Jordan Thayer, PhD

Former AI Strategist

Jordan served as AI strategist at SEP from 2019 to 2025, bringing invaluable expertise to client projects across multiple industries, including pharmaceutical and construction. Her work focused on Automated Optimization and Machine Learning with time series data.

Jordan Thayer, PhD

Posts by Jordan

A picture of an in progress D&D game taken by Philip Mitchell
Artificial Intelligence | 8 min read

AI at the Table

I sit at a really weird saddle point currently. Professionally, I’m obliged to engage with generative AI technologies. I’m an AI technologist. I’ve been doing this for nearly twenty years at this point, and over ten past the doctorate. I can’t just ignore a new technology because I personally find it ethically dubious. Conversely, I’m […]

using chatgpt on laptop
Artificial Intelligence | 6 min read

Generality in Generative AI is an Illusion

Large language models are often described as general-purpose problem solvers. That’s fair; given a prompt, they can write SQL queries, summarize academic papers, troubleshoot YAML files, produce a mediocre chili recipe, and draft HR emails, all in the same breath. That breadth of capability is a big driver of the current enthusiasm. Here’s the thing […]

RAG graphic illustration
Artificial Intelligence | 6 min read

Basics of Retrieval Augmented Generative (RAG) Systems

Lately, we’ve been fielding a lot of interest in custom Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. And honestly, it’s easy to see why. RAG systems are incredibly flexible tools for injecting up-to-date, domain-specific knowledge into AI responses for answering questions, generating content, analyzing internal data, or any other task that’s primarily completed by producing an artifact. […]

AI Brain (nodes) with hexagons.
Artificial Intelligence | 5 min read

Intentional AI: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days: headlines, investor decks, your last team meeting, and dinner conversations. Just because AI is hot doesn’t mean it’s well understood. Too often, people reach for AI like it’s duct tape: a fix-all solution for any digital dilemma. But like duct tape, AI has its limits. Some problems need glue, […]

happy little girl holding toy plan in airplane window seat
Artificial Intelligence | 5 min read

10 Eye-Opening Uses of AI in Aircraft Planning & Scheduling

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming all industries. Aviation is no different, except that it has been an early adopter. AI planning and scheduling is one of the most promising applications. AI can automate tasks, optimize schedules, and improve efficiency in various ways. A Birds-Eye View of AI in Flight Current Uses of AI in […]

funny image of man peering at the camera with surprised look between two tall stacks of paperwork at his work desk
Artificial Intelligence | 4 min read

23 Tedious Tasks to Automate to Reap the Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Business

AI is rapidly changing the way businesses operate. The first thing most people think of when they think of AI is automation. Automation is one of the most significant benefits of artificial intelligence in business—specifically, the automation of tedious, everyday work. Tedious tasks are repetitive, time-consuming, and require little human thought. They can drain productivity […]