Glenn Ko: Boosting Productivity with Personal AI

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, and Changemakers who are advancing the UN SDGs. 

Spiffy here with the scoop on the entrepreneurial leaders of Planet Earth. As the only interplanetary journalist stationed on this blue planet, I’m thrilled to present this galactic exclusive with Glenn Ko, the CEO of Stochastic. Let’s learn what’s happening at Stochastic and how Glenn is making a positive impact in the world.

Spiffy: Thanks for joining me, Glenn! Tell me, what challenge are you addressing through Stochastic?

Glenn: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Stochastic aims to provide everyone with personal AI, boosting productivity. We employ technology to make AI cheaper and faster, ensuring tailored responses for each user. Our products include xChat, a conversational chatbot based on large language models (LLM), customized for individual users and contexts, and xCloud, a cloud platform simplifying LLM training and deployment with enhanced performance efficiency.

Spiffy: What motivates you to do it?

Glenn: My co-founder and I, driven by our experience at Harvard's Architecture, Circuits, and Compilers Group, are committed to making AI accessible to all. We've discovered that by optimizing algorithms, designing dedicated chips, and accelerating inference, we can significantly reduce the costs of running AI models. Our goal is to break down the financial barriers in AI, opening up a world of opportunity for many who are currently excluded from this technological revolution.

Spiffy: What is the impact of your work?

Glenn: Universal access to affordable AI can transform learning and bridge cultural gaps, allowing individuals to easily understand different languages and cultures. It enables efficient content creation in multiple languages, quick learning of programming skills, artistic creation with minimal training, and enhanced writing through AI-assisted editing. This democratizes technology; fostering a more connected and efficient world.

Spiffy: Tell me about a recent organization milestone or initiative. What impact does it make on your audience/community?

Glenn: Our technology has significantly enhanced inference acceleration, leading to a threefold reduction in latency and a remarkable thirtyfold decrease in costs. This advancement ensures faster and more cost-effective AI outputs. Clients across the globe are utilizing our technology, including a prominent Fortune 500 automotive manufacturer, Harvard Grid, and AI startups from multiple continents.

Spiffy: Is there anything else you would love to tell our audience?

Glenn: We have published multiple peer-reviewed research papers focused on AI and natural language models: "SpeedLimit: Neural Architecture Search for Quantized Transformer Models," "INT2.1: Towards Fine-Tunable Quantized LLMs with Error Correction through Low-Rank Adaptation," and "CoopMC: Algorithm-Architecture Co-Optimization for Markov Chain Monte Carlo Accelerators." We have also secured funding from prominent investors including Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Harvard Innovation Labs.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Glenn—it’s been an honor!

Glenn Ko is CEO of Stochastic, which builds generative AI personalized for every user. Stochastic spun out from a research lab at Harvard University, where he continues to hold a research faculty position. He holds a PhD in AI systems, researching deep learning architecture for IBM, Qualcomm, and Samsung Electronics.(Nominated by Alex Parks. First published on the Ladderworks website on December 4, 2023.)

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Ladderworks LLC.

© 2023 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Daniela Vega. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. For the Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 kids advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy's Launchpad: Creative Entrepreneurship Workshops for K-3 Kids and their caregivers here.