Welcome to my AI/ML research blog. I’m Luca, and I’m passionate about pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Currently, I’m leading the charge as the Director of Machine Learning at Tripadvisor, where my team and I are harnessing the power of LLMs and GenAI to transform the travel experience.
My journey in the world of machine learning has been an exciting one, filled with challenges and innovations. It all began back in 2013 at a small startup called Struq, which was later acquired by Quantcast. There, I cut my teeth on developing real-time bidding engines and personalized recommendation systems that could handle a staggering 16 Petabytes of data daily. It was a crash course in building low-latency, high-performance ML systems that set the stage for my future endeavors.
From there, I moved on to Farfetch, where I had the privilege of being one of the founding members of the ML team. Our work spanned from crafting advanced product recommendation systems to diving into the fast-paced world of real-time bidding and predictive modeling. It was a time of rapid learning and growth, applying cutting-edge techniques to solve real-world problems in the e-commerce space.
My next adventure took me to Ontra, where I led the AI/ML group in a fascinating application of machine learning to the legal domain. We leveraged LLMs to parse and understand complex legal documents, streamlining workflows for lawyers and unlocking new levels of productivity. This experience taught me the intricacies of applying AI in high-stakes environments, from meticulous data annotation to deploying sophisticated LLMs in production.
Now, at Tripadvisor, I’m leading the Core AI/ML group, where we’re at the forefront of applying the latest innovations in GenAI and LLMs to enhance travel experiences. It’s an exhilarating challenge, blending cutting-edge research with practical applications that impact millions of travelers worldwide.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with brilliant minds who’ve expanded my understanding and pushed me to grow. This collaborative spirit extends to my open-source contributions, which you can explore on my GitHub profile. These projects often reflect my current research interests or serve as playgrounds for new ideas I’m exploring.
This blog is my way of giving back to the AI/ML community that has nurtured my growth. Here, I share in-depth analyses of current research, discuss the nitty-gritty of implementing theoretical concepts, and explore the challenges of deploying ML systems at scale. I firmly believe that teaching is one of the best ways to deepen one’s understanding, so I strive to present complex topics in an accessible yet rigorous manner.
I invite you to engage with the content here, share your perspectives, and enrich our discussions with your insights. Whether you’re a seasoned ML practitioner or a curious newcomer, I hope you’ll find value in these pages. Let’s push the boundaries of AI and ML together, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world applications.
Feel free to reach out for collaborations, suggest topics you’d like to see covered, or simply share your thoughts on the ever-evolving world of AI and ML. Together, we can continue to innovate and shape the future of this exciting field.