AI From the Trenches and the Pivot to Small Language Models (SLM) with Julien Simon of Arcee.ai

AI isn’t about hype—it’s about solving real problems. In this episode of The AI Space Podcast, host Sanjay Kalluvilayil is joined by Julien Simon, Chief Evangelist at Arcee.ai, for a wide-ranging conversation on building scalable, cost-effective, and domain-adapted AI solutions using small language models.

Together, they cut through the noise around automation, open source, and large-scale model performance, zeroing in on what truly matters for enterprises: ROI, responsible innovation, and solving business problems faster and smarter. From Julien’s experience at AWS and Hugging Face to his work now at Arcee.ai, you'll hear powerful insights on enterprise AI adoption, distillation techniques, and how to integrate open-source models into high-impact business workflows.

Whether you’re a founder trying to scale, a technologist looking for better tools, or a corporate team trying to figure out what’s real and what’s fluff in AI—this episode will help you understand how to build AI that actually works.

Watch the full episode of The AI Space Podcast here: https://youtu.be/Eog_ErwKB5k

#TheAISpacePodcast #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseAI #OpenSourceAI #SmallLanguageModels #SanjayKalluvilayil #JulienSimon #ArceeAI #AIstrategy #ResponsibleAI #ScalableAI #TechForBusiness #InnovationLeadership

00:00 The Value of AI in Business

02:52 AI as an Accelerator, Not a Replacement

06:14 The Role of the Technical Evangelist

08:57 Transitioning from AWS to Hugging Face

11:50 Understanding the Importance of User Experience

15:08 The Shift to Enterprise Solutions

17:57 The Role of Small Language Models

21:07 The Limitations of Current AI Models

23:54 The Future of AI in Enterprises

31:52 The Advantages of Small Language Models

36:14 Building and Training Small Language Models

43:43 Democratizing AI: Challenges and Opportunities

53:31 Bootstrapping and Funding Your AI Venture

56:54 Encouragement for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

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Website: https://stonehaasadvisors.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaykalluvilayil/

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Host Bio:

Sanjay Kalluvilayil is a visionary leader with 30+ years of experience with a specialty in Go-to-Market Strategy & Execution. He is the Founder of Stonehaas Advisors, The AI Space Podcast, and working on some stealth AI start-ups.

Company Bio:

Stonehaas Advisors provides a Comprehensive Portfolio of Consultancy & Fractional CXO Services to Guide Companies Across the Full Cycle of Business & Technology Initiatives. The company empowers Founders and businesses struggling with cash flows to grow, transform, and scale to new levels and dimensions.