From Astrophysics to AI Transcription: Petros Sintelis' Journey with Virgin Media O2 In this episode of the AI Innovatives Podcast by Sala Technologies, host Prashanth interviews Petros Sintelis, Principal Data Scientist at Virgin Media O2. Petros shares his transition from academia in solar physics to the machine learning space at Virgin Media O2, highlighting the reasons behind his career shift and the challenges faced. They discuss the role of data science in telecommunications, including personalization, pricing, operations, and network expansion. Petros dives into the practicalities and cost-effectiveness of deploying open-source models like Whisper for transcription services and emphasizes the importance of team structure and cost considerations in machine learning projects. The conversation also touches on emerging trends in AI and the impact of distributed cloud solutions on enterprises and startups. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:28 Petros Syntelis' Background and Career Journey 01:31 Transition from Astrophysics to Data Science 05:57 Role and Responsibilities at Virgin Media O2 06:40 Team Structure and Project Management 09:06 Applications of Data Science in Telecommunications 13:03 Challenges and Innovations in Call Center Transcription 19:08 Cost Analysis and Benefits of Self-Hosted Whisper 24:46 Technical Challenges and Infrastructure 32:14 Emerging Trends and Future of AI 38:55 Closing