Posit Software Engineer Michael Chow to Present Public Talk on AI and Data Science at Idaho State University

Idaho State University College of Arts and Letters will host Michael Chow, Principal Software Engineer at Posit (formerly RStudio), for a public talk titled “Working with Data in the Age of AI” on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 3–4 p.m. in the Rendezvous ABC Suites. The event is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and members of the community.

Chow’s talk will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way data professionals work, highlighting both the promise and limitations of current AI technologies. Drawing on his experience building open-source tools, consulting in the public sector, and researching expertise in data science, he will discuss three lenses for understanding AI’s role in modern data work: cutting through hype, the value of incremental AI assistance, and why human judgment still matters.

“While developing software and analyzing data, AI assistants are now critical to my workflow,” Chow says in his abstract. “However, for many other tasks I’ve found AI surprisingly unhelpful.”

Chow currently works at Posit, a leader in open-source software for data analysis. He previously built the data science team for Caltrans and created DataCamp Signal, adaptive assessments for data science skill. He holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, inspired by his undergraduate studies at Idaho State University. In addition to hosting The Test Set podcast, he is a writer, baker, and embroiderer based in Philadelphia.

Event Details

Title: Working with Data in the Age of AI

Speaker: Michael Chow, Principal Software Engineer, Posit

Date & Time: Monday, November 17, 2025 | 3–4 p.m.

Location: REND ABC Suites

Audience: Open to the public