Kris Efland

Kris Efland is a senior leader in the Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Based on the available information:

Professional Role

Kris Efland holds the position of General Manager (GM) for Geospatial AI/ML at AWS.1 This role involves overseeing AWS's efforts in applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to geospatial data and applications.

Expertise and Responsibilities

• Geospatial ML/AI: Efland specializes in the intersection of geospatial technology and machine learning/AI.1
• Product Leadership: He is involved in product development and strategy for AWS's geospatial ML offerings.1
• Industry Engagement: Efland participates in industry events and discussions, such as presenting at AWS re 2022 on accelerating geospatial ML with Amazon SageMaker.1

Recent Initiatives

1. Generative AI Innovation: Efland has been involved in AWS's recent push into generative AI. He shared information about AWS's call for proposals related to generative AI in spring 2023.3

2. AWS Generative AI Investment: Efland announced AWS's $100 million investment in a new Generative AI Innovation Center, aimed at connecting AWS AI and ML experts with customers to accelerate generative AI innovation.4

3. Geospatial Data Integration: He has been involved in initiatives to integrate geospatial data into AWS services, such as making Planet Labs' satellite imagery available through Amazon SageMaker.2

Kris Efland's LinkedIn username is indeed kefland, as mentioned in the query. His role at AWS puts him at the forefront of developments in geospatial machine learning and artificial intelligence, particularly as AWS expands its offerings and investments in these areas.