Podcasts about agentic

In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Michelle Suzuki, Chief Marketing Officer at Commerce. Kailey and Michelle delve into the impact of agentic commerce, the evolution of AI in customer engagement, and strategies for maintaining consistency and relevance in marketing. Michelle also shares insights on the challenges and opportunities in rebranding and driving data-driven marketing.-------------------Key Takeaways:Embracing change and leveraging data-driven insights are essential for marketers to stay relevant and effective in a rapidly evolving commerce landscape.The most successful marketing strategies combine creative brand-building with rigorous data analysis, ensuring that emotional connection and measurable outcomes drive growth.Truly understanding your audience and meeting them where they are enables organizations to deliver more personalized, impactful experiences.-------------------“ The front end and the back end, it's sort of like that brand and demand element is how do you make this holistic ecosystem that is really productive for the experience and really driving what that looks like as you put together your overall strategy.  It's so important to think holistically about what it is that you're meaning to deliver and incorporating all of those elements together so that there aren't jagged, hard edges between them. But it's all one entire ecosystem that presents something that is more comfortable and relative to what it is that the user is hoping to experience with you.” – Michelle Suzuki-------------------Episode Timestamps:‍*(01:56) - What being a builder means to Michelle ‍*(06:07) - The shift most critical for brands right now‍*(13:05) - Bridging the gap between data-driven and creative marketing‍*(27:30) - Lessons from rebranding‍*(33:04) - Building teams for speed and effectiveness‍*(35:13) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Michelle on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  This episode explores practical ways to lift the quality of hybrid work through better tools, clearer communication, and smarter use of AI. Neil Fluester shares insights from years in unified communications, including how Copilot is evolving from a task engine to an enhancement engine, why peripheral design matters for productivity, and how thoughtful setups, from webcams to lighting to teleprompters, shape human connection in meetings. 

The web is turning agentic. And that changes everything from shopping to search to SEO.In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Dave Anderson (VP at ContentSquare + host of the “Tech Seeking Human” podcast) to unpack what happens when browsers and AI assistants don't just answer … they do stuff. For you. On your behalf.From Atlas and agentic browsing to the growing backlash from retailers (hello, Amazon vs Perplexity), we explore who benefits, who loses, and what the internet becomes when agents are the default user.You'll hear why retailers are nervous (security, margins, coupon hunting), why agent-first experiences might create “headless” retailers (like ghost kitchens, but for ecommerce), and why search is shifting from SEO to AI visibility. Plus: real talk about trusting agents with your credit card, hallucinations, and what it means if your agent can look indistinguishable from you.GuestDave Anderson — VP, ContentSquarehttps://contentsquare.comPodcast: Tech Seeking Humanhttps://www.techseekinghuman.aiLinks & subscribeSubscribe for more conversations on tech, AI, and what's next: https://techfirst.substack.comTranscripts always available herehttps://johnkoetsier.com00:00 Agentic web: what changes when browsers “do stuff”00:59 Meet Dave Anderson (VP + podcast host)01:31 30,000 feet: why “agents” suddenly matter03:48 The agent future John wanted 10 years ago04:21 Why Amazon doesn't want your agent shopping on Amazon05:07 Ticketmaster, bots, and the security nightmare06:26 Siri's original promise vs today's reality08:31 Are agents just bots… or something different?10:04 Retail fears: coupon hunting, margins, returns chaos11:21 Can you trust an agent with your credit card?11:59 Why retailers want their own agents (and control)13:14 Amazon's agent works… but is it the whole internet?14:19 Ghost kitchens for retail: “headless” agent-first brands15:17 Hugo Boss jacket test: agents vs manual search16:40 Agents should talk to your finance agent17:14 Kids + deepfakes: what even looks real anymore?18:04 Is this corrosive to apps… or the web?19:10 Online identity, anonymity, and agent verification20:28 Two futures: human-first brands vs agent-first retail21:19 Agentic browsers on your device: can they “look like you”?22:51 Baseball vs golf: the best analogy for search now24:44 Instant shopping problem: returns + missing “services layer”26:10 AI weirdness: wrong names, wrong locations, shifting behavior27:37 Agents beyond shopping: support is the sleeper win29:49 Inventing the future: who adopts agents and who won't31:13 Will people get tired of AI and crave humans again?31:45 Serendipity vs optimization: the restaurant debate32:36 Wrap: nobody solved agents… but the shift is real

Visual Studio Code has become one of the most influential tools in modern software development. The open-source code editor has evolved into a platform used by millions of developers around the world, and it has reshaped expectations for what a modern development environment can be through its intuitive UX, rich extension marketplace, and deep integration The post VS Code and Agentic Development with Kai Maetzel appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

As we begin a new year, it's natural to reflect on what's changed - and what's quietly no longer fit for purpose. AI investment is accelerating at pace, and autonomous and semi-autonomous agents are moving from experimentation to everyday work. And yet, many organisations are still operating with leadership models, workforce structures, and planning assumptions designed for a world where humans were the only actors in the system. In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, David Green is joined by Sandra Durth, Partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore what happens when work is no longer just human-to-human, but human-to-agent - and what that means for the future of organisations. Drawing on McKinsey's latest research, Sandra shares her perspective on: How AI-human symbiosis is reshaping the very definition of work Why traditional hierarchies and leadership models are starting to break down What “agentic leadership” really looks like in practice The implications for performance, management capability, and strategic workforce planning The biggest opportunities - and the biggest risks - HR leaders need to be paying attention to right now Links to research: The agentic organization: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era Six shifts to build the agentic organization of the future Rethink management and talent for agentic AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraudology is presented by Sardine. Request a 1:1 product demo at sardine.ai In this episode of Fraudology, host Karisse Hendrick sits down with Robbie MacDiarmid to explore the rise of agentic AI and its implications for fraud prevention, payments, and liability in e-commerce. They break agentic commerce into its core layers: search, merchant interaction, and payment, then explain why fraud and payments are often treated as an afterthought as new AI-driven commerce experiences roll out.They also unpack emerging risks, such as first-party fraud, account takeover, chargebacks tied to “I don't recognize this transaction,” and the industry's biggest unresolved issue: who owns liability when autonomous agents act on a consumer's behalf. This episode equips listeners with the concepts—and the right questions—to navigate the next evolution of online commerce.Robbie MacDiarmidFraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line. Connect with her on LinkedIn She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast weekly, on Tuesdays.

In this episode, Mews founder Richard Valtr shares a practical look at how AI is reshaping hotel operations, guest experience, and revenue strategy. The conversation focuses on why hoteliers should design the guest journey first, then apply technology to scale it—along with concrete ideas for monetizing beyond rooms and preparing teams for what's coming next in hospitality tech.Resources:Our previous conversation with Richard: Hospitality is 'eating the world' - here's what it means for your business and your careerBehind the Stays podcast: How He Built Mews — And Rewired the Modern Hotel StaySkift podcast: Rewiring Hotel Tech for HumansModern Hotelier podcast: Helping Hoteliers Monetize the Full 24 ExperienceBook a demo with MewsChapters: 00:02:16 What does Mews do?00:03:28 What is a PMS?00:05:42 The 3 assets in a hotel business00:08:01 Monetization opportunities00:14:19 Opportunities without admin work00:15:44 Experiment: Building customer archetypes with AI00:21:49 "Red teaming" to "destroy" the company00:24:38 Agentic hospitality00:25:55 Future: Mesh of AI-assisted work00:27:13 LLMs as middleware00:29:35 Misconceptions00:31:54 The first thing you need to do00:33:30 AI needs the truth00:35:38 Speeding up training content creation00:36:36 Where to start with using AI00:41:36 Advice for finding technology partners00:42:26 What Richard is proud of at Mews nowThis is a special sponsor bonus episode, sponsored by Mews.A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Meta just made a multi-billion acquisition for AI agents.

We unpack how AI turns Google reviews into real revenue by cutting leakage, lifting ad performance, and converting bottom-of-funnel readers with responses that actually inform and persuade. George Swetlitz of Right Response AI shares agentic workflows, CRM-powered personalization, and a playbook for multi-location growth.• Reviews as the true bottom of the funnel• Leakage defined and how to stop it• Personalizing review requests from CRM data• Reducing friction with prompts and draft assistance• Building a marketing fact library for replies• Agentic flows and narrow prompts for quality• Compliance checks for sensitive information• Case study from a 100‑location brand• Why more people read reviews than websites• Bringing website-level detail into review responsesGuest Contact Information: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/george-swetlitzWebsite: rightresponseai.comMore from EWR and Matthew:Leave us a review wherever you listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon PodcastFree SEO Consultation: www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callWith over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online. Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability. Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you'll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve. Find more episodes here: youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcastbestseopodcast.combestseopodcast.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastConnect With Matthew Bertram: Website: www.matthewbertram.comInstagram: @matt_bertram_liveLinkedIn: @mattbertramlivePowered by: ewrdigital.comSupport the show

Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how new standards will unlock agentic ad buying and selling, and how (and why) YouTube will benefit most from the surge in video podcasts. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.   Subscribe to EMARKETER's newsletters. Go to https://www.emarketer.com/newsletters   Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/   For sponsorship opportunities, contact us: advertising@emarketer.com   For more information, visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/   Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com    For a transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-great-btn-bake-take-off-digital-trends-2026-agentic-ad-buying-video-podcast-winners-behind-n   © 2026 EMARKETER   Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to  engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads. 

เปิดพอดแคสต์เอพิโสดนี้ใน YouTube เพื่อประสบการณ์การรับชมที่ดีที่สุด The Secret Sauce เอพิโสดนี้พาบุก Dreamforce 2025 งานใหญ่ประจำปีของ Salesforce ถึงสหรัฐอเมริกา ภายใต้ธีมสำคัญของปีคือ องค์กรยุค ‘Agentic Enterprise' ผู้บริหารจำนวนมากเห็นตรงกันว่านี่คือ การปฏิวัติครั้งถัดไปของโลกองค์กร พร้อมพูดคุยกับเคสจริงขององค์กรขนาดใหญ่ ที่เริ่มออกแบบให้มนุษย์ทำงานร่วมกับ AI agents อย่างเป็นระบบ ชี้ให้เห็นถึงโอกาสใหม่ ประสิทธิภาพที่เพิ่มขึ้น และความเสี่ยง ความท้าทายขององค์กรที่ยังปรับตัวไม่ทัน เมื่ออนาคตองค์กรไม่ได้วัดกันที่เทคโนโลยีที่ใช้ แต่วัดกันที่วิธีทำงานร่วมกันระหว่างคนและ AI คำถามสำคัญจึงไม่ใช่ ‘จะใช้ AI อะไร' แต่คือ ‘องค์กรของคุณจะเริ่มต้นก้าวแรกอย่างไร'

Today's guest is Baker Johnson, Chief Business Officer at UJET. UJET is a next-generation cloud contact center platform that leverages AI to modernize the customer experience. Baker joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explain why conversational and agentic AI often fall short in CX, and how legacy processes and fragmented data prevent meaningful results. Baker also offers practical steps for improving ROI — from redesigning workflows before automating them to aligning real-time interaction data with systems of record and building a healthier balance between human and AI agents. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by UJET.

The Secret Sauce เอพิโสดนี้พาบุก Dreamforce 2025 งานใหญ่ประจำปีของ Salesforce ถึงสหรัฐอเมริกา ภายใต้ธีมสำคัญของปีคือ องค์กรยุค ‘Agentic Enterprise' ผู้บริหารจำนวนมากเห็นตรงกันว่านี่คือ การปฏิวัติครั้งถัดไปของโลกองค์กร พร้อมพูดคุยกับเคสจริงขององค์กรขนาดใหญ่ ที่เริ่มออกแบบให้มนุษย์ทำงานร่วมกับ AI agents อย่างเป็นระบบ ชี้ให้เห็นถึงโอกาสใหม่ ประสิทธิภาพที่เพิ่มขึ้น และความเสี่ยง ความท้าทายขององค์กรที่ยังปรับตัวไม่ทัน เมื่ออนาคตองค์กรไม่ได้วัดกันที่เทคโนโลยีที่ใช้ แต่วัดกันที่วิธีทำงานร่วมกันระหว่างคนและ AI คำถามสำคัญจึงไม่ใช่ ‘จะใช้ AI อะไร' แต่คือ ‘องค์กรของคุณจะเริ่มต้นก้าวแรกอย่างไร'

Send us a textIP attorney Massimo SterpiMassimo Sterpi photo by Eolo Perfido Show Notes:1:30 Sterpi's work with emerging tech2:30 shift in use of emerging tech/arts issues3:55 Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac's transgenic work4:30 blockchain / NFT as a testing area5:10 generative AI and copyright6:20 copyrighted works as training data 12:25 11 Nov 2025 judgment by Munich Regional Court in GEMA v. OpenAI (Case No. 42 O 14139/24)14:20 fair use in the US17:05 copyright of outputs23:55 "A Single Piece of American Cheese"26:00 Gema decision's impact on OpenAI's business model29:00 UK decision in Getty v. Stability AI32:30 harmonisation 34:20 collective licensing as a solution for AI training36:20 view of justice/injustice with emerging tech in the arts38:40 cultural impact of emerging tech42:00 Christie's auction of "Portrait of Edmond de Belamy"43:40 2024 Venice Biennale - The Conference on Art and AI's “The Neo-Synthetic: A Dialogue on Art, A.I., and Emergent Aesthetics”44:30 expanding area regarding the roles involved in outputs46:40 authenticity becoming enigmatic47:00 attempts to create digital scarcity47:55 different standards of creativity 48:30 neighboring rights for AI50:00 Italy's protection of “simple photographs” versus “photographic works”50:40 UK's Section 9(3) copyright of outputs fictionally attributed to human involved52:40 Agentic AI  Please share your comments and/or questions at stephanie@warfareofartandlaw.comMusic by Toulme.To hear more episodes, please visit Warfare of Art and Law podcast's website.To leave questions or comments about this or other episodes of the podcast and/or for information about joining the 2ND Saturday discussion on art, culture and justice, please message me at stephanie@warfareofartandlaw.com. Thanks so much for listening!© Stephanie Drawdy [2025]

Most people are still "chatting" with AI. They put in a prompt, they get an answer, and they move on. But while the rest of the world is dabbling, the top 1% of marketers are building Agentic Workflows. They aren't just using AI to write; they are using it to act.Today, I'm joined by Matt Collette, founder of Sequencr.ai. Matt has a background at Ogilvy and Edelman, and he's here to show us how to move from being an AI novice to an AI architect. We're talking about the "Micro-Agency of One"—a way to use autonomous agents to scale your output and strategy without ever hiring a team.Tune in to discover:The Expert Gap: Why 80% of marketers are "dabblers" and how to join the expert tier.Instruction Layering: The secret to using separate files to hardcode logic into your AI agents.Autonomous Research: Why tools like Manus.im are the new gold standard for deep business analysis.The Synthetic Audience Hack: How to use the Code Interpreter to "game out" your marketing strategy across dozens of segments in seconds.Key Highlights:[08:15] Why most users are severely under-utilizing Gen AI.[16:40] Chat Hygiene: How to prevent your AI from getting "confused" over time.[22:10] Creating "If-Then" logic for reliable marketing execution.[36:20] Using Code Interpreter to scale your message testing 50x.[42:15] The 2026 Edge: How to maintain strategic differentiation in an AI world.Guest Links:Sequencr.aiConnect with Matt on LinkedInLearn More: Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/ Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com

AdTechGod and Anthony Katsur discuss the evolving landscape of the advertising industry, particularly focusing on the concept of Agentic AI. They explore the current hype surrounding Agentic AI, its potential impact on digital media buying and selling, and the challenges related to privacy and measurement. The discussion also touches on the future of ad operations, the implications of AI browsers, and the strategic planning necessary for navigating these changes. Katsur emphasizes the need for foundational work in the industry while acknowledging the innovative potential of Agentic AI. Takeaways The advertising industry is experiencing unprecedented changes, particularly with the rise of Agentic AI. Agentic AI has the potential to introduce efficiencies in digital media trading, but it's still in early stages. There's significant hype around Agentic AI, but tangible results are yet to be seen. Privacy challenges remain a critical concern as AI technologies evolve. The future of ad operations will likely see a slowdown in hiring due to the automation capabilities of AI. AI browsers may change how content is presented and consumed online. Strategic planning is essential for navigating the evolving landscape of advertising technology. The industry must focus on foundational issues like supply chain transparency and measurement challenges. Agentic AI may not replace existing protocols, but can enhance them. The future of AI in advertising will involve a mix of successes and failures as the technology matures. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Agentic Era 02:14 Understanding Agentic AI in Digital Media 05:57 The Hype Cycle of Agentic AI 08:51 Challenges in Privacy and Measurement 10:47 The Future of Ad Operations 12:02 The Concept of Agentic Interfaces 14:39 Impact on Hiring and Talent Dynamics 19:04 AI Browsers and Their Implications 22:04 Strategic Planning and Industry Trends 24:51 The Future of Agentic AI and Potential Failures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025: You worked with AI. 2026: AI works for you. Here's the scoop in this short podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the last episode of 2025, get to know Abrigo's CTO, Ravi Nemalikanti, as he talks about his AI philosophy at Amazon's AWS Re:Invent conference. Listen in to learn about the metrics Abrigo considers when making decisions about machine learning in its solutions, ensuring that those decisions support community banks and credit unions. About the guest: Ravi Nemalikanti is Abrigo's Chief Product and Technology Officer and is responsible for leading technology strategy and determining product and development priorities to drive innovation and increase the company's competitive advantage. Ravi is the Winner of the 2024 Haas Technology Leadership Awardee for North America by Carlyle, an award given to celebrate an exceptional technology leader. Before joining Abrigo in 2022, Ravi was the CTO of Digital Banking at NCR Corp., where he led the organization's digital-first banking technology roadmap. Earlier, he held leadership roles in Tax and accounting, Global Trade, and Risk Management during 14 years at Thomson Reuters. Ravi holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Andhra University in Andhra Pradesh, India, and an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.Helpful links: AI Hub - AbrigoWebinar: AI strategy for banking: Unlock the most value - Abrigo

Summary   In this episode, Wayne Marcel and Dele Atanda discuss the latest developments at Metaproof Group, focusing on data ownership, technological advancements, and the integration of AI and blockchain. Dele shares insights on the launch of a micro stablecoin, the importance of Bitcoin and Satoshis, and the future of quantum readiness in the crypto space. They also touch on upcoming releases, including a graphic novel and a new magazine, aimed at bridging the gap between technology and culture. The Qriptopian: https://qriptopian.qripto.net/  Learn more about Metame: https://metame.com/ Learn more about Metaknyts: https://metaknyts.com/  Takeaways   Dele Atanda has a long history in data ownership and sovereignty. Metaproof Group has rebranded and consolidated its various entities. Technological advances in cryptography and AI are enabling new applications. The micro stablecoin is designed for sub-cent transactions, making it more efficient. Agent Moneypenny is a high-frequency trading agent that helps users navigate crypto trading. The narrative around Bitcoin should shift from price to Satoshis for better understanding. Quantum readiness is crucial for the future of information security. The debate between Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is evolving towards interoperability. Data-backed currencies are the future of money, with crypto coin leading the way. Community engagement is essential for the development of new technologies. Chapters   00:00 Introduction to Metaproof Group and Dele's Background 02:58 Technological Advances and Protocol Integration 05:51 Applications of Micro Stablecoins and Agent Moneypenny 09:10 Shifting the Narrative: Satoshis vs. Bitcoin 12:07 The Future of Bitcoin and Crypto Interoperability 22:25 The Coexistence of Bitcoin and Traditional Currency 23:38 Understanding Quantum Readiness in Crypto 25:54 The Non-Binary Nature of Quantum Computing 27:50 Bitcoin's Role as a Signal Currency 30:08 The Future of Data-Backed Currency 32:32 The Convergence of Technologies: Blockchain, AI, and Quantum 34:28 Introducing Meta Knight and Crypto-Pian 41:57 Looking Ahead: Upcoming Releases and Community Engagement

What does it really mean when AI moves from answering questions to making decisions that affect real people, real money, and real outcomes? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Joe Kim, CEO of Druid AI, for a grounded conversation about why agentic AI is becoming the focus for enterprises that have moved beyond experimentation. After years of hype around generative tools, many organizations are now facing a tougher question. Can AI be trusted to take action inside core business processes, and can it do so with the accuracy, security, and accountability that enterprises expect? Joe brings a rare perspective shaped by decades leading large-scale enterprise software companies, including his time as CEO of Sumo Logic. He explains why Druid AI deliberately avoids positioning itself as a generative AI company, and instead focuses on systems that can make decisions, trigger workflows, and complete tasks inside regulated, high-stakes environments. We unpack why accuracy thresholds matter when AI touches billing, healthcare, admissions, or compliance, and why security and governance are no longer secondary concerns once AI is allowed to act. We also talk about scale and proof. Druid AI now supports over 120 million conversations every month, a figure that keeps climbing as enterprises move agentic systems into production. Joe shares how those conversations translate into measurable business outcomes, from operational efficiency to revenue growth, and why many AI initiatives fail to reach this stage. His "5 percent club" philosophy cuts through the noise, focusing on the small number of use cases that actually deliver return while most others stall in pilots. The conversation also explores why higher education has become a surprising pressure point for AI adoption, how outdated systems contribute to student churn, and how conversational agents can remove friction at moments that decide whether someone enrolls, stays, or leaves. We close by looking ahead at Druid AI's next chapter, including new platform capabilities designed to make building and deploying agents faster without sacrificing control. As more enterprises demand results instead of promises, are we ready to judge AI by the decisions it makes and the outcomes it delivers, and what should that accountability look like in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Where do you see agentic AI delivering real value today, and where do you think the risks still outweigh the rewards? What does it really mean when AI moves from answering questions to making decisions that affect real people, real money, and real outcomes? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Joe Kim, CEO of Druid AI, for a grounded conversation about why agentic AI is becoming the focus for enterprises that have moved beyond experimentation. After years of hype around generative tools, many organizations are now facing a tougher question. Can AI be trusted to take action inside core business processes, and can it do so with the accuracy, security, and accountability that enterprises expect? Joe brings a rare perspective shaped by decades leading large-scale enterprise software companies, including his time as CEO of Sumo Logic. He explains why Druid AI deliberately avoids positioning itself as a generative AI company, and instead focuses on systems that can make decisions, trigger workflows, and complete tasks inside regulated, high-stakes environments. We unpack why accuracy thresholds matter when AI touches billing, healthcare, admissions, or compliance, and why security and governance are no longer secondary concerns once AI is allowed to act. We also talk about scale and proof. Druid AI now supports over 120 million conversations every month, a figure that keeps climbing as enterprises move agentic systems into production. Joe shares how those conversations translate into measurable business outcomes, from operational efficiency to revenue growth, and why many AI initiatives fail to reach this stage. His "5 percent club" philosophy cuts through the noise, focusing on the small number of use cases that actually deliver return while most others stall in pilots. The conversation also explores why higher education has become a surprising pressure point for AI adoption, how outdated systems contribute to student churn, and how conversational agents can remove friction at moments that decide whether someone enrolls, stays, or leaves. We close by looking ahead at Druid AI's next chapter, including new platform capabilities designed to make building and deploying agents faster without sacrificing control. As more enterprises demand results instead of promises, are we ready to judge AI by the decisions it makes and the outcomes it delivers, and what should that accountability look like in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Where do you see agentic AI delivering real value today, and where do you think the risks still outweigh the rewards? Useful Links Connect with Joe Kim, CEO of Druid AI. Druid AI Website Tech Talks Daily is Sponsored by Denodo  

Varant Zanoyan is the Co-founder & CEO at Zipline AI, working on building a next-generation AI/ML infrastructure platform that streamlines data pipelines, model deployment, observability, and governance to accelerate enterprise AI development. Nikhil Simha Raprolu is the Co-founder & CTO at Zipline AI, focused on architecting and scaling the company's AI data platform — extending the open-source Chronon engine into a developer-friendly system that simplifies building and operating production AI applications.Real-time features, AI search, Agentic similarities, Varant Zanoyan & Nikhil Simha Raprolu // MLOps Podcast #354Join the Community: https://go.mlops.community/YTJoinInGet the newsletter: https://go.mlops.community/YTNewsletterMLOps Swag/Merch: [https://shop.mlops.community/]And huge thanks to Chroma for hosting us in their recording studio// AbstractFeature stores might be the wrong abstraction. Varant Zanoyan and Nikhil Simha Raprolu explain why Cronon ditched “store-first” thinking and focused on compute, orchestration, and real-time correctness—born at Airbnb, battle-tested with Stripe. If embeddings, agents, and real-time ML feel painful, this episode explains why.// Related LinksWebsite: https://zipline.ai/ ~~~~~~~~ ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ~~~~~~~Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletters, and more: https://go.mlops.community/TYExploreJoin our Slack community [https://go.mlops.community/slack]Follow us on X/Twitter [@mlopscommunity](https://x.com/mlopscommunity) or [LinkedIn](https://go.mlops.community/linkedin)] Sign up for the next meetup: [https://go.mlops.community/register]MLOps Swag/Merch: [https://shop.mlops.community/]Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: /dpbrinkmConnect with Varant on LinkedIn: /vzanoyan/Connect with Nikhil on LinkedIn: /nikhilsimha/Timestamps:[00:00] Feature Platform Insights[02:00] Zipline and Feature Stores[05:19] Cronon and Zipline Origins[10:49] Feast and Feather Comparison[13:27] Open source challenges[20:52] Zipline and Iceberg Integration [23:54] Airbnb Agent Systems[28:16] Features vs Embeddings[29:07] Wrap up

Most enterprises aren't ready for agentic AI, but ChristianKleinerman, Snowflake's EVP of Product, shares practical advice on what it takes to succeed: data readiness, governance, AI economics, and workforcestrategy.In this episode of CXOTalk, Kleinerman draws on 25 years ofenterprise technology experience to give leaders a realistic roadmap for AI adoption. He explains how to evaluate AI vendors in hours instead of months, which use cases deliver measurable ROI today, and how to build the data foundation that makes AI agents effective.

In today's episode, we're reflecting on 2025.We discuss:- Are blockchains ready for real world adoption?- TPS vs throughput: what matters more?- Solana's pressure test via $TRUMP- Agentic trading platform Hype and AI bots in crypto- Uni unification, Morpho vaults, and the Aave governance controversy- Prediction markets take center stage: Polymarket and Kalshi- Perp DEX explosion post-Hyperliquid- Stablecoin supply: Ethereum still leads- Revenue across chains: Hyperliquid dominates, but Solana and Tron surpriseAnd much more—enjoy!—Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction(01:00) Are blockchains real-world ready?(05:06) TPS vs throughput needs(12:05) Decentralization vs scalability tradeoff(20:06) Solana's $TRUMP stress test(25:25) Agentic trading bots rise(27:34) Uni unification and DeFi(33:02) AAVE front-end fee fight(34:07) Morpho vaults and risks(40:15) Rise of prediction markets(45:10) Stablecoin supply by chain(47:58) Revenue leaders: Hyperliquid, Tron(52:34) Solana app revenue dominance(1:01:31) Outro—Follow the co-hosts:https://x.com/hildobbyhttps://x.com/0xBoxehttps://x.com/sui414Follow the Indexed Podcast:https://x.com/indexed_pod  —The Indexed Podcast discusses hot topics, trendy metrics and chart crimes in the crypto industry, with a new episode every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, brought to you by wizards @hildobby_ @0xBoxer @sui414.Subscribe/follow the show and leave a comment to help us grow the show!—DISCLAIMER: All information presented here should not be relied upon as legal, financial, investment, tax or even life advice. The views expressed in the podcast are not representative of hosts' employers views. We are acting independently of our respective professional roles.

Today's guest is Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com is a global B2B marketplace connecting small and mid-sized businesses with manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. Kuo joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello for an exclusive interview following his keynote address at this year's CoCreate event in Las Vegas to discuss how agentic AI is lowering barriers to global sourcing, transforming procurement workflows, and reshaping how organizations of all sizes move from product idea to execution. Kuo also breaks down the practical efficiencies emerging from AI-driven automation—from reducing manual supplier communication to streamlining global transactions and trade assurance—and explains where enterprises are already seeing measurable ROI through faster cycle times, expanded sourcing options, and increased operational resilience. You can read an article analysis of today's conversation, originally published on Emerj.com, here. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show! Watch Matt and Kuo's conversation on our new YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@EmerjAIResearch.

In this episode of the AdTechGod Pod, guests Aaron Goldman (Mediaocean), Tony Marlow (LG Ads), and Jackelyn Keller (Jackwell Partners) reflect on the past year in advertising, the impact of AI, and the trends shaping the future. The conversation covers everything from weird meetings in 2025 to the overhyped nature of AI and retail media. The guests share insights on the importance of understanding data, the challenges of attribution, and the need for creativity in marketing. The episode concludes with a rapid-fire round of questions, revealing personal opinions and humorous takes on the industry. Takeaways AI has significantly influenced all industries, not just advertising. Naming and branding can lead to intense discussions in meetings. AI-powered solutions are often overhyped in the industry. Retail media networks may struggle to survive without scale. Attribution methods in advertising are complex and often debated. Predictions in the industry can be unnecessary and overdone. Creative optimization is essential for effective marketing campaigns. Understanding data is crucial for marketers to make informed decisions. The future of advertising may involve more interactive and engaging ad formats. The importance of chilling out about industry drama and focusing on collaboration. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and ugly sweaters 03:40 50 Cent and NewFront prep 06:20 AI hype vs reality 08:45 Curation and other buzzwords 12:10 AdCP and why it is hard 14:30 Creative optimization A/B to A-Z 17:45 Ads inside AI chat experiences 18:45 Regifting trends, retail media, and clean rooms 22:10 Agentic commerce debate 25:40 What the industry should chill about 29:30 Rapid-fire questions 36:00 Wrap-up and holiday sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your revenue team is brilliant, but they are drowning. Research shows that high-performing sales and marketing professionals waste nearly 70% of their time on "Admin Drag"—non-revenue generating tasks like data entry, meeting prep, and internal reporting. You are paying top-tier talent for low-value work. In this special trailer episode, Revenue Architect Mike Allton unveils the new mission for The AI Hat Podcast: AI for Revenue Leaders. We are moving beyond the hype of chatbots and prompt engineering to focus on the operational reality of the "Year of Reckoning." This new season is dedicated to helping VPs, Directors, and Agency Owners build the "Digital Crews" that work alongside their humans. In this new chapter, we explore: The Agentic Shift: Moving from tools that talk to agents that do. Sanctioning the Shadow: Turning the security risk of "Shadow AI" into a competitive advantage. Revenue Architecture: Practical blueprints for fixing broken workflows in Sales, Marketing, and Partnerships. Whether you lead a team of fifty or a team of one, this is your operational playbook for the Agentic Era. Next Step: Secure your team before you scale them. Download the Executive Guide to Shadow AI at ⁠TheAIHat.com/shadow-ai⁠. Connect with Mike: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikeallton Website: TheAIHat.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is moving from chat to action.In this episode of Big Ideas 2026, we unpack three shifts shaping what comes next for AI products. The change is not just smarter models, but software itself taking on a new form.You will hear from Marc Andrusko on the move from prompting to execution, Stephanie Zhang on building machine-legible systems, and Sarah Wang on agent layers that turn intent into outcomes.Together, these ideas tell a single story. Interfaces shift from chat to action, design shifts from human-first to agent-readable, and work shifts to agentic execution. AI stops being something you ask, and becomes something that does. Resources:Follow Marc Andrusko on X: https://x.com/mandrusko1Follow Stephanie Zhang on X: https://x.com/steph_zhang  Follow Sarah Wang on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwangRead more all of our 2026 Big IdeasPart 1: https://a16z.com/newsletter/big-ideas-2026-part-1Part 2: https://a16z.com/newsletter/big-ideas-2026-part-2/Part 3: https://a16z.com/newsletter/big-ideas-2026-part-3/ Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How did they reduce customer onboarding from 5 days to 7 minutes? Today, we're talking to Misha Keener, CTO at Flowable. We discuss why orchestration is more important than automation, how context engineering beats prompt engineering in agentic AI, and why enterprise readiness will separate winners from losers in 2025. All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!  To learn more about Flowable, check out their website here.

The brands that will thrive in the next era of commerce understand that context drives everything, from platform choice to storytelling and trust formation. As a result, success hinges on a brand's ability to serve customers across multiple contexts rather than controlling single experiences.For the season finale, Commerce CEO Travis Hess joins Phillip and Lindsay to explore what it means when "the customer is the channel." The conversation tackles designing for AI agents alongside humans, reaching customers across surfaces independent of purchase location, and balancing data-driven marketing with authentic storytelling. Travis shares why brands must embrace agentic commerce now, and the mindset shifts required for 2026, synthesizing the season's insights into actionable guidance.The Customer is the ChannelKEY TAKEAWAYSOmnimodal commerce shifts focus from channels to surfaces where customers engage across contexts.Design for agents, not just humans. Agentic intermediaries will shape future commerce experiences."The customer is the channel" requires reaching consumers wherever they want to engage.Balance data-driven performance marketing with authentic human storytelling to preserve brand equity.[00:37:35] "Brands need to go where their customers want to engage them across different surfaces—whether they're buying through that channel or it's influencing purchase through a different channel you may or may not own."[00:39:15] "Brands need to design for agents, not just humans and agent intermediaries. They're the ones who are going to show up and ultimately win. It's not like the old days, where we just assumed humans were coming to our channels."ibution and surface and signal more than probably the traditional commerce side."[00:33:55] "There's nothing more important than the brand, than the narrative, than the story, than the equity that is there. That is the power. I very much see that being controlled still by humans and maybe informed by AI."Associated Links:New Modes Research: How AI is Shaping New Commerce Contexts and ExpectationsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Mark Grether, SVP & General Manager, PayPal, unpacks how PayPal is reshaping commerce media by leveraging its transaction graph across 30 million merchants and 400 million consumers at Marketecture Live. From democratizing retail media for SMBs to monetizing Venmo's social feed and enabling agentic commerce with trusted payments, this conversation explores why PayPal sits at the center of advertising, AI, and the future of buying online. Takeaways PayPal's transaction graph spans 30 million merchants and 400 million consumers, giving it a horizontal view that powers audience targeting, market share insights, and closed-loop measurement. The new SMB Ads Manager unifies demand and supply so smaller merchants can both buy previously unreachable audiences and monetize their own site traffic. Venmo's social feed and Gen Z heavy user base create high demand, upper funnel ad inventory tied to real spending behavior and cultural signals like emoji usage. Honey contributes large-scale intent and catalog visibility, letting PayPal connect discovery to checkout and measure impact even for off-site channels like CTV. In agentic commerce, PayPal aims to be the trust and payments layer that reduces friction while humans still make emotional final decisions. Chapters 00:00 PayPal Today: Scale, Brands, and the Transaction Graph 01:09 Retail Media Fragmentation and the SMB Challenge 01:53 PayPal Ads: On-Site, Off-Site, and Storefront Ads 03:57 Ads Manager: Unifying Demand and Monetizing SMB Eyeballs 06:37 Open Commerce: Relevance and Brand Safety at Scale 08:24 Venmo Ads: Social, Gen Z, and Upper-Funnel Moments 10:36 Honey: Intent Signals, Catalog Data, and Targeting 12:15 Closed-Loop Measurement and CTV Attribution 16:14 Agentic Commerce: Trust, Payments, and In-Flow Checkout 24:04 Five-Year Outlook: What Changes and What Doesn't Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Podcast. AI agents are your next customers. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this episode, Vince Menzione sits down with SHI leaders Joseph Bellian and Stefanie Dunn, alongside Microsoft's Marcus Jewett, to dissect SHI's massive evolution from a traditional Large Account Reseller (LAR) to a strategic Global Systems Integrator (GSI). They explore the cultural and operational shifts required to move from a transaction-heavy model to a services-led approach, highlighting their alignment with Microsoft's MSEM methodology, the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and their cutting-edge work with AI Labs and Agentic AI. Key Takeaways SHI has evolved from a transactional powerhouse into a Global Systems Integrator (GSI) focused on services and outcomes. The organization implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to align vision, people, and data across sales and delivery. SHI serves as “Customer Zero” for Microsoft AI, implementing Copilot internally to better guide customers. The partnership mirrors Microsoft's MSEM methodology to ensure seamless co-selling and customer success lifecycles. SHI's AI Labs in New Jersey provides a secure environment for clients to build and test custom AI solutions. The shift requires moving from a “Hulk” (strength/sales) mindset to a “Tony Stark” (brainpower/strategy) mindset. Key Tags: SHI International, global systems integrator, Microsoft services, Joseph Bellian, Stefanie Dunn, Marcus Jewett, AI labs, agentic AI, MSEM methodology, entrepreneurial operating system, digital transformation, customer zero, copilot implementation, solution provider, cloud migration, data governance, services led growth. Ultimate Partner is the independent community for technology leaders navigating the tectonic shifts in cloud, AI, marketplaces, and co-selling. Through live events, UPX membership, advisory, and the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® podcast, we help organizations align with hyperscalers, accelerate growth, and achieve their greatest results through successful partnering. Transcript:Transcript: Joseph Bellian – Stefanie Dunn – Marcus Jewett WORKFILE AUDIO [00:00:00] Vince Menzione: We’ve got it. So it is interesting how these sessions kind of follow each other. Hopefully you’re seeing kind of a flow from marketplaces and the conversation about how to be a really great ISV to how an ISV took and built a channel strategy and how they integrated alliances and channels together. [00:00:16] Vince Menzione: Well, we have an, we have another really great example here to talk through. I have this, uh, incredible like background. Like I’m a hundred years old, basically. I don’t even want to tell anybody that. But, uh, I got to work with this organization way back in my days at Microsoft. They are, they were and are one of the top, I’ll call them, they were classically a reseller company. [00:00:40] Vince Menzione: They one of the largest, we call ’em large account resellers back in the day. Uh, their leader built a multi-billion dollar organization. I’m gonna let them talk through who they are today, but we have an opportunity to talk about transformation. From that lens now too, like how does an organization that’s really good at doing one thing evolve, transform and take advantage of these tectonic shifts we’re seeing? [00:01:03] Vince Menzione: So, uh, we’ve got some incredible leaders. I’m gonna have them come up on stage. And everybody introduced themselves from SHI and also from Microsoft. And we’re gonna have a really great conversation today. Great to have you. [00:01:26] Vince Menzione: So I’m gonna let, I’m gonna let you guys introduce yourselves because, uh, everybody knows you as DJ Marco Polo. So we’re gonna, we’ll start with you over in the far end, Marcus. Okay. Vince, I, [00:01:36] Marcus Jewett: I’ll try to be shy. [00:01:37] Vince Menzione: No, [00:01:37] Marcus Jewett: uh, hi everyone, my name is Marcus Jut, I am the Global Partner Development Manager for the SHI partnership. [00:01:43] Marcus Jewett: Uh, I have been overseeing this partnership for just under 12 years. Wow. So I have seen the evolutional journey of this partner and really proud of where they, uh, have matured their business and the partnership with Microsoft. [00:01:57] Stefanie Dunn: Thank you. Oh. [00:01:58] Marcus Jewett: Is there, is yours on? Oh, [00:02:00] Vince Menzione: mines [00:02:00] Stefanie Dunn: on. Hi, I am Stephanie Dunn, a director of Microsoft Services at SHI. [00:02:07] Stefanie Dunn: And it is an, it’s a pleasure to be here. It’s a pleasure to have Marcus as our PDM and, uh, Joe and Vince, uh, very, very happy to be here. Um, and I lead our Microsoft Services sales, uh, area. So across, uh, cloud AI business transformation and, uh. And, uh, data and ai. [00:02:28] Joseph Bellian: Great, great to have you, Stephanie. Thank you. [00:02:30] Joseph Bellian: Joe. Joe Bellion. I’m the VP of Microsoft Alliances and programs. Uh, I’ve been here at SHI for about eight months now, but been in and around the partner ecosystem for about a decade. Uh, I think of my organization of like kind of two aspects. So leading the charge around alliances, aligning our field sellers and specialists with Microsoft, as well as the, the programs backend incentives and operations. [00:02:51] Joseph Bellian: But, um, the real focus is driving the go to market strategy here at SHI. [00:02:55] Vince Menzione: Yeah. So great. So I started to allude to this earlier about like traditional, one of the top three or four companies actually. And we used to use the term, uh, LSP back in the day, or lar, we’ve got several iterations. Microsoft’s gone through several iterations of that name. [00:03:11] Vince Menzione: Marcus knows all of them probably by heart. Tell us what was the impetus to change the organization? Become more like a ser, a services led company as opposed to a transaction led organization? [00:03:21] Joseph Bellian: Yeah, absolutely. Throw one more acronym. SSP. SSP, that was another one. So, uh, solution provider. Um, but, uh, yeah, I, I’d say probably a couple things. [00:03:29] Joseph Bellian: Um, one, the big one, no news to anybody in the room and online as well. The shift with EAs, director of Microsoft, as well as, uh, the whole CSP hero motion. So we do recognize that opportunity, uh, to have services attached, to engage with our clients as well as our joint partnerships with Microsoft, uh, with services out in the field. [00:03:48] Joseph Bellian: Uh, the second one, probably the biggest one is our clients. Hearing out our clients that shift. Um, we’re talking about ai, ai, everything, AI services. Uh, we’re now in the whole era of agentic ai. What does that mean? How do you take advantage of those offerings? And so we recognize that, that our clients are spending millions of dollars with the Microsoft products, but how do you take advantage of that investment and maximize it in their environment? [00:04:13] Joseph Bellian: And so having services to help navigate those complex solutions, that’s where we’re, we’re leaning in. [00:04:18] Vince Menzione: So what did it take to change? Transformation doesn’t come easy. There’s mindset. There’s all these cultural changes that need to happen. From your perspective, both of your perspectives, what did it take internally for this change to happen? [00:04:31] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. Um, so if you, if you heard of the entrepreneurial operating system EOS Yes. And we’ve adopted that internally. Um, if you’re not familiar, it kind of comprises of six components. So vision, people, data, um, process. Issues and, um, uh, traction. So I apologize, that’s, uh, but take, take that model and put it into our business of what we did. [00:04:57] Joseph Bellian: Um, so two kind of twofold. One, moving our entire services practice organization under one, one operating rhythm, um, under Jordan Ello, our CTO. So pre-sales and delivery. So looking at that, the how we go to market with our services, single vision. Uh, single process. So it’s consistent as we’re engaging not only through our partners, but through our clients, but then also on the other side of the house, our Microsoft practice, having all of our resources under one roof so that it’s a single way we go to market. [00:05:28] Joseph Bellian: Aligning our go to market strategy, one-to-one with Microsoft. Why it, it does two things. One, it allows us to be very clear of how we are going to market to our clients, but it allows us to partner even better with our Microsoft counterparts. Yeah, when, when Microsoft, it’s always ever changing. You’re familiar, every six months to a year solution plays and the go-to-market strategy changes, uh, we’re there at the forefront in ensuring that we have our solutions mapped a hundred percent so that we can just co-sell together. [00:05:58] Joseph Bellian: Break down those walls. Let’s do more together. [00:06:00] Vince Menzione: And, uh, geographically you were sep, your teams were separated. You have a big operation in Texas. You also have a big New Jersey operation, which was where the company was founded, in fact. So I’d love to get the perspective on this, Marcus. From your perspective, like what did it do, what was it like before and what did it become? [00:06:17] Marcus Jewett: Oh yeah, let’s go back in the way back machine to 12 years ago. Um, it was a different partner, a different operating model, uh, in those early days. And this is really when we started to move customers from on-premises to more cloud-based subscription technologies. Uh, SHI was always just an incredible selling machine. [00:06:36] Marcus Jewett: If they could not do anything, they could always sell. And for any of you who are familiar with the Marvel movies, um. I, I, I, I use a reference internally with them. SHI was always like the Hulk root for strength. You know, you tell ’em to go sell something, Hulk Smash, they can knock that out. Well, as we really needed these partners to evolve and really help our customers with their technologies, whether it’s driving adoption, monthly active usage, consumption. [00:07:02] Marcus Jewett: We needed them to be more like Tony Stark, right? We needed the brain power, and so over the last, let’s call it five or six years, SHI has continued to invest in their Microsoft practice. They went from an organization that was really focused on management of EA acquisition of new Microsoft logo. To continuing to develop that muscle, but also investing in ways to help customers through their managed services, through their professional services. [00:07:28] Marcus Jewett: And it’s been a, a journey. Right? SHI is a large organization. For a long time they were Microsoft’s largest partner. And from a transactional build revenue perspective, and they still are in many ways, but we really needed them to demonstrate that they could help our, their customers, our shared customers take full advantage of all of the entitlements and the technology they, that they’ve purchased from us. [00:07:50] Marcus Jewett: And that’s really where the evolution has been with SHI when I first started, uh, this is like, God, 12 years ago, there were 20 people that were Microsoft centric resources that really were focused on. Customer acquisition and net new logos. And today that organization from a sales perspective is over 150 sellers. [00:08:09] Marcus Jewett: Wow. That are just focused on Microsoft. So that CSP, they, they fill the top of the funnel for services to help drive program utilization. And that’s not even talking about the dedicated services resources that works under Stephanie. So it’s been. An incredible journey. Microsoft has invested in SHI and in turn, SHI has invested into Microsoft. [00:08:31] Marcus Jewett: They’ve basically taken their approach in terms of how they go to market with Microsoft, and they’ve mirrored that almost like how Joe and I are wearing the same jacket. That’s really how they’ve aligned their, their go to market strategy, really making it a mirror where they take it. They’ve taken our Microsoft M methodology. [00:08:50] Marcus Jewett: And they’ve essentially adopted it and made it their own. So now when our sellers are talking with SHI sellers, they’re speaking the same language. [00:08:58] Vince Menzione: You’re teeing it up beautifully for your conversation with Stephanie here. Stephanie, I want to hear like how you’ve done all those things. ’cause it’s really your organization that’s focused on this, right? [00:09:06] Stefanie Dunn: Yeah, absolutely. So for us it’s all about shared outcomes. It we’re listening to the. Customer. We’re listening to Microsoft and we’ve really taken that to heart. Uh, the customer is at the center of every single thing that we do. I know all of us as partners. That’s really our vision, likely, and the reason why we’re here is our customers. [00:09:26] Stefanie Dunn: But really understanding how to take advantage of that partnership and build something incredible. And it is transformative. Uh, you know, we started as a licensing powerhouse, as Marcus alluded to, and now we’re going deep into services. So we’re aligning to co-sell motions. We’re aligning to the, the industries. [00:09:46] Stefanie Dunn: Uh, we’re creating marketplace offers. We’ve got our programs, uh, tied to all of our services offerings. And so when we look at the broader ecosystem, we see the vision of Microsoft. Uh, we’ve hired the right people, we’ve put the right processes into place, and we have the technology expertise in-house to really share. [00:10:08] Stefanie Dunn: In the journey with our customers and leading them. [00:10:11] Vince Menzione: And you know, you talk about like solution plays. You talked about industry. People don’t always recognize this when you talk to Microsoft sellers. They’re very focused on the industry they’re in, and you have to have those conversations that, this came up earlier, but we never got into this. [00:10:25] Vince Menzione: But you’re aligning your solution plays, you’re aligning your conversations to be very like healthcare and education, all those different markets, right? [00:10:32] Stefanie Dunn: We are. We are, which is very new for SHI in the services industry, and so you know, we’re taking our CSP plays. Um, our licensing plays and really saying, well, what can you do with that? [00:10:43] Stefanie Dunn: Right. You know, how can we advise you? And then we, we dig into the actual industry verticals to, to get tactical with them. You know, it’s, it’s about providing the strategy. It’s about providing the extra hands. They all need extra hands. They, you know, our, our customers need us. As an extension of their team. [00:11:01] Stefanie Dunn: And so for us it’s really important to dig into that and, and be, and be that, that listening ear and you know, that expert in the room for them, uh, from advisory standpoint. And so all of our se services sellers are advisors as well. They’re not selling a product, they’re not selling, uh, something individual. [00:11:19] Stefanie Dunn: We are selling to. Fill and fulfill their goals and business outcomes, which is extremely unique, I will say, because we do have that end to end. So it does start with the licensing. It starts with assessing what you really have, meeting with those advisors, and then putting together a roadmap to help them. [00:11:37] Stefanie Dunn: Understand. Okay, well this is what it’s gonna take to get you here. Here’s our, uh, we love reverse timelines at SHI and so, um, it’s d minus din and so this is where you wanna go and this is when you wanna get there. So this is how we’re gonna help you, uh, along that roadmap. [00:11:53] Vince Menzione: I am gonna put you on the spot here with m Sem. [00:11:55] Vince Menzione: ’cause I think Microsoft finally laid out a process a couple years ago for you to like line up to, ’cause you were doing one piece of it before. Do you want to talk about m how em plays in here and how SHI is leveraging it? [00:12:07] Marcus Jewett: Right. So, uh, across our SEM stages, there are five different stages, and this is the customer journey from these, you know, pre-sales, scoping, uh, engagements with customers all the way through delivery. [00:12:19] Marcus Jewett: And then of course, like that customer success lifecycle and managed services. Again, this was not a language or a way that SHI really approached their business. Again, it was very much like, let’s. Get the customer to purchase on an EA or let’s renew the customer. And then once that cycle was complete, then it, it was almost like adding fries. [00:12:38] Marcus Jewett: Would you like some services with your ea? Right. And, uh, it took a, it took a while, right? Some very, uh, difficult conversations, but we were able to find, finally get the right people in the room to make the right investments. And now when you think about how SHI goes to market, they don’t necessarily leverage the term SEM internally, but. [00:12:59] Marcus Jewett: All of their customer methodologies or their sales methodologies in terms of how they service their customers aligns perfectly. Even when we get into the descriptive part of building out our, uh, partner business plan, we did that across every stage of the M SEM methodology. So that we can ensure that the teams at SHI are in perfect alignment with the teams at Microsoft. [00:13:20] Marcus Jewett: So, uh, I’m, I’m really excited about how we’ve been able to mature the practice and how SHI is now 100% aligned with Microsoft across all of our solution areas, whether it’s. Security, you know, cloud and infrastructure or AI business solutions. There’s a very mirrored approach to how we support customers. [00:13:39] Marcus Jewett: Yeah. I want [00:13:40] Vince Menzione: to double click on the AI component. You know, we were up here earlier, Irwin and I were up here talking about being a frontier firm, and I’ll open it up to all, all of you to individually answer this. I know, Marcus, you have some insights here about the ai. You mentioned AI already. But also to Stephanie and Joe about how you’re taking AI and modern work and workplace and, and, and, and addressing this market specifically. [00:14:07] Vince Menzione: Where, where, where do we wanna start there? [00:14:09] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. One big one. Um, if you’re not familiar, we have ai, an AI labs, um, onsite, uh, lab, and based out of Jersey, one of our headquarters. So on the forefront of the AI technology, but the real focus there is being able to meet with our clients and obviously joint partnerships, um, to build and develop solutions safe, um, offline in a safe, secure environment. [00:14:33] Joseph Bellian: Because let’s be honest, I mean, ai, it’s moving fast and, and we, we, we need to ensure that our data’s secure. Um, and there’s a lot of risk out there. And so we are partnering, um, um, out there with Nvidia and other other providers, um, but specifically with Microsoft in the cloud, um, and securing that environment. [00:14:51] Joseph Bellian: So AI Labs, bringing our clients in, building custom solutions, the area of a jet AI’s here. It’s [00:14:57] Vince Menzione: there. It is here. Yeah, it is here, Stephanie. [00:15:00] Stefanie Dunn: Thank you. Yes, and I’ll just add, uh, for, for our customers, they need to make sure that their foundation is right. You know, they’re coming from maybe all different other clouds. [00:15:09] Stefanie Dunn: They’ve, you know, got multi-tenant really understanding what their structure looks like, and then. Creating that secure foundation. So we’ve got a lot, you know, we do a lot around, uh, just full M 365 migrations and then into understanding the identity and the security baseline under that, making sure that that’s correct. [00:15:29] Stefanie Dunn: And then we can start journeying into some of these other conversations. Data governance, data engineering, uh, all that is extremely important. We have an entire dedicated team, uh, within services sales. Pre-sales with essays or solution architects and delivery, uh, as well as just the project management. [00:15:48] Stefanie Dunn: And, and it’s just this full life cycle to understand where are you and we need to make sure that, that your structure’s built correctly or else it’s never gonna succeed. So a little bit, we take it back to the foundation level, I’ll just say from a customer, uh, engagement perspective to make sure that what they wanna do, they can do securely. [00:16:06] Marcus Jewett: Very cool. I, I’d like to add one other piece there. Um, you know, obviously to Joe’s point earlier, like if anyone says they know exactly what the AI journey will look like for most customers in six months, they’re probably not telling you the truth. Right? This is, we’re, we’re building the plane in the air. [00:16:22] Marcus Jewett: But, uh, one thing Microsoft has really built a foundation on is looking at our partners. And the ones who have adopted AI internally, especially Microsoft Technologies, and we call it Customer zero, right? Ensuring working with partners who have invested in their internal usage of Microsoft AI technology. [00:16:41] Marcus Jewett: So it’s all the various flavors of copilot. Rolling it out and implementing it across their organizations and building their own internal use cases, which they can go in turn and use to go help drive successful engagements with their end customers. So SHI has also been one of our, uh, brightest partners when it comes to that customer Zero journey. [00:17:01] Marcus Jewett: Uh, and it’s something I’m very, very proud of to see. Uh, we’re leveraging the, the use cases and the learnings our SHI is to really go out there and help customers navigate through their own. Uh, complexities of their AI journey as well. So, uh, my kudos to SHI as customer. Zero. Very proud of you and opera feels great. [00:17:20] Marcus Jewett: And you’re [00:17:20] Vince Menzione: providing support engineering, organ organization that supports this function? [00:17:24] Marcus Jewett: Oh, absolutely. As a globally managed partner, I mean, we’re, we’re gonna always be there to help our partners through the journey, right? So whether they need internal readiness or technical support, uh, whether it’s workshops, however we can help the partners best. [00:17:38] Marcus Jewett: Uh, position and posture themselves to go help customers with these, uh, AI engagements. Uh, we’re, we’re there to invest. Uh, we’ve invested in SHI for the last several years across, uh, ai, and we will continue to do so. [00:17:52] Vince Menzione: So what’s the message for the partner community, Joe, that, that, like, how should they perceive you? [00:17:57] Vince Menzione: How should they think about you? Should they, how should they think about engaging with you? Okay. [00:18:02] Joseph Bellian: Yeah, so I mean, obviously we’re an SSP, we’re never gonna, we’re never gonna, um, lose that, that accreditation with Microsoft. But the, the real focus of what we wanna be recognized as A-G-S-I-A global systems integrator, um, being able to engage our clients jointly, co-selling together and meeting them where they’re at across their digital journey. [00:18:21] Joseph Bellian: Uh, we have the capabilities to handle their licensing and understanding the complex matrix in their environment, their IT infrastructure. But being able to have a solution for every part of the journey of where they’re at, because every client’s in a different situation. Yeah. So, so in reality, it’s A-G-S-I-A global systems integrator, being able to engage across their journey. [00:18:42] Vince Menzione: So that’s a, did everybody hear that? ’cause I, I heard that for the first time. That’s a very different perception of the, of the previous organization and getting there. Uh, and you also, I remember this from the transactional side of the business. You were at the very type, at the top of the pyramid, right? [00:18:56] Vince Menzione: Yeah. You handled some of the largest corporations in the, in the world. Yeah. And you know companies as well as organizations like government, governmental organizations across different markets as well. [00:19:07] Joseph Bellian: Yep. A hundred percent. [00:19:08] Vince Menzione: Yeah. So GS. Yeah. [00:19:11] Marcus Jewett: And it’s really important to, for SHI to, to develop that GSI muscle. [00:19:15] Marcus Jewett: Uh, you mentioned at the beginning, Joe, that Microsoft, uh, we have various routes to market. Uh, one of those routes to market, uh, especially in the enterprise space or in our strategic space, is for customers to procure direct. Uh, SHI has longstanding relationships with those customers, and as these customers renew their agreements into a direct model with Microsoft, the way they stay engaged and add value to these prop, uh, to these customers is through their services, their professional services, their managed services. [00:19:42] Marcus Jewett: So going back to Joe’s Point around really defining themselves as a, uh, A GSI, that is also an SSP has been paramount to their overall transformational journey and their overall success. [00:19:55] Vince Menzione: And you also work, so I would assume you work with some of the ISVs in the room too. Yeah, I would think there’s some really great relationships or synergies. [00:20:01] Vince Menzione: Is that, is that an area of muscle you’ve been building out or, yeah, it’s battle, it’s an opportunity. [00:20:06] Joseph Bellian: I mean, I, I believe you have a segment coming up as well on it, um, around NPO. Um, and so there’s a, there’s a play in every motion from services, play services attached through ISVs, your SaaS offers. Um, we do recognize that that’s an opportunity. [00:20:18] Joseph Bellian: Uh, we’re having great success when you look at the marketplace, um, through the multi private party offers. Um, it allows us to expand our footprint and take, uh, take advantage of those relationships and co-sell together. So, absolutely. Wow. [00:20:30] Vince Menzione: Very cool. So you’re gonna be around most of the day today? Yes. I hope. [00:20:34] Vince Menzione: Mm-hmm. So for the partners that are in the room, I think that great conversations with both of you, Stephanie and Joe, and, uh, great conversation. Is there anything else we wanna share with everyone? [00:20:46] Marcus Jewett: Uh, no. It’s just, I would, I would leave you all with the fact that, again, uh, for every partner. Uh, make certain that you, you’re finding a way to differentiate yourself and tell your story. [00:20:57] Marcus Jewett: Uh, you may be doing some amazing work, uh, but if you’re not finding ways to, to tell that story and make certain your customers, and for me, Microsoft, make certain that, that the Microsoft teams you’re working with have very clear understanding of what your capabilities are today, then you may be missing the mark. [00:21:13] Marcus Jewett: I, I, I use this analogy all the time. Uh, the largest retailer on the planet. Who is it? Come on, help me out. I’m sorry. Largest retailer. Box Box. Walmart. Walmart, that’s right. You can turn on a television on any given day and you will still see a Walmart commercial. So yes, tell your story. Yes, very [00:21:34] Joseph Bellian: smart move. [00:21:34] Joseph Bellian: And one more, um, I just wanna make sure I land out there, is the success and where we go from here. Um, it’s this right here in the room. Um, us partnering together, bringing the partner ecosystem together. Um, in reality, we’re not competing together. We should be collaborating together and working together, um, in our client’s joint environments. [00:21:52] Joseph Bellian: Microsoft says it well, it’s that one Microsoft story. It’s that better together story and the more we can work together, the more success we’ll have together. [00:22:00] Vince Menzione: Awesome. I want to thank you so much for your sponsorship and for being here. Uh, big news here, I think it should be like on the front page of the partner ecosystem journal that you’re now, you’re now GSII think that that says quite, that says volumes to, to the community out there. [00:22:15] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. [00:22:15] Vince Menzione: Thank you. [00:22:15] Joseph Bellian: Absolutely. [00:22:16] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you both for joining us. So great to have you both. Thank you. Thank you, Marcus, to have you as well. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you very much Stephanie. So great. So great to spend time with you. Thank you. And this.

Straight from re:Invent 2025, technology leaders from C3 AI, nCino, New Relic and Vercel reveal learnings, best practices and predictions for the future of Agentic AI.Topics Include:Four technology executives introduce their companies' AI innovations in fintech, cloud, enterprise software, and observability.Vercel built agents for code reviews, infrastructure optimization, and across finance, sales, and support functions.C3.ai deploys enterprise AI applications from scratch to production in six months for Fortune 500s.New Relic provides observability for AI systems and built agents that resolve infrastructure issues in real-time.Vercel's agents improve code quality by incorporating security and framework best practices into AI-generated output.C3.ai partnered with Department of Defense to autonomously produce mission-critical intelligence assessment reports from data.Industry shifted from copilots everywhere to agents that actually own outcomes and land the plane.New Relic moved beyond natural language translation to agents that execute actions and resolve issues autonomously.Panel debates whether Model Context Protocol or broader ecosystem approaches better enable agent interoperability and communication.Autonomy requires accountability: agent decisions must be explainable with traceable steps and replay capabilities built-in.Governance and security should be prerequisites for acceleration, not impediments—a critical mental model shift needed.Many enterprises struggle with process bottlenecks preventing them from harnessing high-quality agents despite having technology.Financial services must carefully balance where human discretion remains essential versus where agent autonomy justified.Will Jung envisions deeply continuous context enabling banks to deliver truly personalized insights without appearing creepy.Suraj Krishnan predicts agents will own outcomes by 2026, coordinating tools and other agents to achieve goals.Participants:Panelist: Merel Witteveen, SVP of Operations, C3.aiPanelist: Will Jung, Chief Technology Officer, nCinoPanelist: Suraj Krishnan, GVP of Engineering, New RelicPanelist: Aparna Sinha, Senior Vice President, Product, VercelModerator: Olawale Oladehin, Managing Director, NAMER Technology Segments (Enterprise, ISV, DNB, and Model Providers), Amazon Web ServicesSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

Tech It to the Limit Episode 3.11 - HLTH-Y Dose Part 2: The Future of Agentic, Ambient, and Diagnostic Artificial IntelligenceIn this second part of HLTH, Sarah Harper and Elliott Wilson dive back into the cutting-edge world of AI, focusing on technology that not only acts but also listens and sees what humans can't. The episode features three insightful conversations from HLTH this fall, proving that the future isn't just about AI, it's about AI that works for you.First, meet Jon Wang, CEO of Assort Health, who explores the frontier of agentic AI. Next, Dr. Adam Glasofer of Vertex Health brings a reality check to the flashy health tech landscape. Finally, Dr. Zachary Tan and Jeff Dunkel of Optain Health demonstrate how their AI-powered retinal exam transforms diagnostic care. In This Episode:[00:47] Welcome back: Bonus episode 2.0[02:16] Exploring agentic AI with Assort Health[06:03] Interview with Jon Wang, CEO of Assort Health[21:47] The future of ambient innovation with Vertex Health[23:12] Interview with Dr. Adam Glasofer of Vertex Health[30:33] Survival tips for health tech startups[32:43] Navigating health conferences as a founder[42:37] AI and retinal screening innovations[49:23] Scaling precision imaging in frontline care[55:00] Wrapping up and looking aheadResources:Tech It To The Limit PodcastWebsite Apple PodcastJon WangLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonxwangAssort Health - https://www.assorthealth.com/Dr. Adam GlasoferLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-glasofer-mdVertex Health - https://vertexhealthconsulting.com/Dr. Zachary TanLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharytanJeff DunkelLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-dunkel-5529aa4Sarah HarperLinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbethharperElliott WilsonLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewelliottwilson

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Marinela Profi, Global Market Strategy Lead for AI, GenAI and Agentic AI at SAS, about the rise of agentic AI and how we will move from hype to real, reliable AI. In today's episode, we'll discuss: Why LLMs alone don't solve business problems – and what does, how governance is becoming the new frontier of AI trust, and what leaders should expect by 2026, as enterprises shift from experiments to autonomous, explainable intelligence. KEY TAKEAWAYS A generative AI chatbot is really good and answering questions, generating text, or summarising content. But, it typically stops when it comes to conversation. On the other hand, an AI agent goes beyond that, it can take action, it has goals, memory, reasoning capabilities and can orchestrate multi-set workflows using a combination of not just large-language models but also rules, data and analytics. Generative AI talks, and agentic AI does. The 5-step lifecycle of an agent is a framework I put together to help me and my customers understand what an agent actually does step-by-step in practice. 1. Perception 2. Cognition 3. Decisioning 4. Action, and 5. Learning. Governance boards in 2026 will act more like digital oversight committees, they will ensure that agents aren't just smart, but they are safe, explainable and accountable.  BEST MOMENTS  ‘Post action the agent learns from feedback from a human operative. It's important to monitor the learning loops, you cannot allow the agent to “self-update” in ways that are uncontrolled.'  ‘How autonomous should an agent be? 90% of the time it depends on the risk and impact of the task.' ‘Autonomy without accountability is a risk multiplier.' ‘Governance doesn't stop at deployment, performance must be continuously monitored.' ABOUT THE GUEST Marinela Profi helps organizations move from AI hype to trusted impact. As Global Market Strategy Lead for AI, GenAI and Agentic AI at SAS, she works with enterprises in financial services, healthcare, and government to build AI systems that don't just act fast—but act responsibly. With an MBA and a Master's in Statistics and AI, Marinela bridges two worlds: translating complex data science into clear business strategy. Her work focuses on how agentic AI—intelligent systems that perceive, reason, and act autonomously—can deliver governed, explainable decisions instead of black-box predictions. A frequent keynote speaker at international AI and analytics events, she shares insights on the evolution from generative to agentic AI and the new frontier of AI governance, trust, and human-AI collaboration. Marinela is also an Advisory Board Member for Wake Technical Community College's Data Science Program, helping shape future-ready curricula that connect classroom learning with real-world AI innovation. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this partnership episode between Hanselminutes and the ACM Bytecast, Scott talks with Dr. Dawn Song, MacArthur Fellow and leading researcher in computer security and AI and co-director at the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence about how privacy-preserving computation, fairness, and accountability can help us design intelligent systems we can actually trust.https://agenticai-learning.org

This segment of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, examines Ashley Furniture's groundbreaking partnership with Perplexity that enables complete transactions—from product recommendations to payment—in one conversation. Chris loves this move, calling it brilliant because Ashley can bypass marketplaces and leverage its brand recognition directly in AI search. Anne agrees but criticizes retailers for announcing features that don't work yet, sharing her frustration trying to actually use the Ashley-Perplexity integration. A must-watch for understanding agentic commerce strategy! ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here: https://youtu.be/RjBUyfWgxzY #AshleyFurniture #PerplexityAI #agenticcommerce #AIshop ping #answerengines #retailstrategy #furniture #ecommerce

Today's guest is Robert Wenier, Global Head of Cloud and Infrastructure at AstraZeneca. Robert leads enterprise cloud, infrastructure, and platform strategy across a highly regulated, data-intensive global organization. Robert joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to discuss how enterprise data and AI architectures are shifting from service-oriented and microservice models toward emerging agentic architectures that prioritize end-to-end business outcomes over stepwise technical execution. The conversation explores why AI is moving from a supporting role to a direct driver of competitive advantage, and how this changes expectations for infrastructure, data strategy, and leadership ownership. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show! Watch Daniel and Robert's conversation on our new YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@EmerjAIResearch.

This week's podcast is about the likely impact of agents on ecommerce. And specifically on tourism.You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.Here is the link to the TechMoat Consulting.Here is the link to our Tech Tours.Here is the mentioned McKinsey report.----------I am a consultant and keynote speaker on how to accelerate growth with improving customer experiences (CX) and digital moats.I am a partner at TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in how to increase growth with improved customer experiences (CX), personalization and other types of customer value. Get in touch here.I am also author of the Moats and Marathons book series, a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

Join host Kyle Forrest and Jim Barnett of Wisq as they discuss the ways in which AI helps empower the workforce—and not replace them.

We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.Windows 11 Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order... Dark mode improvements to File Explorer Widgets major overhaul with separate widgets and Discovery feed Xbox Full Screen experience - especially good on handhelds, of course, but also any PC you use for gaming with a controller Click to Do (Copilot+ PC only) External fingerprint reader support for Windows Hello ESS -External/USB webcams supported by Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ PC only) Quick Machine Recovery is the tip of a wave of new foundational features like Admin Protection, Smart App Control (updates), and more that go beyond surface-level look and feel Redesigned Start menu isn't perfect but it's a nice improvement Copilot Vision, though this type of thing may make more sense on phones AI features in Paint, Photos, Notepad, and Snipping Tool Natural language interactions like the agent in Settings, file search, and more (mostly Copilot+ PC only, but you can do this in Copilot as well) Bluetooth LE support for improved audio quality in game chat, voice calls Gaming on Windows 11 on Arm and Snapdragon X: Major steps forward, but the same issue as always Looking ahead to 2026: 26H1, Agentic features that work, potential Windows 12, and AI PCs AI An extensive new interview with Mustafa Suleyman confirms why this guy is special and how confusing it is that Copilot is so disrespected Microsoft Copilot is auto-installing on LG smart TVs and there's no way to remove it GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's answer to Gemini 3 ChatGPT Images is OpenAI's answer to Nano Banana Pro Disney invests $1 billion OpenAI, sues Google Opera Neon is now generally available for $20 per month AI is moving quick as we all know but the bigger issue may be the incessant marketing about features like agents that don't even work now Microsoft is getting pushback on forced Copilot usage, price hikes Google is expanding its use of "experiments" outside of mainstream products with things like NotebookLM, Mixboard, CC, and much more. Maybe this is the better approach: Test separately and then integrate it into existing products Oddly enough, Microsoft does have a Windows AI Lab for this kind of experimentation Many small models vs. one big LLM in the cloud Mobile Fortnite is back in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as Google plays nice Apple loses its contempt appeal, the end of "junk fees" (Apple Tax) is in sight Xbox and gaming Xbox December Update has one big update for the mobile app and one big update for Xbox Wireless Headphones There's a new Xbox Developer Direct coming in January Half-Life 3 may really be happening, but it will be a Steam Machine launch title so it could be a while Tips & picks Tip of the year: De-enshittify Windows 11 App pick of the year: Fortnite RunAs Radio this week: Zero Trust in 2026 with Michele Bustamante Brown liquor pick of the week: Lark Symphony No. 1 These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/963 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink framer.com/design promo code WW outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

Today, we're joined by Aakanksha Chowdhery, member of technical staff at Reflection, to explore the fundamental shifts required to build true agentic AI. While the industry has largely focused on post-training techniques to improve reasoning, Aakanksha draws on her experience leading pre-training efforts for Google's PaLM and early Gemini models to argue that pre-training itself must be rethought to move beyond static benchmarks. We explore the limitations of next-token prediction for multi-step workflows and examine how attention mechanisms, loss objectives, and training data must evolve to support long-form reasoning and planning. Aakanksha shares insights on the difference between context retrieval and actual reasoning, the importance of "trajectory" training data, and why scaling remains essential for discovering emergent agentic capabilities like error recovery and dynamic tool learning. The complete show notes for this episode can be found at https://twimlai.com/go/759.

We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.Windows 11 Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order... Dark mode improvements to File Explorer Widgets major overhaul with separate widgets and Discovery feed Xbox Full Screen experience - especially good on handhelds, of course, but also any PC you use for gaming with a controller Click to Do (Copilot+ PC only) External fingerprint reader support for Windows Hello ESS -External/USB webcams supported by Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ PC only) Quick Machine Recovery is the tip of a wave of new foundational features like Admin Protection, Smart App Control (updates), and more that go beyond surface-level look and feel Redesigned Start menu isn't perfect but it's a nice improvement Copilot Vision, though this type of thing may make more sense on phones AI features in Paint, Photos, Notepad, and Snipping Tool Natural language interactions like the agent in Settings, file search, and more (mostly Copilot+ PC only, but you can do this in Copilot as well) Bluetooth LE support for improved audio quality in game chat, voice calls Gaming on Windows 11 on Arm and Snapdragon X: Major steps forward, but the same issue as always Looking ahead to 2026: 26H1, Agentic features that work, potential Windows 12, and AI PCs AI An extensive new interview with Mustafa Suleyman confirms why this guy is special and how confusing it is that Copilot is so disrespected Microsoft Copilot is auto-installing on LG smart TVs and there's no way to remove it GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's answer to Gemini 3 ChatGPT Images is OpenAI's answer to Nano Banana Pro Disney invests $1 billion OpenAI, sues Google Opera Neon is now generally available for $20 per month AI is moving quick as we all know but the bigger issue may be the incessant marketing about features like agents that don't even work now Microsoft is getting pushback on forced Copilot usage, price hikes Google is expanding its use of "experiments" outside of mainstream products with things like NotebookLM, Mixboard, CC, and much more. Maybe this is the better approach: Test separately and then integrate it into existing products Oddly enough, Microsoft does have a Windows AI Lab for this kind of experimentation Many small models vs. one big LLM in the cloud Mobile Fortnite is back in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as Google plays nice Apple loses its contempt appeal, the end of "junk fees" (Apple Tax) is in sight Xbox and gaming Xbox December Update has one big update for the mobile app and one big update for Xbox Wireless Headphones There's a new Xbox Developer Direct coming in January Half-Life 3 may really be happening, but it will be a Steam Machine launch title so it could be a while Tips & picks Tip of the year: De-enshittify Windows 11 App pick of the year: Fortnite RunAs Radio this week: Zero Trust in 2026 with Michele Bustamante Brown liquor pick of the week: Lark Symphony No. 1 These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/963 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink framer.com/design promo code WW outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to⁠ outcomesrocket.com What happens when AI meets real-world healthcare challenges? In this episode, Kali Ihde, Director of Northwestern Medicine's Ventures and Innovation, discusses how AI is being practically applied to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. She explains the importance of moving past hype, piloting AI solutions safely, and integrating them into workflows with input from clinicians and administrators. Kali highlights the growing AI literacy among healthcare professionals and shares how agentic AI is helping healthcare providers reach patients for preventive care while identifying risks such as elder abuse or suicidal ideation. She also emphasizes the need for structured evaluation and clear metrics to ensure that results are meaningful. Tune in to hear how Northwestern Medicine is leveraging AI to make a real difference in hospitals, clinics, and communities! Resources Connect with and follow Kali Ihde on LinkedIn. Follow Northwestern Medicine on LinkedIn and discover their website!

We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.Windows 11 Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order... Dark mode improvements to File Explorer Widgets major overhaul with separate widgets and Discovery feed Xbox Full Screen experience - especially good on handhelds, of course, but also any PC you use for gaming with a controller Click to Do (Copilot+ PC only) External fingerprint reader support for Windows Hello ESS -External/USB webcams supported by Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ PC only) Quick Machine Recovery is the tip of a wave of new foundational features like Admin Protection, Smart App Control (updates), and more that go beyond surface-level look and feel Redesigned Start menu isn't perfect but it's a nice improvement Copilot Vision, though this type of thing may make more sense on phones AI features in Paint, Photos, Notepad, and Snipping Tool Natural language interactions like the agent in Settings, file search, and more (mostly Copilot+ PC only, but you can do this in Copilot as well) Bluetooth LE support for improved audio quality in game chat, voice calls Gaming on Windows 11 on Arm and Snapdragon X: Major steps forward, but the same issue as always Looking ahead to 2026: 26H1, Agentic features that work, potential Windows 12, and AI PCs AI An extensive new interview with Mustafa Suleyman confirms why this guy is special and how confusing it is that Copilot is so disrespected Microsoft Copilot is auto-installing on LG smart TVs and there's no way to remove it GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's answer to Gemini 3 ChatGPT Images is OpenAI's answer to Nano Banana Pro Disney invests $1 billion OpenAI, sues Google Opera Neon is now generally available for $20 per month AI is moving quick as we all know but the bigger issue may be the incessant marketing about features like agents that don't even work now Microsoft is getting pushback on forced Copilot usage, price hikes Google is expanding its use of "experiments" outside of mainstream products with things like NotebookLM, Mixboard, CC, and much more. Maybe this is the better approach: Test separately and then integrate it into existing products Oddly enough, Microsoft does have a Windows AI Lab for this kind of experimentation Many small models vs. one big LLM in the cloud Mobile Fortnite is back in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as Google plays nice Apple loses its contempt appeal, the end of "junk fees" (Apple Tax) is in sight Xbox and gaming Xbox December Update has one big update for the mobile app and one big update for Xbox Wireless Headphones There's a new Xbox Developer Direct coming in January Half-Life 3 may really be happening, but it will be a Steam Machine launch title so it could be a while Tips & picks Tip of the year: De-enshittify Windows 11 App pick of the year: Fortnite RunAs Radio this week: Zero Trust in 2026 with Michele Bustamante Brown liquor pick of the week: Lark Symphony No. 1 These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/963 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink framer.com/design promo code WW outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, David Dorf, Head of Retail Industry Solutions at AWS, joins Omni Talk to cut through the AI hype and reveal what's actually coming for retail in 2026. From LLM limitations to agentic commerce reality checks, David breaks down why domain-specific models are replacing frontier model fantasies, how answer engines will reshape search, and why shopping agents will start with your grocery delivery. If you've ever wondered what AI predictions are worth believing, this episode delivers the clarity you need.

In this special episode of Builders Wanted, recorded live from Twilio Transform in New York City, we're joined by Rikki Singh, Twilio's VP of R&D for Emerging Technologies. Rikki explores groundbreaking advancements in AI, security, and communications, touching on the evolution of technology and customer expectations as we approach 2026. The conversation delves into the role of AI in software engineering, the importance of trust and privacy by design, changes in customer engagement, and the future of agentic workflows.-------------------Key Takeaways:Building robust systems and prioritizing speed empowers organizations to drive innovation rapidly while maintaining high standards of quality.Reliable, well-structured data and clearly defined, measurable objectives are critical for achieving success in AI and analytics initiatives.The most impactful product enhancements stem from actively listening to customers, understanding their challenges, and reimagining features as needed.-------------------“ The fact that we want to give you contextual memory that is able to capture communication, that matters. Because that's where you're expressing your satisfaction, your happiness, your joys. So how do we take that and then use that to help you rather than microsegment you on demographics and target you? I think that's the positive pivot I hope we make as this technology allows for that.” – Rikki Singh-------------------Episode Timestamps:‍*(01:48) - What excites Rikki heading into 2026‍*(02:54) - What feels different about today compared to a year ago‍*(07:14) - Themes shaping the next 12 months for builders‍*(19:43) - What's evolving fastest: the tech stack, the buyer, or the org chart?‍*(27:50) - What builders underestimate about AI and where it's going‍*(43:36) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Rikki on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Get access to metatrends 10+ years before anyone else - https://qr.diamandis.com/metatrends   Mustafa Sulyman is the CEO of Microsoft AI Dave Blundin is the founder & GP of Link Ventures Dr. Alexander Wissner-Gross is a computer scientist and founder of Reified – My companies: Apply to Dave's and my new fund:https://qr.diamandis.com/linkventureslanding      Go to Blitzy to book a free demo and start building today: https://qr.diamandis.com/blitzy   Grab dinner with MOONSHOT listeners: https://moonshots.dnnr.io/ _ Connect with Peter: X Instagram Connect with Dave: X LinkedIn Connect with Alex Website LinkedIn X Email Connect with Mustafa X Linkedin Listen to MOONSHOTS: Apple YouTube – *Recorded on December 5th, 2025 *The views expressed by me and all guests are personal opinions and do not constitute Financial, Medical, or Legal advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State of Presales and Demo Technologies, and What's Coming in 2026 In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Justin McDonald, Co-founder and CEO of Saleo, to discuss how demo automation technology is transforming the presales landscape. They explore the evolution of presales over the past 20 years, the hidden costs of demo preparation (the "demo tax"), and how AI is revolutionizing how solutions engineers create and personalize demonstrations. Justin shares insights on building relational capital, the importance of in-person meetings, and why the future of presales lies in leveraging technology to spend more quality time with buyers. Thank you to Saleo for sponsoring this episode! Visit Saleo.io to learn more. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Justin McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcdonald-21a3aa6/  Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Saleo: https://saleo.io/ Mockaroo (dummy data generator): https://mockaroo.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:24 How has presales evolved over 20 years 09:20 Demo tax 13:37 The importance of in-person meetings 15:55 Breaking down the demo tax components 24:47 AI and Demo Data Agents 26:42 Trends reshaping presales in 2026 Key Topics Covered The Evolution of Presales Technology From manual data creation with tools like Mockaroo to automated demo environments The rise of presales as a respected profession with executive leadership Shift from multi-week prep and constant travel to efficient Zoom-based demos The Demo Prep Tax Multiple departments impacted: DevOps, product, engineering, and SEs Hard dollar costs: hosting demo tenants can cost millions at scale Demo data degradation: perfectly prepared demos degrade over time SE time is expensive, and hours spent on manual data preparation adds up Building Relational Capital Only 17% of sales time is spent with buyers (even less for presales) In-person interactions unlock opportunities that Zoom calls cannot EQ and relationship-building will separate good from great in the age of AI AI-Powered Demo Automation Demo Data Agent: generates personalized demo data with a single prompt Token-based customization for industry, vertical, and use case adaptation Data injection technology allows real-time demo personalization The Future of Presales AI will expand automation across the entire sales cycle Agentic and asynchronous AI tools will support SEs 24/7 SEs won't be replaced, their time will be used differently The demo data is the story: great storytelling requires great demo data  

Algorithms and automations have been buds for a decade plus.