategic reflection and future-forward insight, this podcast examines the transformative journey of artificial intelligence—from its early theoretical roots to today’s generative powerhouses and tomorrow’s agentic systems. Bridging technical depth with societal impact, RHEMINSCING serves as a compass for leaders, practitioners, and thinkers navigating the ever-evolving intersection of AI and humanity.
RHEMINISCING with Dr. Tony Rhem: Artificial Intelligence, Past, Present and the Possible!
AI Then and Now
AI in the late 1980s, starting with rule-based expert systems built in languages like Lisp and Prolog for Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies. Over the decades, my work has evolved from developing expert systems to integrating AI into enterprise applications, advancing through the big-data era, deep learning, and ultimately generative AI.
Later I pioneered approaches that merged knowledge management with AI, providing personalized, knowledge-driven systems. As generative AI and transformers emerged in the late 2010s and 2020s, the focus shifted toward responsible AI, AI ethics, and governance, emphasizing that advancing AI isn’t just about smarter machines—it requires guardrails to ensure alignment with human values. Without governance, AI risks scaling bad decisions at high speed, making ethical oversight essential.
Key themes: AI literacy • Large language models • Generative AI • AI governance • Digital ethics • Responsible innovation