Radar - by nexxworks

This week on Radar – by nexxworks, your favourite digital musketeers – Peter, Steven, and Pascal – return with a whirlwind of updates, hot takes, and tech-fueled banter. Peter's teasing a new book. Steven's been nerding out on Starlink beaming Wi-Fi into planes (goodbye in-flight boredom!). And Pascal? Let's just say he's got thoughts – big thoughts – on China's AI game. From robotic marathons to AI therapists with boundary issues, the trio dives deep into the wild, weird, and world-changing shifts in tech. They break down: How China's AI strategy is out-iterating the West Why shopping with OpenAI could make impulse buying dangerously easy The rise of AI companions (Meta's Llama gets compared to Dieselgate – yes, really) What the US–China tech race means for your next online ad And why AR shopping in China is so much more than gimmicky filters Toss in a few zingers, a surprising take on yearly AI reviews (should ChatGPT get a performance appraisal?), and reflections on the future of AI scientists vs. human creativity, and you've got a spicy episode not to miss. Grab your earbuds. It's bold. It's brainy. It's Radar.

Peter's back from Boston, Pascal's gearing up for a new China tour, and Steven shares inspiration from Seth Godin. In this episode, we talk about the real stories behind AI, why Mi Xue is the BYD of fast food, and what happens when Microsoft and OpenAI hit turbulence.  

Europe is throwing big money at AI—will it pay off? Steven, Pascal, and Peter break down the AI Summit in Paris and the $500B data center gamble. Meanwhile, China's AI comeback is heating up—Jack Ma is back, humanoid robots are making moves, and the race is on. Plus, a look at the biggest hits (and flops) from this year's Super Bowl ads, and what it all says about marketing's future.  

In this episode of Radar by nexxworks, Steven van Belleghem, Pascal Coppens, and Peter Hinssen unpack the TikTok ban and its surprising aftermath, a groundbreaking move in AI by DeepSeek, the unexpected marketing lessons from a kitchen gadget, and how politics is steering big tech in new directions.   Don't forget to leave us a comment to let us know what you think—your feedback helps shape future episodes!   Dive deeper into our conversations: ➡️ Book nexxworks keynote speakers like Steven van Belleghem, Pascal Coppens, and Peter Hinssen to bring these insights straight to your event.   

2024 has been packed with surprises—AI in advertising, the race for self-driving cars, and China's growing tech dominance. But what does all this mean for 2025? In this episode, we're breaking down the future of transportation, the changing face of customer service, and China's relentless push to be the tech leader of the world. This is your guide to the tech trends you'll need to watch. Don't forget to leave us a review!  Go behind the scenes with nexxworks to meet the world's top innovators and brightest minds.

In this latest Radar Podcast episode, Steven Van Belleghem, Peter Hinssen, and Pascal Coppens take a deep dive into the factors shaping South Korea's rise as a tech and cultural leader, the complex relationship between the US and China, and the potential global implications of the US Elections 2024. Don't forget to leave us a review!  Go behind the scenes with nexxworks to meet the world's top innovators and brightest minds.

In this episode of Radar by nexxworks, Steven, Peter, and Pascal discuss TEMU's disruptive e-commerce model and the ethical challenges it faces, AI's rising power demands, the military's growing use of AI, and how customer experience is transforming the hospitality industry. We've introduced the Radar Rating to evaluate top restaurants and hotels based solely on customer service, and we want your input! Which restaurants or hotels excel in customer service? Share your favorites on Linkedin!   Don't forget to leave us a review!  Go behind the scenes with nexxworks to meet the world's top innovators and brightest minds.

In this episode, we dive into the recent ruling declaring Google an illegal monopoly, the potential for breaking up the tech giant, and the role of AI in reshaping the search landscape. We also explore China's antitrust crackdown and its rapid energy transition toward renewables and nuclear power. Lastly, we compare two unique retail concepts: LA's luxury Erewhon Market and Foodbanks Canada's initiative to create a dignified, retail-like experience for those in need. Tune in for insights on tech, innovation, and creating positive impact through customer experience.   For a dose of fresh business and tech inspiration, head over to nexxworks.com   Explore a bold new world with nexxworks - join our open experiences here:  https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

In this episode of Radar, Steven, Pascal, and Peter discuss their experiences during the keynote speaking season and the rise of AI. They also explore the success story of Octopus Energy, a UK-based energy company that combines innovative technology with exceptional customer service. The conversation then shifts to the conflict between Europe and China in the EV market, with the European Union imposing tariffs on Chinese EV imports due to unfair competition. The hosts also discuss the percentage of Chinese brands in the European car market. The conversation explores the potential impact of tariffs on European cars made in China and the implications for the automotive industry. It also delves into the consolidation happening in the Chinese electric vehicle market and the rise of Chinese car brands. The discussion touches on the intersection of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology and the potential risks and game-changing effects of these technologies. The conversation concludes with a book recommendation on the topic of AI and synthetic biology. The conversation explores the concept of revenge effects and the need for containment in the face of technological advancements like AI and synthetic biology. It discusses the historical examples of nuclear power and the Industrial Revolution, highlighting the challenges of containing the power unleashed by innovation. The conversation also touches on the importance of collaboration and regulation in governing these technologies. The potential impact of quantum computing is briefly mentioned, but the focus remains on AI. The conversation concludes with a mention of Peter's upcoming book, 'The Uncertainty Principle,' which explores leveraging uncertainty in the never-normal.

Join your hosts Steven Van Belleghem, Peter Hinssen, and Pascal Coppens for another episode of Radar, by nexxworks. Pascal Coppens shares his travel report from China, where he visited various cities and companies in the Greater Bay Area. Another topic is the TikTok ban in the US and the approaching ban in Europe, with Peter providing insights into the history and controversies surrounding TikTok. Steven focuses on the principles outlined in the book 'No Rules Rules' by Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings. 

Join your hosts Steven Van Belleghem, Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, and special guest and AI expert Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere as they talk about customer experience at the Miami Beach Police Department, Chinese innovation and technology at the Mobile World Congress, the Challenge of Human Behavior and Technology and much more!  

For the first episode op 2024, our tried and trusted hosts invite a special guest! Elke Geraerts, professor in psychology and CEO of Better Minds At Work. The four of them give their predictions for 2024, talk about AI vs AI (Authentic Intelligence), the Magnificent 7 of the stock market, Chinese flying cars and cruise ships as well as CES. Enjoy!

‍In this brand new episode, Steven, Peter, Pascal and Julie talk first about The North Face's (fake?) PR stunt, how Temu is taking over the world with cheap and fast products, Julie reflects on the OpenAI saga, then onto Steven's High Value Service Agents and Peter wraps it up for Christmas with some controversial optimism heading into 2024 ... Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

We're back with a special interview episode where Peter Hinssen has a fascinating conversation with Pascal Coppens about Generative AI. They talked about the most important Chinese AI players, regulation, education, the cloud, light weight LLMs, geopolitics, the talent war and China's transition to a service-driven industry. If you want to know more about generative AI from an eastern perspective, this is the episode for you!

In this brand new episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Laurence Van Elegem, Julie Vens - De Vos and Pascal Coppens, discuss the unicorn that is Taylor Swift, Humane's overhyped AI Pin, the next killer AI device, generative AI in China, the WeWork saga, the Bletchley Park AI Summit, the Executive Order on AI, Mercier champagne, data colonization, LinkedIn, our upcoming China Tour and many more things! Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

In this brand new episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem discuss how LinkedIn saved Julie's day, Neuralink's first human trials, Elon Musk's big plan, cyborgs, invasive technology, all things Japan and business - from time machine investing, to omotenashi, humility, declining demographics, finding the perfect knife & more - Elon Musk's algorithm, Walter Isaacson's biography about him, all the people Peter Hinssen feels sorry for, Huawei Connect, the chip war, a European ban on EVs, effective altruism, accelerated altruism and much more! Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

Radar is back with its exciting first episode! Join your host, Steven, as we delve into a summer filled with adventures and discoveries. Get ready to say yes to a captivating invitation from Peter Hinssen, where we explore the sizzling topic on every CIO's plate: Content Science. Pascal Coppens will bring you peace of mind amidst the storm of troubling news about China's economy, while Julie Vens-De Vos reveals her surprising love for the Barbie movie.   Steven will stir things up by dissecting the good, the bad, and the ugly in CX this summer. The #nexxworks crew will take you on a journey from Mattel to Patagonia, from OpenAI (of course) to Tesla. Join them in exploring topics like the present and future of telemarketing, the need for talent strategy, the evolution of social consciousness ("woke"), and demographics: find out if, and why, China's population is expected to change significantly.

In this last episode of the season (back in September!), Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem discuss non-negotiable rules in CX, this month's Tesla news, EV market price wars, Elon Musk's adventures in China (or is it Yilong Ma?), the Apple Vision Pro, AI regulation, P(doom), the learnings of our latest Art of Talent Tour with Behavioral Scientist Frederik Anseel, Ørsted, Maersk, Novo Nordisk, our new Never Normal Masterclass, the crackdown of the SEC on Binance and Coinbase in the US, China's national blockchain center, the Hong Kong crypto exchange and the very latest on general-purpose humanoid robots. Here's Scott Galloway's Twitter thread with all the past calls for tech regulation that Laurence referred to: https://twitter.com/profgalloway/status/1659034629129601026 Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

In this episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem discuss generative AI's data problem, private company versions of ChatGPT, Drake, Grimes, Twitter, TikTok, Walmart versus Amazon, Schmidt Futures and AI investment strategies, our Never Normal Tour with Mediafin in New York (guided by nexxworks Founder Peter Hinssen and General Editor at 'De Tijd' Isabel Albers), the human energy crisis, Apple's new high-yield savings account with a whopping 4.15% interest rate, its Buy Now Pay Later services, the return of (travel in) China, the EV price war, Chinese EV car company BYD successes, CATL's next-generation sodium-ion battery, youth unemployment in China, inflation going down in China, why some companies are looking for old steel warships, the power of proximity, the end of Buzzfeed news and much, much more. Shownotes: You can check the Amazon and Walmart chart Julie was talking about here. The website haveibeentrained.com allows artists to opt-in or opt-out of AI training. Here is the link to the website with the latest AI hits. www.heygen.com is where you can upload an avatar of yourself and create a video. ai.syllaby.io will help you write a script for your video. Here is Steven and Pascal's video about Tesla and BYD. Check our awesome Never Normal Tour with Mediafin in New York here. Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

In this episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss the top visits of our 'CX More Than Ever Tour' in LA (Liquid Death, Niels Juul, Nanxi Liu & the ConCreates ad agency), LA versus San Francisco as innovation hubs, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the impact of remote work, the Waluigi Effect in AI, the New Gatekeepers (from Benedict Evans' big yearly presentation exploring macro and strategic trends in the tech industry), ChatGPT (what else?), Henchman, Confirm, China outpacing US in critical tech research (report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute), Xi Jinping's third term and China's The Two Sessions. Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com. Want to learn more about our learning and inspiration programs? Visit https://www.nexxworks.com/experiences/upcoming-experiences.

In this episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss CX at the Louvre and at Hertz, Vaclav Smil's book 'How the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to Our Past, Present and Future', the energy transition, techno-optimism, China opening up again, decoupling, Noma closing down, leadership, the FTX fall out, the VC industry, Washington looking to ban TikTok in the US and Shopify cutting its more than 2 people meetings. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

In this episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Laurence Van Elegem discuss the escalating COVID protests in China, Disney's Disney+ troubles and the high expectations around the new (but old) CEO Bob Iger, the FTX saga, the whole crypto world meltdown and the need for regulation, the fediverse, decentralization and interoperability, the wild Elon Musk and Twitter chaos, the recent big tech layoff bloodbath and India as the next China. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

In this episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Julie Vens - De Vos & Laurence Van Elegem discuss Walmart, Meta's new generative AI video tool, Elon Musk's Twitter saga & his “everything app”, Google's new circular economy accelerator, ROSI (return on sustainability investment), the clash between the world of technology, innovation & regulation, hybrid work & the impact of global challenges like the energy crisis, productivity paranoia, quiet quitting versus quiet firing, Kim Kardashian & her SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) fine and Warner Music's partnership with OpenSea. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

In this last episode of the season (we're back in September), Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Laurence Van Elegem and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss Unicorns and down rounds, our awesome work trend report by Frederik Anseel, Decathlon's new subscription model, EdTech post Covid in China, The Google engineer who believes that a chatbot has become sentient, Web3 applications for employee engagement, The metaverse in China as a booming business, technology and the senses, the top gun effect and the great resignation versus the great recession. You can find the interview that Blake Lemoine and a collaborator at Google conducted with LaMDA here. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss the highlights from our Web3 tour in London, the metaverse, a VR literate generation, China's endless shopping festivals and Chinese Valentine, the Return-to-Office War, the Great Resignation, rituals at work, a record-high number of college graduates unable to find work in China and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Pascal Coppens, Peter Hinssen, Laurence Van Elegem and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss Web3, Netflix shares falling almost 40%, the metaverse, the devaluation of Jack Dorsey's first tweet, Lululemon's membership program, the stranger than fiction tale of Worldcoin, the Shanghai lockdown, creative AI and NIO's battery as a service model. The 'basics of Web3' document Laurence is referring to, can be found here: www.nexxworks.com/blog/web3-for-dummies For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos discuss Pascal's brand new book "Can we trust China?", the Russo-Ukrainian War, the evolving world order, the top visits from our LA Customer Experience Tour (SpaceX/Starlink, Snap Inc., KCC & Everytable), the back to the office trend, gamification, Pinduoduo, the metaverse, AR and Rik Vera's new book 'The guide to the Ecosystem Economy'. Enjoy! For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem discuss ESG standards and ratings, the Super Bowl ads, Walmart entering the metaverse, an electric highway in Detroit, the world expo in Dubai, China supporting Russia in the Ukraine expansion, the four day work week, the Great Resignation and a new international sourcing platform for semiconductors. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen and Pascal Coppens talk about Meta looking into NFT, DAO and blockchain expansion, Alibaba's DingTalk AR glasses, Best Buy launching an in-house media company, supermarket chain Jumbo's partnership with fast grocery delivery service Gorillas, the Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes trial, John Deere's new fully self-driving tractor & the common prosperity trend in China.  For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

In this special End of Year episode, Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Laurence Van Elegem discuss what they believe are important trends for the coming years: Web 3.0, DAOs, Central bank digital currencies (CBDC), NFTs, metaverse commerce, affective technology as well as sustainability as a force of disruption and innovation. They also answered some listener questions (send in yours at hello@nexxworks.com if you have any) about the Chinese crackdown, carbon emissions, the API strategy of companies and what the Radar crew members would do if they were the next Prime Minister of Belgium. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem talk about Amazon manipulating search results to push its own brands, Patagonia launching a brand of wines, China's energy crisis, scenario planning and hedge fund Third Point asking Shell to split into multiple companies. The Radar crew also answers listener questions about ethics, Facebook's rebranding, Best Buy launching into healthcare, privacy, Solid, the hybrid way of working and the disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to employee exits.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Laurence Van Elegem talk about the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation investing in online supermarket Picnic, Walgreens rolling out a bank account, Evergrande Real Estate Group's 'Lehman moment', sustainable metropolis Telosa, cancel culture in China, Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, Facebook glasses, Uber's possible profit and the war for talent. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Radar podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos talk about Elon Musk's humanoid robot, the 600 million dollar Polynetwork heist, how Amazon is now bigger than Walmart, the technology crackdown from Beijing, the US (IBM) and Japan working together on quantum computing to counter China's masterplan in the matter, NFTs, back to the office madness, rules and systems regarding vaccinations and Facebook's metaverse for work, Horizon Workrooms. For more inspiration about business and technology, go to nexxworks.com.

Podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens and Julie Vens - De Vos talk about the future of education, a new partnership between Proximus and Belfius, slow banking, Apple employees pushing back against returning to the office, the $250 billion US bill approved in the Senate to counter China, JD's shopping festival 6.18, China's "lying flat movement", the creator economy and China squeezing bitcoin mining.

Podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Laurence Van Elegem, Julie Vens - De Vos and Joren Lemiegre talk about SheIn overtaking Amazon as most downloaded app, GaryVee's NFT project, cities paying remote workers to relocate, climate risk platform Cervest, Amazon acquiring MGM studios, Nvidia limiting crypto-mining on its new graphics card, TikTok testing a job recruitment tool, bias in technology, the Colonial Pipeline hack, Google announcing a health tool for skin conditions, China's declining working population, and sustainable investing. Check the show notes on nexxworks.com/blog!

Podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Julie Vens - De Vos and Joren Lemiegre talk about Amazon opening a hair salon, diversity in boards, phoenix company Walmart investing in self-driving EV cars, Elon Musk's adventures in China, the EU's AI regulation plans, Google's advertising business, employee research by Microsoft, the central digital bank currency in China, Peter Thiel and the new trend of psychedelics start-ups.   Check the show notes on nexxworks.com/blog!

Podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Laurence Van Elegem, Julie Vens - De Vos and Joren Lemiegre talk about the NFT hype, selling cars online, China's new five year plan, Disney beating Netflix, the challenges of gig workers and gig platforms, the flawed music industry, hydrogen cars,  the carbon footprint of companies, the regreening of deserts and Zoom-free Fridays. Check the show notes on nexxworks.com/blog!

Podcast host Steven Van Belleghem and his #nexxworks friends Peter Hinssen, Pascal Coppens, Laurence Van Elegem, Julie Vens - De Vos and Joren Lemiegre talk about mobility and Big Tech, EVs, Tesla buying 1.5 billion dollar in bitcoin, China opening the world's largest radio telescope up to international scientists, Bill Gates' nuclear announcement, lab grown wood, burn-out, leadership, Apple's new privacy measures, Facebook smartwatch, anti-trust laws and Gamestop. Check the shownotes on nexxworks.com/blog!