Celebrating Excellence: Shirsha, Director of Research Engineering at TR Labs

February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day is an annual observance adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to promote full and equal access and participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

To help mark the occasion, we had the opportunity to sit down with Shirsha, a Director of Engineering for TR Labs based in India. TR Labs is the dedicated applied research division of Thomson Reuters where we are focused on the research, development, and application of AI and emerging trends in technologies. Read the full interview below.

 

Shirsha and colleagues at TR Labs

 

What inspired you to work in technology? 

Looking back at my childhood for an answer to when the inspiration to work in technology came, it’d be right around the time I learned programming in school. As a kid, the logical control I could have on a piece of code as it did the tasks I wanted it to complete struck me as a super-efficient way of life. I stay inspired by code to this day and love to read it like fiction.

What is your role at Thomson Reuters, and what do you like most about it?

I am the Director of Research Engineering for Thomson Reuters Labs in India. At TR Labs, we build solutions with AI and other modern technology. Two things stand out when I think about why I enjoy working at TR Labs: the invaluable chance to continuously learn from exceptionally talented teammates and the dynamic engagement with cutting-edge technology, allowing for constant experimentation and exploration.

Tell us about a project you’re working on that you find exciting.

Close to the end of last year, my team developed a solution for our legacy editorial platforms, which decreased our editorial workflows by almost 30%. Our solution was an AI-driven efficiency, and I couldn’t believe the transformation that we were actually able to achieve with AI as part of that project. This project also showed me the secret sauce that we have regarding our rich content.

And, more than the content, it is the subject matter experts that help us create relevant metadata that helps us make our content insightful and valuable for our customers. Thomson Reuters has been developing products with AI for more than thirty years. It was interesting that I could learn so much and work with stalwarts in the space while also carving my own niche and making a difference in this ecosystem through this AI-driven efficiency project.

Recently, my team has focused on open-source and vendor-provided large language models, trying to see how these might revolutionize our customer’s jobs. We have put together a sort of in-house playground for our different teams so they can, in a very safe and secure manner, play with large language models and see what is possible.

What advice do you have for other women looking to work at Thomson Reuters?

Thomson Reuters has a purpose to inform the way forward, and I believe that the work my team and I helps make the world a better place. We are improving access to justice and helping our customers become more efficient. So, join us, and let’s make this world a better place with our products, ideas, and all the new technology around us.

Thank you, Shirsha, for sharing your story. 

 

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