AI has limitless potential to improve our lives, but its power demands take an unprecedented toll on our aging grid. Now, with Intel’s Grid Edge platform, companies like Vertiv and Onsite Partners are using Edge AI to transform the grid into a resilient, decentralized system that can better accommodate growth and severe climate events.
Written and Directed by Pikey Holdredge for Courageous Studios and CNN.
Conservation biologist Dr. JJ Apodaca takes us deep into the Southern Appalachians to meet North America’s smallest and most endangered species of turtle. Through a closer look into the sleep habits of these tiny animals, we explore the evolutionary history that shaped our own temperature requirements for restorative, quality sleep. With the help of cutting edge tech like Sleep Number’s 360 Smart Bed and Sleep IQ, JJ can not only set the ideal conditions for good night’s sleep, but also track his sleep quality with data-driven insights.
Written / Directed by Pikey Holdredge for Sleep Number on CNN
Cinematography by Owen Hamilton and Andrew Smith, produced by Eric Knapp, and edited by Matthew Chao.
From before they even plant a seed, all the way to the grocery store shelves, data informs the many decisions Perfection Fresh must make to produce the perfect baby cucumber. And at the heart of their operation, Lenovo’s ThinkAgile hyperconverged infrastructure streamlines access to every point of data, across the company, anytime it’s needed. In this exciting outing with Lenovo and Intel, we meet Perfection CEO Michael Simonetta and CIO Francesco Oliveri to learn about the data-driven future of agriculture at scale.
Written and Directed by Pikey Holdredge for Courageous Studios and CNN.
AI With Purpose
Four Ways AI is Improving the World
Even before computers were invented, the idea of the “thinking machine” persisted. In fact, in 1872, the Victorian novelist Samuel Butler’s book Erewhon imagined a world in which machines would employ human-like intelligence to tackle society’s most pressing problems.
True artificial intelligence, however, has taken on different meanings and applications through the years. It gained momentum as a formal academic discipline in the 1950s, and while some strived to create an “electronic brain” capable of sentient thought, others sought to define the mechanical processes of higher logic so a machine could solve problems of unprecedented complexity.
In the 2010s, the advent of Deep Learning across neural networks ushered in a technical breakthrough for AI development. The driving force behind this AI revolution has been the democratization of the field through open-source collaborations as well as processors and servers with the computing power to unleash AI’s potential—both areas Intel has pioneered.
Here we take a closer look at four important areas where Intel’s AI technology is revealing its value to humankind and potentially revolutionizing industries.
1. Saving Lives with Early Cancer Detection
It cannot be stated often enough or loudly enough: Early detection of nearly every type of cancer can improve outcomes and save lives. For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 88% of adults who receive an early-stage diagnosis of colorectal cancer live for 5 years or more compared with 16% of those diagnosed at a late stage.
Cancer research is one of the most impactful use cases for artificial intelligence today, but like any other AI application, its success depends on the scale and depth of relevant data. A significant factor working against AI-driven cancer research at scale has been the confidential nature of patient data. However, Intel Labs and a leading medical university have devised a novel solution with the help of Federated Learning.
This international collaboration brought an unprecedented 71 institutions across six continents together, through a decentralized system using Intel Federated Learning and Software Guard Extensions. In a Federated Learning model, organizations can cross-reference updates from local data without sharing the data itself, meaning researchers gain the value of patients’ medical information without compromising their privacy. “By capturing learnings from data silos, Federated Learning can both improve existing use cases through increased data volume and diversity, as well as open up entirely new uses that were infeasible due to lack of training data,” says Intel Labs' Senior Researcher Micah Sheller.
The result: an incredible 33% improvement in brain tumor detection based on MRI scans from more than 6,300 patients. Other healthcare researchers can immediately benefit from this study through Intel’s open-source OpenFL project, which will allow anyone to deploy their own cross-silo Federated Learning applications with SGX. “I am honored to be working alongside medical AI researchers,” says Sheller. “Seeing our technology empower their efforts toward the common good excites me for the future of Federated Learning.”
2. Helping People with Visual Impairment See in Whole New Ways
The World Health Organization estimates that globally, 285 million people are visually impaired, and of that group, 39 million are completely blind. There is also a direct relationship between poverty and visual impairment in certain parts of the world. In fact, the NIH found that 90% of blind people live in developing countries in Asia and Africa.
Jagadish Mahendran, an engineer, developer, and startup founder originally used AI to teach robots to see. But a visually impaired friend inspired him to look at other applications. Jagadish was troubled by the high cost and limited utility of other offerings in assistive tech. So he combined satellite navigation, voice activation, and AI Computer Vision into a single wearable prototype that would lend a new set of eyes for the people who need them most. Using Intel’s OpenVINO platform to build and optimize his AI models for computer vision, Mahendran and his team are hard at work to bring an affordable build of the project to the market as soon as possible. Named Ximira (and previously known as just “Mira”), Mahendran’s prototype incorporates a backpack-housed computer and battery system, a vest-mounted spatial camera, and a pair of wireless headphones to provide up to eight hours of augmented navigation as the wearer traverses complex environments.
3. Restoring and Maximizing Crop Health for Vital Agriculture
In 2017, a combination of invasive microbial pests and plant disease wreaked havoc on farmers across India. Farms in the Orissa region experienced as much as a 90% crop loss. For Rishikesh Amit Nayak, an engineering student at a regional tech university, the problem was personal. His own family debated abandoning agriculture altogether as they struggled to chart a course ahead. With his classmate Niharika Haridas, he decided to use whatever data he could find to assess the problem with fresh eyes.
Using satellite-captured thermal scans of the area farms, they found some telltale signs of microbial infestations where the losses were most prevalent. With OpenVINO and a suite of AI development tools from their university, Nayak and Haridas were able to reliably identify early stages of plant disease so farmers could take immediate action before it spread.
4. Empowering People to Overcome Disabilities Like Never Before
For people with severe physical disabilities, things as basic as expression, communication, and access to information can be consistently out of reach. But for the past 26 years, Lama Nachman of Intel Labs has pioneered new tech in areas like Context-Aware Computing, Multi-Modal Interactions, and Human/AI systems. The result is Intel’s Assistive Context-Aware Toolkit (ACAT) an AI-powered system that allows people with severe disabilities to communicate through keyboard simulation, word prediction, speech synthesis, and more.
Nachman’s journey to developing ACAT began early in her tenure at Intel when her team was tasked with developing new assistive solutions for a longtime customer and collaborator who faced new health complications that limited his motor skills. And due to the nature of his condition, future-proofing this interface would require all-new methodologies and tech that simply hadn’t been invented.
“Somebody might be able to slightly move a finger,” Nachman says. “Somebody might be able to smile. [Is there] any possible way we can extract a signal through sensing and making sense of that data that can then map onto the equivalent of a push button?” By broadening the range of methodologies for “sensing” input and organizing them into an open-source system, Nachman’s team was able to offer a more sustainable long-term solution for this unique set of challenges. In the process, they paved the way for an open-source framework that could be configured for virtually any assistive use case.
Intel’s Vision for AI and the Road Ahead
Much of the technology being developed by Nachman and her team is being made available to developers around the world as open-source tools. “I have always been optimistic about the ability of technology to improve equity in the world,” Nachman says. “And the reason for that is that I feel like it can scale in ways that physical resources can't. When I think about the common thread for all these stories, I think we all see the power of AI, to be a transformative power for good.”
Written by Pikey Holdredge for Courageous Studios and CNN
“As professional golfers, it’s such an important role for us to be that person for somebody else.” For LPGA golfer Maria Fassi, it's not just about dominating the course with her incredible drive, it's about inspiring a new generation of girls to join the game.
Produced / Directed by Pikey Holdredge for AT&T on CNN / Bleacher Report
In 2020, the United States faced an unprecedented challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic halted travel, stalled the economy, and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. But Jake Wood’s Team Rubicon did what they do best: confront the crisis head-on, wherever it might arise, in whatever form it may take.
In this short film for GEICO Military, we meet Jake to learn how Team Rubicon’s rapid deployment of field hospitals, testing sites, and food distribution centers came to the rescue of the hardest hit communities and weary frontline workers.
This piece aired during CNN Heroes 2020.
Produced/Directed by Pikey Holdredge for CNN's branded content studio Courageous.
Limited quantity or quality of data inhibits AI’s effectiveness – but the same can be said of the workforce coding the AI itself. Discover how Intel’s AI for Workforce program is building a more diverse and inclusive space for a new generation of computer science professionals to take AI to the next level.
Written and Directed by Pikey Holdredge for Courageous Studios and CNN.
This is a branded piece for GSK’s osteoarthritis treatment “Voltaren Arthritis Pain,” featured on CNN.
Osteoarthritis won’t keep world champion cyclist Kristin Armstrong from living an active lifestyle. With the right combination of low-impact exercise, a healthy diet, and anti-inflammatory medicines like Voltaren Arthritis Pain, Kristin strikes a balance that helps her manage this chronic condition on her own terms.
To learn more about Kristin Armstrong and Pivot by KA, click here.
Produced/Directed by Pikey Holdredge for CNN's branded content studio Courageous.
Can a supercomputer cure cancer?
When a team of dedicated scientists bolster their vision with Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions and 3rd Gen Intel Xeon processors, a new world of possibilities emerges.
Computational chemists Dr. Christoph Gorgulla, PhD and Dr. Gerhard Wagner, PhD demonstrate how a virtual drug-screening platform is paving the way to faster, more effective cancer treatments, and University Research Officer Dr. Scott Yockel showcases Cannon, the Lenovo-powered supercomputer that’s making it all possible.
This is a branded piece for Alienware, featured on Great Big Story.
Alienware pro gamer Anna Maree Manciet is on a mission to raise $5,000 for St. Jude – joined by Miguel Betances, a cancer survivor and former St. Jude patient, she’ll use a marathon stream of MineCraft to get it done.
To see more of Anna Maree’s streams on Twitch, click here.
To learn more about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and St. Jude PlayLive, click here.
Produced/Directed by Pikey Holdredge for CNN's branded content studio Courageous.
Cinematography by Patrick Racheff, produced by Sara Intrator, and edited by Adam Bailey.
This is a branded piece for Sprint, featured on CNN TV and digital platforms.
Author and keynote speaker Jesse Weinberger explores the issue of Internet Safety for kids with connected devices, and outlines the most essential monitoring and control features that parents should have in their toolkit.
To learn more about Jesse Weinberger, her speaking engagements, and books, click here.
To learn more about Sgt. Zech and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children multi-jurisdictional task force, click here.
Produced/Directed by Pikey Holdredge for CNN's branded content studio Courageous.
This is a branded piece for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card by Chase, featured on Great Big Story.
Rishi Sharma is a World War II historian, and he is on a quest to meet and interview every single World War II combat veteran of the Allied countries – he’s already interviewed over a thousand for his nonprofit Heroes of the Second World War.
He meets Army veteran Harold McMurran in Normandy to conduct an interview before visiting the beachfront with him. McMurran was 19 on D-Day, and this is his first time back on Omaha Beach.
Produced/Directed by Pikey Holdredge for CNN's branded content studio Courageous.
High rise window washing is not for the faint of heart - each climb demands a significant amount of physical exertion, communication, and persistent focus on safety. For the men and women who undertake this onerous task, a cardiac episode at work presents an immeasurably higher risk than in a typical profession. In this exciting branded film for Bayer, we follow high rise specialist Luis Curbelo up the side of the Miami Tower to learn how a daily aspirin enables him to continue doing what he loves by helping to keep his heart going strong.
To learn more about Luis Curbelo and Florida High Rise Services, please Click Here.
In this exciting creative partnership between GE Power and CNN Courageous, we traveled the world to research, write, and film the most compelling human experiences behind Power. Fulfilling the role of the first Brand Bureau, this partnership produced a robust array of content including media-rich articles, interactive experiences, and an engaging series of branded films.
Click Here to explore the creative partnership between GE Power and CNN Courageous
This content series was produced for Hewlett Packard Enterprise to highlight the compelling ways in which their innovative technologies are making the world a more inspiring place to live.
Revolutionizing the Race was produced and directed by Pikey Holdredge
Closer to a Cure was produced by Pikey Holdredge and directed by Umbreen Butt
All In on AI was produced by Pikey Holdredge and directed by Beth Aala
For US Military veterans, trauma encountered in the line of duty can often be an isolating experience, and civilian friends and family may not be able to relate to the specific hardships they face. In this short film for GEICO Military, we meet Laura Taylor, a US Navy vet who has built an incredible network by surprising veterans with hand-drawn portraits to establish an ongoing relationship and to present her appreciation as only a veteran can.
Click Here to learn more about veteran artist Laura Taylor
Click Here to learn more about the Veterans’ Mentor Group
This piece aired during CNN Heroes 2017.
When Dr. Ed Zawada went back to work the day after a wildfire razed his Northern California home, he was far from alone. Many of his colleagues at Dignity Health’s Mercy Medical Center also had lost their homes or evacuated, but they knew their patients—who could see the fire burning from the hospital—needed them. With only the present and future before them, this community of healers united to support one another and spread humankindness.
To learn more about Dr. Zawada and Dignity Health, please Click Here.
This branded content series was produced and directed for Great Big Story on behalf of Amazon Prime Video for the Lore series – written, produced, and directed by Pikey Holdredge.
Animation Credits:
“A Brief History of the Shadow People” - Randall Kaplan
“The Haunting Hymn of the Taos Hum” - Jamie Wolfe
“Raining Cats and Dogs” - Evan Worsham
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, an historic demonstration of defiance and solidarity that would usher in a new era of progress. BMW proudly joins the LGBTQ community in celebrating 50 years of courage, compassion, and joy.
Go With Pride was written, produced, and directed by Pikey Holdredge, and voiced by Meridith Gottlieb
This is an assortment of the content I produced and directed for the Zee TV American channel Veria Living (now branded as “Zee Living”). From promos to special projects, studio to field, my department’s work turned a niche wellness network into a widely recognized commodity in Lifestyle Television.
