In 2014, we opened an email that changed our lives. We had received a scholarship to study and work in the cradle of technology: Silicon Valley. It turned out to be the perfect moment and the perfect place to witness the rebirth of modern artificial intelligence. The technologies that would be powering the AI revolution of the 2010s were taking their first steps outside academic labs. In Silicon Valley, it was easy to peek behind the curtains, as excited geeks shared their knowledge at open events.
For the two of us, and for Silicon Valley companies, it was clear that AI was set to shake industries left and right. And yet, we returned home to Europe to realize that the rest of the business world had not caught up with this reality. Business leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs knew little about the potential of AI. Even the few enlightened people who did have a vision struggled to find the tools and skills needed to make it a reality.