Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Virtually every product and service today claims some use of “AI.” But what is artificial intelligence, how does it really work, and why does it so often fail?
In this presentation, Jim Harris, Distinguished Engineer and accredited Model Risk Officer, takes a skeptic’s look at Large Language Models (LLMs). He explains how these systems generate answers, the limits of their reasoning, and the ways researchers can uncover their hidden weaknesses. Along the way, Harris separates hype from reality, showing how AI both impresses and disappoints, and why critical thinking is essential whenever bold claims about new technologies are made.
About the Speaker:
Jim Harris is a board member of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS). He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1994 with a BS in Physics. Over the past three decades, he has worked as a hardware engineer for IBM and Silicon Image, a Special Agent for the FBI, a cybersecurity consultant, a tech startup executive, and most recently a Distinguished Engineer and Model Risk Officer for Capital One Financial. His background gives him a unique perspective on the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
What You’ll Learn:
--How Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT actually work
--Why AI tools often fail, and the risks of overtrusting them
--How skeptics and researchers test AI to reveal its weaknesses
--The importance of skepticism and critical thinking in evaluating technology claims
The views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) or Capital One Financial.
#artificialintelligence #intelligence #AI #largelanguagemodels #LLM #ChatGPT #generativeai #machinelearning #AIMyths #ailimitations #AIRisks #ModelRisk #ncas #NationalCapitalAreaSkeptics #Skepticism #TechnologySkepticism #CriticalThinking #JimHarris
Virtually every product and service today claims some use of “AI.” But what is artificial intelligence, how does it really work, and why does it so often fail?
In this presentation, Jim Harris, Distinguished Engineer and accredited Model Risk Officer, takes a skeptic’s look at Large Language Models (LLMs). He explains how these systems generate answers, the limits of their reasoning, and the ways researchers can uncover their hidden weaknesses. Along the way, Harris separates hype from reality, showing how AI both impresses and disappoints, and why critical thinking is essential whenever bold claims about new technologies are made.
About the Speaker:
Jim Harris is a board member of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS). He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1994 with a BS in Physics. Over the past three decades, he has worked as a hardware engineer for IBM and Silicon Image, a Special Agent for the FBI, a cybersecurity consultant, a tech startup executive, and most recently a Distinguished Engineer and Model Risk Officer for Capital One Financial. His background gives him a unique perspective on the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
What You’ll Learn:
--How Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT actually work
--Why AI tools often fail, and the risks of overtrusting them
--How skeptics and researchers test AI to reveal its weaknesses
--The importance of skepticism and critical thinking in evaluating technology claims
The views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) or Capital One Financial.
#artificialintelligence #intelligence #AI #largelanguagemodels #LLM #ChatGPT #generativeai #machinelearning #AIMyths #ailimitations #AIRisks #ModelRisk #ncas #NationalCapitalAreaSkeptics #Skepticism #TechnologySkepticism #CriticalThinking #JimHarris
