Online Chapter: From Big to Smart: Highlights from Our Q&A with Arthi Kasturirangan
On September 22, the Women in Big Data Online Chapter hosted a lively Q&A session with Arthi Kasturirangan, an expert in generative AI and large language models.
The discussion explored how organizations can move from being data-rich but insight-poor to truly smart with data — and what role curiosity, ethics, and empathy play in this transformation.
Making Data Work for You
Arthi described a powerful shift happening inside organizations: the moment when non-technical users can finally ask questions and get answers directly from their data. “It’s like moving from using a translator to becoming fluent in a new language,” she said. Generative AI is tearing down the wall between people and data, helping anyone — not just analysts — understand why things happen and how to act on them.
From Data Graveyards to Living Libraries
Most companies are sitting on mountains of unused information. Arthi compared this to a “data graveyard” and explained how generative AI can turn it into a living library – one that not only finds the right “book,” but opens it to the relevant page and highlights what matters most. “The data is no longer static,” she said. “It’s working on your behalf.”
Ethics, Focus, and the Human Factor
As AI becomes more embedded in decision-making, Arthi reminded us that responsibility and governance must lead the way. Every input and output, she said, should be secure, sanitized, and guided by ethical standards. Her practical advice for organizations: start small, focus on solving a real business problem, and prove value before scaling.
Women Leading with Curiosity
When asked how women can lead the AI revolution, Arthi pointed to empathy, intuition, and collaboration as uniquely human traits that machines can’t replicate. “AI can process data,” she said, “but it can’t feel. Partnership works best when it’s led with empathy.”
Her closing message was simple yet powerful:
“Be curious. Lead with curiosity. We win when we ask better questions.”
Closing Thoughts
Our conversation with Arthi Kasturirangan reminded us that the journey from big to smart data isn’t a technological leap – it’s a human one.
Generative AI can uncover patterns and possibilities, but meaning begins with us. With our Curiosity, our Ethics, and our Empathy.
The machines may analyze, but it’s humans who will define what matters.
Recording of the session is available here.
