Maximizing human creativity, minimizing human effort/ Digital Nomad, Entrepreneur, AI Enthusiast

Sanket Sahu graduated 13 years ago, when artificial intelligence (AI) was the preserve of the top multi-national companies in the world. Tech giants spoke confidently about Machine Learning and algorithms; large organisations like Amazon and Facebook used AI to power their recommendation engines. Sanket, on the other hand, first encountered AI when he was building computer algorithms for video games, where the computer player would imitate the behaviour of a human user. Before long, he was hooked. His fascination with all things AI led him to join various communities to understand the true potential of this technology and its place in mainstream tech discourse. He believes the reason that AI is so ubiquitous today is that it will be a pivotal force in reducing human efforts.

“I think everybody got into AI after GPT 3.5,” he says. Developers, who were struggling to accomplish simple, but time-consuming coding tasks noticed that they could feed a very basic prompt or statement into GPT 3.5 and accomplish the same task in minutes. “The answer,” he says, “was right there. I think that that was the point when we got really excited. What used to take years to develop could be done in months or even weeks. That was the tipping point”. 

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in engineering in computer science, Sanket set out in search of work, but found that neither did his mindset align with most companies nor did they offer what he wanted to do. In 2012, that led him to restart GeekyAnts with Kumar Pratik. The company, which was registered in 2006, is a product and services business that handles everything related to web and mobile development.

Before venturing into the entrepreneurial space, Sanket had built Facebook games and some small businesses. However, it was at GeekyAnts that he discovered his capabilities as a leader, innovator, and tech enthusiast.  

From assistant to executor

At GeekyAnts, AI is viewed as a companion to each role. It is not reserved for a specific set of solutions or designated to a separate department. Currently, GeekyAnts is leveraging AI to build a design and no-code tool, BuilderX, which aims to be a one-stop platform where developers and designers can build mobile and web apps with ease. The company is using AI on BuilderX to assist users, who can open the platform, request for a specific app, and build applications with ease (including the backends of apps).

Sanket is keen to take things to the next level - moving AI from a companion role to an active agent of change. 

“We are rethinking how it can go beyond a companion or assistant, and how it can change, for instance, the interfaces of the apps we are building. We ask ourselves, do we need a chat interface in the apps we are building? Or will the interface be designed in a different way?” he says.

“We essentially want to reduce processes that take six steps to two with the use of AI. We want to help users solve their problems easily. So, yeah, it is a different ball game today. At every step of software development we can now use AI.” 

AI: The great enabler

AI moves at lightning speed. Sanket has witnessed the technology grow and expand from a computer player in video games to the rise of GenAI. 

“In Joe Rogan’s recent podcast, Mark Zuckerberg said that the current AI is doing a decent job as a mid-level engineer. Similarly, Sam Altman has said that we are in the age where we might see a one-man billion-dollar company with the assistance of AI. A lot of things are changing in AI - from five years ago to what the technology looks like today and how it will grow in the future. I think we are seeing a massive shift in everything,” he says.

This quick evolution excites Sanket. He believes that these changes give humans the opportunity to do much more. He shares that 90% of his coding is generated by AI today. “I don’t need to put in a lot of effort from my end. I’m more independent now as a sole entrepreneur or developer, and I can achieve much more in a much shorter time. I believe AI will give humans more time to do more things,” he says.

Companies are also gearing up to leverage AI for their advantage. Sanket believes that businesses have still not realised its full potential and continue to opt for a manual approach. He believes that a mindset change is needed and hopes to assure people that AI is more than just an algorithm or a robot that can complete mundane tasks. It is a creative force; one that can crack jokes, do voice modulation, and be empathetic. 

“In 2010, during the boom of apps on iOS and Android, we used to say: ‘There’s an app for that.’ Before that, we used to ask, ‘Did you Google it?’ Today, we should be saying, ‘Did you ask AI before asking me?” he says.

AWS: the backbone of AI efforts

Sanket credits AWS for supporting his endeavours in AI, particularly Amazon Bedrock, calling it fluent and easy to use. Bedrock offers a choice of high-performing foundation models for AI. According to Sanket, it has “been a breeze to use Bedrock APIs”. 

Getting the hardware on-premises is difficult, he says, which made the AWS cloud the perfect solution. It has a range of models that you can run at a fraction of the cost. “That makes the experience very easy. Since both Anthropic and Claude are related to AWS, I really enjoy using it,” he says, adding that AWS stands head and shoulders above the competition. 

In his spare time, Sanket opts for the life of a digital nomad. He has built a fully off-grid caravan, fitted with all the appliances and furnishings of a home. Whenever he has a bit of spare time, he loves to hop into his caravan and drive to places like Goa. He is also an avid musician who plays the guitar.

Staying updated on AI

Sanket prefers X (formerly Twitter) for news. When it comes to AI, he learns about the latest developments, new models or announcements in the field on the social media platform. He also follows experts on Instagram. 

In the future, he believes that Agentic AI will take over and handle many human tasks. However, he hopes that certain “human” tasks, such as sales, networks, and communities, will stay with humans. The advent of AI will increase the need for recreational activities. He also cites the possibility of universal basic income, a social welfare proposal, in which all citizens of a particular population regularly receive minimum income in the form of an unconditional transfer payment (i.e. without the need to perform work). Bold words and bold dreams. However, at the heart of it, Sanket Sahu has one hope: that humans will learn to use AI in the best possible way.