A Human Approach to AI Development and Upskilling
In this podcast Botond Seres and Dave Erickson discuss A Human Approach to AI Development and Upskilling with Bala Muthiah - Director of Engineering at Lyft.
Bala is a people-first technology leader who brings a rare blend of engineering depth, strategic insight, and a genuine passion for helping others grow.
His career spans impactful roles across the Silicon Valley ecosystem; most recently at Lyft, where he’s contributed to complex high-scale systems, while championing collaborative, human-centered leadership.
Bala has also spent years expanding access to technology opportunities by volunteering as a computer science teacher for elementary students, mentoring aspiring engineers through organizations like CodePath, and supporting entrepreneurship programs such as NFTE and Defy Ventures.
His work reflects a belief that technology is most powerful when it lifts people up - and that great leaders are those who help others find their potential.
Timeline Summary:
0:00 Human-Centered AI: Origins, Motivation, and Why It Matters Now
5:12 A human centered approach to AI development, and why does it matter
10:14 From Human–Machine Interface to Product Integration: How Developers Should Use AI
15:43 Balancing the innovation in AI with maintain reliability, trust and user safety
20:01 Avoiding “AI-Only” Outputs: Measuring Value, Not Just Output Volume
25:27 What would you like AI to do for your developers, versus what it's currently doing?
30:08 Tooling Landscape, Testing Gaps, and Safety-Critical Guardrails
39:24 Upskilling, Education, and the Future of AI
42:40 Recommendations for developers who are looking to upscale
46:00 Advice to engineering students
48:06 Future of AI
49:25 AI and Educational Initiatives
52:59 How will Society and governments deal with AI
54:45 Outro
If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here:
Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/
Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/
GUEST: Bala Muthiah = https://www.linkedin.com/in/balaarjunan/
Website = https://balamuthiah.com/
Bala is a people-first technology leader who brings a rare blend of engineering depth, strategic insight, and a genuine passion for helping others grow.
His career spans impactful roles across the Silicon Valley ecosystem; most recently at Lyft, where he’s contributed to complex high-scale systems, while championing collaborative, human-centered leadership.
Bala has also spent years expanding access to technology opportunities by volunteering as a computer science teacher for elementary students, mentoring aspiring engineers through organizations like CodePath, and supporting entrepreneurship programs such as NFTE and Defy Ventures.
His work reflects a belief that technology is most powerful when it lifts people up - and that great leaders are those who help others find their potential.
Timeline Summary:
0:00 Human-Centered AI: Origins, Motivation, and Why It Matters Now
5:12 A human centered approach to AI development, and why does it matter
10:14 From Human–Machine Interface to Product Integration: How Developers Should Use AI
15:43 Balancing the innovation in AI with maintain reliability, trust and user safety
20:01 Avoiding “AI-Only” Outputs: Measuring Value, Not Just Output Volume
25:27 What would you like AI to do for your developers, versus what it's currently doing?
30:08 Tooling Landscape, Testing Gaps, and Safety-Critical Guardrails
39:24 Upskilling, Education, and the Future of AI
42:40 Recommendations for developers who are looking to upscale
46:00 Advice to engineering students
48:06 Future of AI
49:25 AI and Educational Initiatives
52:59 How will Society and governments deal with AI
54:45 Outro
If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here:
Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/
Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/
GUEST: Bala Muthiah = https://www.linkedin.com/in/balaarjunan/
Website = https://balamuthiah.com/
Creators and Guests
Host
Dave Erickson
Dave Erickson has 30 years of very diverse business experience covering marketing, sales, branding, licensing, publishing, software development, contract electronics manufacturing, PR, social media, advertising, SEO, SEM, and international business. A serial entrepreneur, he has started and owned businesses in the USA and Europe, as well as doing extensive business in Asia, and even finding time to serve on the board of directors for the Association of Internet Professionals. Prior to ScreamingBox, he was a primary partner in building the Fatal1ty gaming brand and licensing program; and ran an internet marketing company he founded in 2002, whose clients include Gunthy-Ranker, Qualcomm, Goldline, and Tigertext.
Guest
Bala Muthiah
Bala Muthiah - Director of Engineering at Lyft, is a people-first technology leader who brings a rare blend of engineering depth, strategic insight, and a genuine passion for helping others grow. His career spans impactful roles across the Silicon Valley ecosystem; most recently at Lyft, where he’s contributed to complex high-scale systems, while championing collaborative, human-centered leadership. Bala has also spent years expanding access to technology opportunities by volunteering as a computer science teacher for elementary students, mentoring aspiring engineers through organizations like CodePath, and supporting entrepreneurship programs such as NFTE and Defy Ventures. His work reflects a belief that technology is most powerful when it lifts people up - and that great leaders are those who help others find their potential.
