Advancing generative AI and technology for good: Insights from AWS executive Dominic Delmolino

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is top of mind in the technology industry and beyond. Many public sector organizations are wondering: how can they access and use generative AI to support their missions? And most of all, how can this and other tech be used for good?

Dominic Delmolino, vice president of field technology and engineering for Amazon Web Services (AWS) worldwide public sector (WWPS), has spent his career blazing new frontiers in public sector technology. If anyone can provide insight on how leaders can chart this evolving tech landscape, Dominic might be one of the best people to ask.

So I did.

I’m Sarah Storelli, senior global marketing leader at AWS, and I’m on a quest to discover the people behind innovations across industries. In the video series, AWS Behind the Cloud, I connect with pioneers serving the worldwide public sector to learn more about how their stories shape and define the way they build and support cutting-edge technologies that are helping make the world a better place.

In the second episode of the AWS Behind the Cloud series, I sat down with Dominic to uncover the big opportunities for generative AI, the importance of customer obsession in building long-term solutions for the public sector, and why it’s important, above all else, to make sure technology is used for good.

Watch the latest episode of AWS Behind the Cloud:

During the conversation, it was clear to me that Dominic’s curiosity, thoughtfulness, and desire to help as many people as possible with technology have shaped the way he has made, and continues to help make, ubiquitous and accessible tech—as well as how he guides public sector leaders and organizations to leverage technology to create more positive impact.

Dominic shares that as a child, he developed a near-instant knack for science and technology. He nurtured this talent into a passion to help people understand how technology can help improve their lives. When he was young, this looked like helping people digitally catalog recipes to make their day-to-day lives simpler. Today, Dominic sets the strategy and oversees the AWS WWPS team that specializes in the cloud and emerging technology space, which includes pioneering tech like generative AI, digital innovation, DevOps, quantum computing, and more. But at the core of this work is that same childhood passion: helping people understand how technology can support their lives, their work, and their missions.

What Dominic enjoys the most about his role is watching the joy his customers experience when they can access and understand technology that can make it simpler, more efficient, and more exciting to make the world a better place. “I love seeing the look on a customer’s face when they realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do that and it only costs this much? And it can be done that quickly?’” Dominic says. “It’s the joy you see with a customer showing them how technology can be used for their mission and help serve their end-customers.”

Throughout the vodcast conversation, a few recurring themes emerge: the importance of making technology ubiquitous and leveraging technology in responsible ways. Dominic views generative AI as a powerful tool— i.e. an intelligent AI assistant—that can provide advice that is verifiably sound while boosting productivity by mitigating the burden of low-value tasks. He shares: “I am excited by the possibility for everyone to have a productivity boost by having an intelligent AI assistant that is assisting them with all kinds of tasks.” (Think: writing your daily work emails…and all the time you could get back!). But what’s top of mind for Dominic is making sure this technology is accessible to all.

While Dominic has spent more than 20 years building and working on some of the most innovative technologies to support both public and private sectors, what’s most inspiring about him is his compassion for others. In our conversation, Dominic showcases an intrinsic desire to not only create broad, lasting impact through accessible and responsible technologies like generative AI, but also to instill curiosity among current and future innovators who will create the next generation of technology to change the world.

Ready to learn from one of AWS’s top leaders about why and how technologies like generative AI can be used for good, the new skills needed to leverage generative AI effectively, and the importance of being curious and embracing technology responsibly? Watch the latest episode of AWS Behind the Cloud now.

Learn more about how AWS helps support public sector organizations using generative AI.

Did you miss the first senior level executive feature in the AWS Behind the Cloud series? Watch Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of nonprofits and nonprofit healthcare at AWS, discuss how her journey has shaped the way she supports leaders in using technology to accelerate impact around the world.

Want to know the cloud maturity level of your nonprofit organization? Take a five minute assessment to find out, and learn what steps you can take next in your cloud journey. Ready to dive deeper? Download the newly released research report to learn the technology trends and state of cloud adoption for nonprofits.

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