Read the summary and watch or listen to the interview here: https://www.crowleylawllc.com/podcasts/practical-ai-innovation-strategies-with-peter-chmiel/
Voiceover: Welcome to the From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market podcast with your host, Phil Crowley. In each episode, we speak with professionals serving the tech startup market and explore issues important to innovative companies. You can find this show on all major platforms, including YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on our website at crowleylawllc.com.
Now, here’s the host of From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market, Phil Crowley.
Phil Crowley: Hello and welcome. Thanks for tuning in. On this podcast, we bring you leaders in life sciences and other technology areas who share their perspectives on key developments. Our goal is to provide insights into how to succeed, mistakes to avoid, and issues to be aware of, all with a view toward demystifying the process of getting great ideas to market—ideas that can enrich the lives of thousands or even millions of people.
Today, I’m delighted to welcome my guest, Peter Chmeil, founder and CEO of Cutting Edge Consulting, a firm focused on practical applications of modern information technology. This is a tremendously exciting area with many potential benefits, risks, and important questions to explore.
Be sure to stay with us until the end, when I’ll ask Peter to share a few practical tips to help you make the most of these powerful technologies while avoiding common pitfalls. Peter, welcome.
Peter Chmeil: Thank you, Phil. It’s great to be here.
Phil Crowley: Please tell us a bit about your background and what led you to the work you’re doing today.
Peter Chmeil: I currently run Cutting Edge Consulting, where I primarily work with startups and small to mid-sized businesses on AI and digital transformation. My background is in management, IT consulting, software development, and product management. Throughout my career, the common theme has been helping people apply technology to solve real business problems. The technology changes, but that mission doesn’t.
Phil Crowley: Can you share a couple of examples of how you’ve helped clients apply technology in a practical way?
Peter Chmeil: A few years ago, I built a platform called Go NFT Yourself that allowed people to buy NFTs. At the time, the NFT market was booming. I believe strongly in starting with user experience and then working backward to the technology.
Phil Crowley: For listeners who may not be familiar, NFT stands for non-fungible token. Could you explain what that means?
Peter Chmeil: Sure. An NFT is a way to record ownership and transactions on a blockchain—the same technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. NFTs are unique records of ownership, similar to the title to a house or a car, but stored on a transparent public ledger where ownership can be tracked.
Phil Crowley: So it’s similar to how deeds are recorded with a county clerk.
Peter Chmeil: Exactly. You can see the full chain of ownership. With our platform, we simplified the NFT buying process. Instead of requiring crypto wallets and complex steps, users could buy NFTs with a credit card and sign up with a single click. We ran pilot programs in industries like events, music, and political organizations, with mixed results. Unfortunately, the market later collapsed due to widespread fraud and scams.
Phil Crowley: That highlights one of the dangers of emerging technologies—people may not fully understand or trust them. You seem to have a real talent for demystifying complex concepts.
Peter Chmeil: I think that’s critical, especially now with AI. Even before the latest wave of generative AI, I was building virtual assistants and chatbots for customer support, including projects at Verizon. While adoption has grown, many people still don’t fully understand or trust AI, which slows its use. Education is the key starting point.
Phil Crowley: We’ve seen what happens when AI is used without proper oversight, such as lawyers relying on AI-generated court filings with fictitious citations.
Peter Chmeil: Exactly. Just as you would review work done by a junior associate, AI outputs need to be checked. Human judgment remains essential.
Phil Crowley: How has generative AI changed the landscape compared to earlier chatbot technologies?
Peter Chmeil: Earlier chatbots had to be trained for very specific use cases and were costly to build, which limited them to large organizations. Generative AI has changed that. Now, companies can upload their own documentation and quickly build custom chatbots. One startup I’m working with, AIFAQ, does exactly this. I met the founder through the Founder Institute Philly-Princeton chapter, where I serve as a mentor, and we’re now commercializing that platform.
Phil Crowley: I was struck by a point you make on your website—that there will be two kinds of employees: those replaced by AI, and those who use AI to improve their work.
Peter Chmeil: That’s right. AI won’t replace people, but people who use AI will replace those who don’t. Most jobs consist of many tasks, and AI is best suited for repetitive, low-value work. That frees people to focus on creativity, relationships, and higher-impact activities. For example, sales professionals often spend large amounts of time on administrative work. AI voice agents, like those developed by Nova Echo AI, can handle inbound calls, qualify leads, and route them appropriately, saving time and money.
Phil Crowley: That’s an extraordinary development, especially for smaller companies.
Phil Crowley: Let me briefly tell our audience about Crowley Law. We’re a boutique firm dedicated to helping innovators in life sciences and technology protect themselves as they bring ideas from the lab to the patient or from the garage to the marketplace. As a former research physicist and longtime corporate counsel, I understand how challenging this journey can be. Our goal is to help innovators avoid being taken advantage of and to protect the value they create. Visit us at crowleylawllc.com or contact us at info@crowleylawllc.com.
Peter, you were kind enough to let me try an AI voice agent. What did you think?
Peter Chmeil: It was impressive—very human-sounding and responsive. I can easily see how it could help smaller companies improve customer service.
Phil Crowley: What other technologies should be on our radar?
Peter Chmeil: I think we’ll see interesting combinations of blockchain and AI. Blockchain can provide a trust layer for AI by establishing data ownership and tracking usage. This could address issues around copyrighted data and compensation. For example, shared data pools could allow contributors to be compensated based on how their data is used.
Voice-based AI is another major area. Voice may become one of the primary ways people interact with AI, alongside traditional screens.
Phil Crowley: From a legal perspective, questions around copyright and fair use are already reaching the courts. Blockchain-based ownership records could help creators protect their work and ensure proper compensation.
Peter Chmeil: I also encourage people to explore the Decentralized AI Agents Alliance, which focuses on preventing AI power from becoming overly centralized. I’ve also started the Innovators Alliance, which helps people learn, apply, and share AI knowledge. We host a weekly AI Lunch and Learn every Friday at 1:00 PM. You can find more information at theinnovatorsalliance.com.
Phil Crowley: Before we wrap up, do you have one or two final tips?
Peter Chmeil: Don’t start with the technology. Start with your business goals—whether that’s productivity, cost reduction, customer experience, or new revenue. Then work backward to the technology. AI is a tool, not a replacement for thinking, judgment, or creativity.
Phil Crowley: Peter, this has been a fascinating conversation. Thank you for sharing your insights. To our listeners, if you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and remember—at Crowley Law, we’re here to help.
Peter Chmeil: Thank you, Phil, and thanks to everyone for listening.
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