📜 AISW #037: Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu, India-based senior DevOps engineer(AI, Software, & Wetware interview)

An interview with India-based senior DevOps engineer Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu on his stories of using AI professionally and personally, and how he feels about AI using people's data and content

Introduction - Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu

This post is part of our AI6P interview series on “AI, Software, and Wetware”. Our guests share their experiences with using AI, and how they feel about AI using their data and content.

Note: In this article series, “AI” means artificial intelligence and spans classical statistical methods, data analytics, machine learning, generative AI, and other non-generative AI. See this Glossary and “AI Fundamentals #01: What is Artificial Intelligence?” for reference.

🗣️ Quick note for those who prefer listening to reading: Substack now supports read-aloud natively in the Substack app. If you try it on this post, let me know what you think!

Photo of Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu - provided by Arun and used with his permission

Interview - Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu

I’m delighted to welcome Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu from India as our next guest for “AI, Software, and Wetware”. Arun, thank you so much for joining me on this interview! Please tell us about yourself, who you are, and what you do.

I’m Arun Mozhi Maruthamuthu, with over 13 years of experience in the IT industry, and 8+ years specifically in cloud infrastructure. In my current role as a “Member of Technical Staff” at Wind River Systems, I focus on a variety of key areas such as DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), managing cloud platforms and product owner responsibilities.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a diverse range of technologies, from traditional IT systems to cutting-edge cloud-based solutions. My expertise has grown from foundational IT roles to leading cloud infrastructure projects, DevOps initiatives, and SRE practices, allowing me to drive efficiency and scalability in the systems I work on.

On a personal note, I am always excited to have discussions with you, Karen. Whether it’s during our one-on-one sessions, internal meetings, or even discussing AI-related topics on LinkedIn, I value these conversations as they provide both learning and the opportunity to exchange ideas. I look forward to continuing to collaborate and explore new ideas together!

I’m so glad you agreed to this interview, Arun - I always enjoy talking with you as well 🙂

What is your level of experience with AI, ML, and analytics? Have you used it professionally or personally, or studied the technology? (or built tools using the technology, …?)

In my previous organization, I worked on ML Proof of Concept (PoC) projects. Currently, I am part of Wind River, where I access AI-related products for both internal use and my own learning. To deepen my understanding, I am taking basic ML courses through various learning platforms and plan to explore data analytics in the future. My experience so far spans the professional and personal use of AI.

Can you share a specific story on how you have used a tool that included AI or ML features? What are your thoughts on how the AI features [of those tools] worked for you, or didn’t? What went well and what didn’t go so well?

1. WhatsApp AI recommendation : AI suggests quick, context-based replies to my messages. It saves time in formulating long messages. It also gives a wide range of inputs to various personal fronts too.

Drawback: It gives only text based suggestions. Images and document related features are not available.

How often are the suggested replies useful to you?

I would say that this feature provides streamlined and summarized information compared to what Google typically offers. It simplifies searches by giving direct answers, which is especially helpful when you need quick insights. However, there are times when it provides overly long or detailed responses, which can feel less user-friendly.

When AI-powered chat features were initially launched by Meta, I experimented with chatting as if it were a friend. I even vented about some personal things out of curiosity, and I was surprised to see it respond with friendly and empathetic replies. It gave me a glimpse of how AI could evolve into a conversational companion beyond its practical uses.

Currently, WhatsApp’s AI chat feature is text-based, and voice-based interactions are not available. If WhatsApp enables voice-based messaging for AI chats in the future, it could significantly enhance the user experience.

With voice-based AI, users could interact more naturally, allowing them to send queries or tasks through voice commands and receive responses audibly or in text form. This would be especially helpful for hands-free use, such as while driving or multitasking. It could also make the platform more accessible for individuals who prefer verbal communication over typing or those with disabilities.

Combining voice capabilities with AI-driven personalization would make WhatsApp a truly versatile tool—not just for chatting but also for managing daily tasks, resolving queries, or even having friendly, interactive conversations. This evolution could further solidify WhatsApp as a leader in both communication and AI integration.

2. Tagging in Facebook: I think I first noticed AI on Facebook a long time ago when I saw how it could recognize people in photos and suggest their names for tagging. I explored a little more and found that a “Deep Learning Algorithm” was used which recognizes unique facial features.

How often are the tagging suggestions correct, and how often are they wrong?

I don’t recall any instance where Facebook’s auto tagging feature gave an incorrect suggestion; it almost always worked perfectly for me. However, I’ve noticed that this feature is no longer available in my account. It seems Facebook has disabled the auto tagging feature in India, likely due to privacy concerns and regulatory compliance.

Oh, that’s interesting to hear!

3. ChatGPT: Once I started using ChatGPT, I found myself relying less on Google for debugging and coding. It’s incredibly helpful for quickly getting started, even in areas outside my expertise.

Drawback: You do need to exercise caution, as it sometimes provides multiple suggestions, some of which might not work as expected.

Can you share a specific example of a code suggestion that didn’t work as you expected? Do you find that ChatGPT’s code suggestions work better on some programming languages than others?

I can’t recall the exact scenario, but I faced issues with Python package installations on macOS. The commands provided weren’t working as expected, likely due to administrative access requirements. While ChatGPT suggested a temporary workaround of using a virtual environment for installations, it didn’t provide a permanent solution to address the underlying admin access issues. This limitation made troubleshooting and resolving the problem more challenging.

4. Alexa: Alexa has been a lifesaver for managing daily tasks. It helps me stay on top of bills, manage my shopping list, and enjoy music tailored to my preferences. One of its biggest benefits is reducing screen time for my child. Instead of spending hours on screens, my kid uses Alexa to play music for dancing and as a tool for studying, asking questions, and exploring new topics. It’s a versatile assistant that makes life more organized, entertaining, and educational for the whole family.

Those are great examples of uses of a smart home assistant. May I ask, how old is your child?

My son is 6 years old and currently in Grade 1. At his school, they start using an iPad lab from Grade 3, and I’m certain they incorporate AI features into their learning tools. For now, they use the Macmillan Education app for English lessons. The app offers a range of resources like video-based stories, grammar practice, pronunciation support, and extra exercises and worksheets, which I find quite beneficial for enhancing his learning experience.

My son is also learning Abacus at a private global institute called “BrainoBrain.” They conduct international-level online competitions where AI plays a significant role in evaluating tests and ensuring fairness through fraud detection mechanisms.

I can go on with much more features in my phone like auto-spamming messages/calls, photo memories, Auto-correction and Text Prediction, Face ID, camera enhancements etc.

AI is becoming an integral part of our daily lives, and as it evolves, there may come a point where it’s hard to distinguish between actions performed by humans or AI. It’s clear that AI is increasingly shaping our world and our future.

That is definitely true - it’s almost impossible to avoid AI in our everyday lives nowadays!

If you have avoided using AI-based tools for some things (or anything), can you share an example of when, and why you chose not to use AI?

Since AI learns from the data we input, I’m always cautious about using it for official work and avoid sharing any confidential information.

That’s wise.

I’ve had a few regrets with Google Maps, especially in situations where it led me down the wrong path or didn’t provide the most effective route. One time, it directed me onto a narrow mud road where my car couldn’t go any further, causing a significant detour. Because of such experiences, I now only rely on Google Maps when I’m traveling to unfamiliar areas, and I double-check routes when possible to avoid any surprises.

Ha, that’s happened to us a few times, too! Once, we were in California, and we decided to check out the town of Mountain View (Google’s HQ). Google Maps routed us to some odd location that was nowhere near Mountain View! My husband still refers to that incident as an example of why we can’t trust it 😆

Absolutely, reliance on AI tools like Google Maps has become a significant part of our daily lives. It sometimes lead to mishaps/accidents☹️. Here are two recent incidents from India that highlight such scenarios:

1. Accident Due to Incorrect Navigation: Link
   In a recent case, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where two men lost their lives after following Google Maps' directions. The app mistakenly directed their car onto an incomplete bridge over the Ramganga River, causing the vehicle to plunge into the water.

2. Dangerous Routes Suggested in Remote Areas: Link
   In another incident, travelers in a remote region were misled by Google Maps onto an unsafe, isolated path due to incorrect or incomplete mapping. The detour caused them significant delay and put them in a risky situation.

There have been a few times when I tried creating images of specific objects with backgrounds, but the results didn’t turn out as expected.

Yeah, image tools can produce strange results. This past summer, my friend Stella tried to use an AI-based image tool to create a promotional image for her book (on an older woman writing a romance novel), and the results were SO odd - the tool put a white beard on the woman! (link)

Oh God!! I think we can use the current AI image generation tools only for entertainment purposes to create unrealistic images such as your friends 😆, definitely not for professional use.

Additionally, we don't allow our child to use Alexa or any voice recognition tools without supervision. We’re cautious because he might ask questions without fully understanding the consequences or implications of the responses. It’s important to ensure he uses these tools safely and responsibly.

That is super important and it’s smart that your family is being so careful about avoiding unsupervised use by your child.

How do you feel about companies using data and content for training their AI/ML systems and tools? Should ethical AI tool companies be required to get consent from (and compensate) people whose data they want to use for training?

Ethical AI companies should be transparent about how they collect, use, and store data. Clear, accessible consent forms should explain the purpose behind data collection, how it will be used for training AI, and who will have access to it.

If AI tool companies profited mainly because of using one person’s data (non publicly available), they should give compensation in my point of view.

I agree, Arun. I also think the 3Cs (consent, credit, and compensation) shouldn’t be limited only to content that’s not ‘publicly available’. Some AI company execs have used ‘publicly available’ as if it’s the same as ‘public domain’, and it’s not. As one example, YouTube videos are publicly available, but they’re generally copyrighted and not public domain. AI companies shouldn’t be making money off them without giving the creators the 3Cs for their work.

Yes. I completely agree with you on this point.

As a user of AI-based tools, do you feel like the tool providers have been transparent about sharing where the data used for the AI models came from, and whether the original creators of the data consented to its use?

As a user I feel, the transparency regarding the data used to train AI models is often insufficient. While some companies may be more transparent than others, many don't clearly communicate where the data comes from, whether consent was obtained, or if creators are compensated. Ethical AI development should prioritize transparency, clear communication, and fair compensation to build trust and accountability.

Yeah, most AI companies today are not transparent about data sourcing. I like to call out those few who are, whenever I hear about them; I think they deserve our attention and support!

As consumers and members of the public, our personal data or content has probably been used by an AI-based tool or system. Do you know of any cases that you could share (without disclosing sensitive personal information, of course)?

Social media content is often leveraged by AI tools in various ways. For example, Facebook's face recognition technology has historically used personal photos without explicit consent to suggest tags.

Similarly, targeted advertisements rely on AI-driven data sharing across platforms. If I search for a product on Amazon or Google, I immediately see ads for that product on social media. It’s frustrating and concerning to feel that my privacy has essentially been sold.

Definitely. And an even bigger concern I hear about the photos is: it’s one thing to opt in for letting them use the photos to suggest tags. It’s another thing for Facebook or Instagram or another service to use those photos for all kinds of other purposes without our consent.

The privacy concerns around ads are important too. I’m always looking for ways to turn off or disable that data sharing, or to keep my browsing private or separate, to minimize that.

Do you know of any company you gave your data or content to that made you aware that they might use your info for training AI/ML? Or have you ever been surprised by finding out that a company was using your info for AI? It’s often buried in the license terms and conditions (T&Cs), and sometimes those are changed after the fact.

While AI companies provide legal disclosures, the language is often hidden in long terms and conditions. At least I don't read terms and conditions in all the cases, who will read very long terms and conditions. They are playing cleverly to make us fools and we are falling for the same.

Ideally, companies should offer more accessible, user-friendly explanations and clear options for opting out of data use for AI training.

Absolutely. Yes, most people don’t read the Terms and Conditions - there was a recent study that said 91% never do. It’s hard to fault people for not reading them when they aren’t understandable anyway!

Do you feel like you have a real choice about opting out, or about declining the changed T&Cs?

I was not even aware of this opt-out option itself. Most apps can't be used at all, if I decline T&Cs. So there was no choice left out.

How do you feel about how your info was handled?

I dislike my personal information being used without my consent. For example, when I share my mobile number during purchases—whether online or while using a debit or credit card—it often gets misused. I receive spam calls for promotions, donations, or credit card offers, sometimes even from banks where I don’t have an account. These unsolicited calls are frustrating and disruptive.

I agree - the sale of our data and this kind of spam are so annoying.

After hearing multiple instances, I deleted Facebook and Instagram long back for safety concerns.

Good for you!

Has a company’s use of your personal data and content created any specific issues for you, such as privacy, phishing, or loss of income? If so, can you give an example?

Both privacy and phishing concerns: Recently, I received repeated calls claiming to be from FedEx about a returned parcel that I had no knowledge of. When I finally inquired, they said the parcel contained illegal items and was addressed to a location in Kolkata, with my mobile number linked to it. I've never been to Kolkata in my life. The caller insisted I travel to Kolkata immediately to file a complaint with the cyber security department or, alternatively, click a link they provided to file it online. I told them I would look into it and ended the call immediately.

Wow.

This incident highlights the rise in phishing attempts. On top of that, I often receive spam messages, get added to various job-related groups, and encounter scams offering pay for writing product reviews or posting advertisements. These constant intrusions make it difficult to protect personal privacy and avoid potential scams.

It is definitely hard to stay vigilant about these risks.

Public distrust of AI and tech companies has been growing. What do you think is THE most important thing that AI companies need to do to earn and keep your trust? Do you have specific ideas on how they can do that?

The most crucial step AI companies must take to earn and maintain public trust is ensuring transparency. Users need a clear understanding of how their data is collected, utilized, and protected, as well as the societal impacts of AI technologies.

One practical solution is to provide users with a comprehensive overview of all the platforms where their data is being used. Companies should offer an easy-to-use system—perhaps linked to an email address or phone number—allowing users to access a complete list of services and systems utilizing their data. Additionally, users should have the ability to opt out and request the deletion of their data across all platforms seamlessly.

I agree, Arun - this is where we need to go, as a global society. The big challenge, I think, is for us as consumers to make it enough of a business concern for companies that they will invest in doing it.

Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

Thank you so much, Karen, for this opportunity. Through this process, I’ve come to realize the significant impact AI has on our daily lives. Data privacy has become a key concern for all users, and if this issue is properly addressed, AI can truly make our lives easier.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview and sharing your experiences, Arun!

Interview References and Links

Arun Mozhi Maruthumuthu on LinkedIn

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About this interview series and newsletter

This post is part of our AI6P interview series on “AI, Software, and Wetware”, launched in August 2024. It showcases how real people around the world are using their wetware (brains and human intelligence) with AI-based software tools or being affected by AI.

And we’re all being affected by AI nowadays in our daily lives, perhaps more than we realize. For some examples, see post “But I don’t use AI”:

"But I don't use AI": 8 Sets of Examples of Everyday AI, Everywhere

We want to hear from a diverse pool of people worldwide in a variety of roles. (No technical expertise in AI is required.) If you’re interested in being a featured interview guest, anonymous or with credit, please check our guest FAQ and get in touch!

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Series Credits and References

Microphone photo by Michal Czyz on Unsplash (contact Michal Czyz on LinkedIn)

AI, Software, & Wetware Interview List

AI Glossary and References

AI Fundamentals #01: What Is "AI"?

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