Artificial Intelligence

In this episode, Ricardo talks about DeepSeek, a groundbreaking AI application from a small Chinese startup. Unlike other AI models, DeepSeek was trained for just $5.7M—far less than OpenAI’s $100M+ investments—yet it rivals top models like OpenAI’s O1. This breakthrough could disrupt the AI industry, enabling smaller companies to develop advanced models without massive infrastructure.

Ricardo kicks off the first 5 Minutes Podcast of 2025 with five priorities for project managers to focus on for personal and professional growth. He encourages continuous education, attending impactful events, learning AI, exploring projects outside one's expertise, and strengthening soft skills like crisis management and conflict resolution. Ricardo emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and adapting to evolving challenges.

Ricardo Vargas recently published 10 short videos about the 10 big ideas on his mind regarding what could happen in 2025, essentially exploring trends for the future. In doing so, he wanted to record a podcast reflecting on these ideas, but not just from his own perspective. Ricardo aimed to showcase the disruption caused by artificial intelligence, using Google Notebook LM to generate a reflection on these 10 big ideas with AI support.

In this episode, Ricardo discusses Meta's recent development of a "self-thought evaluator," which uses synthetic data to train AI models instead of real human-generated data. This innovation could transform project management by creating lessons learned and risk insights from simulated, rather than real, projects.

Using ChatGPT o1 to Solve a Challenging Project Assignment … In this video, Ricardo Vargas explores using ChatGPT and generative AI in project management, focusing on a complex problem-solving scenario. He introduces a real-world inspired challenge and challenges you to solve the puzzle manually.

In this episode, Ricardo Vargas explores the growing debate around AI's impact on jobs. Last year, Morgan Stanley predicted that AI would disrupt 40% of the workforce (Link to the Article). Last week, Prof Daron Acemoglu from MIT said that everybody overestimates the impact and that the true impact is only 5% (Link to the Article). But for Ricardo, the percentage does not matter; the key is to be prepared for these changes.

In this episode, Ricardo discusses the volatility of AI projects. He explains that AI projects face volatility due to rapid technological advancements, constant changes in API connections, and their experimental nature. Regulatory and ethical considerations evolve daily, creating uncertainty about legal and public perceptions. Talent shortages compound the challenge, with expertise in high demand and high turnover rates.

Ricardo Vargas Explains Why 5% or 40%? Why Job Disruption by AI Doesn’t Matter if You’re Not Ready I … n this episode, Ricardo Vargas explores the growing debate around AI's impact on jobs. Last year, Morgan Stanley predicted that AI would disrupt 40% of the workforce. Last week, Prof Daron Acemoglu from MIT said that everybody overestimates the impact and that the true impact is only 5%.

In this episode, Ricardo introduces the AI-Driven Project Manager Certification, explaining the rationale behind this certification. He highlights the growing hype around AI, with many project managers using AI terms without understanding the technology. The certification aims to ensure that professionals have the knowledge needed to manage AI-driven projects effectively.

Ricardo talks about PMI’s AI Prompt Engineering for Project Managers course in this episode. He highlights the importance of crafting effective prompts using AI tools like ChatGPT. Essential guidelines include being specific, providing context, setting the right tone, knowing your audience, ensuring clarity, and using structured prompts. Ricardo also stresses the need to experiment, test, and refine prompts for the best results.

In this podcast, Ricardo addresses a skeptical comment about AI's impact on project management, specifically questioning whether AI will diminish the role of project managers and PMI's responsibility in shutting down AI. Ricardo emphasizes that neither he nor his colleague Antonio are pushing an AI agenda for profit. Instead, they believe in AI's transformative potential and advocate for preparedness through education and training.

The Hard Truth About Managing Change: Insights From Ricardo Vargas … In this video, Ricardo discusses why managing change is not easy and shows how the Kubler-Ross Change Curve can help to make the change progress more effective. The video comes with a free download of the "Why Change is Not Easy:

In this episode, Ricardo discusses the virtuous cycle in AI development, based on Andrew Ng's Coursera course, "AI for Everyone," and highlights the importance of creating AI projects that intersect with business value. Ricardo explains that more data improves algorithms and services, attracting more users, which generates more data and creates a virtuous cycle, leading to some companies dominating AI due to their vast data resources.

In this episode, Ricardo discusses the OpenAI ranking to classify AI systems, highlighting the importance of clearly communicating these advances to the general public. The ranking has five levels: 1- Chatbots that support but do not replace jobs, 2 - Systems that solve problems at the human level, 3 - AI capable of taking action, Innovative AI, 4 - Creating new products, 5 - Complex organizational operations managed by AI.