When the right answer is a matter of life and death, how do you ensure that your AI systems avoid fatal mistakes? Signal 1 is a software platform for healthcare that functions as a control panel for deployed AI systems in hospitals. Rather than building individual models, Signal 1 focuses on improving the safety, observability and governability of pre-existing AI models used throughout the patient experience. The platform enables health systems to track real-world performance, detect drift and risk, enforce approval workflows, and tie AI predictions to improved clinical and operational outcomes.
Tomi Poutanen is Signal 1’s CEO and co-founder. His earlier start-up, Layer 6, employed artificial intelligence to provide financial services companies with predictive analytics, and was acquired by TD Bank, where Tomi served as chief AI officer. In this episode, Tomi and the Derby Mill team discuss the future of healthcare, whether machine learning could make hospitals obsolete, and how to improve the management of systems that include numerous different AI agents working together.
GUESTS AND HOSTS
Tomi Poutanen, CEO, Signal 1
Ajay Agrawal, co-founder and partner, Intrepid Growth Partners
Richard Sutton, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, 2024 Turing Award recipient, pioneer of reinforcement learning and professor, University of Alberta
Sendhil Mullainathan, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, MacArthur Genius grant recipient and professor, MIT
Niamh Gavin, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, Applied AI scientist and CEO, Emergent Platforms
Suzanne Gildert, CEO, Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies, quantum physicist, co-founder of Sanctuary AI
LINKS
Signal 1 website
Media on Signal 1 from the Globe and Mail, Betakit and the University of Toronto
Derby Mill series website. Derby Mill is created by the team at Intrepid Growth Partners and produced by Ghost Bureau.
Be sure to catch every episode of The Derby Mill Series by subscribing on the following platforms: YouTube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Substack
DISCUSSION POINTS
00:00 Cold open
00:44 Ajay’s tee up
01:22 About Signal 1
04:11 Tomi’s Signal 1 explainer
06:25 Mechanics of Signal 1
07:10 Tomi’s first-order question
08:45 Signal 1’s core value prop
09:29 Patient experience perspective
12:27 Taking MD out of the loop
13:56 Why Signal 1 focuses on AI
18:20 Evaluating AI systems
22:46 Rows
23:13 Ajay’s segue
24:42 Part 2: Signal 1 at the Limit
25:12 Niamh’s sci-fi hospital vision
29:04 Rich questions the premise
31:25 Sendhil: Division of labor for AI
34:50 Tomi: Niamh’s vision is real
38:22 Tomi: Competitive healthcare
43:55 Sendhil: Virtues of randomness
49:44 Niamh: Multiple agent drama
52:54 Tomi’s final remarks
NUGGETS
How Signal 1 evaluates AI algorithms
Sendhil Mullainathan asks Signal 1 CEO Tomi Poutanen how his company assesses quality and function of large language models and agentic AIs.
DISCLAIMER
The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as marketing, solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any securities or investments. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of Intrepid Growth Partners or its affiliates. Any discussion of specific companies, technologies, or industries is for illustrative purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Viewers are encouraged to consult with their own financial, legal, and tax advisors before making any investment decisions.
