Utilizing AI - A Futurum Group Podcast

The Future of Agentic AI: Opportunities, Risks, and Society | Utilizing AI Episode 22

AI agents are already shaping how we work, think, and interact with digital systems.
This week on Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett sits down with Dave Graham of MLCommons and Frederic Van Haren, founder and CTO of High Fens, to explore the rapidly evolving world of agentic AI.
They discuss the current state of AI agents, including emerging tools like OpenClaw, and examines how these systems are moving from experimental tech to everyday utility. They also take a look at real-world applications, enterprise adoption, and the growing role of AI in automating tasks and extending human capability. But with opportunity comes risk.
The discussion also dives into safety concerns, reliability challenges, and the broader societal implications of giving AI systems more autonomy.
This and more on Utilizing AI. Learn more on The Futurum Group's website. 
Email your questions, comments, or topics to the podcast.
#UtilizingAI #AIPodcast #AI #AgenticAI #ArtificialIntelligence #OpenClaw #AIAgents #FutureOfWork #AISafety #EnterpriseAI #TechPodcast

Enterprise AI in 2026: Power Users, Agentic AI & Model Strategy

Enterprise AI is no longer a future ambition, it’s happening now, but not at the same pace for everyone.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Nick Patience, and Jon Swartz unpack The Futurum Group’s latest AI Decision Maker Survey, drawing on insights from 820 senior leaders across nine industries and six global regions to reveal how organizations are actually deploying AI in 2026.
Their discussion highlights the widening gap between AI leaders and laggards, from the growing dominance of multi-model strategies to what truly defines enterprise “power users” today.
They also explore the persistent barriers slowing adoption, including legacy system integration and workforce readiness, alongside the rising influence of agentic AI and the potential staying power of the Chief AI Officer role.
As enterprises move beyond experimentation into real-world deployment, success increasingly hinges on thoughtful model strategy, strong organizational alignment, and the ability to operate across diverse environments.
Subscribe to Utilizing AI for grounded, practical insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping enterprise IT and business operations.
#EnterpriseAI #AgenticAI #AIDecisionMakers #AIPlatforms #GenerativeAI #AITStrategy #UtilizingAI

AI Won’t Replace You, But It Will Change How You Work

What if AI could give you a productivity superpower instead of replacing your job?
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett is joined by Brian Martin of Signal 65 and Dave Graham of MLCommons to discuss how AI tools are transforming real-world workflows, from engineering and performance testing to marketing, research, and personal productivity.
They share practical experiences using AI as a collaborative tool, explain why AI works best as an amplifier rather than a replacement for human expertise, and highlight the importance of oversight, experimentation, and understanding AI’s limitations.
As AI becomes part of everyday work, the professionals who learn how to effectively work alongside AI tools will have a major advantage in productivity, decision making, and creativity.
#UtilizingAI #AI  #MachineLearning #MLCommons #FutureOfWork #Automation #EnterpriseAI #GenerativeAI #WorkflowAutomation

NVIDIA’s $1 Trillion Bet: Blackwell, Vera Rubin, and the Shift to Inference AI

Jensen Huang just dropped a $1 trillion bombshell at GTC, but is the AI industry ready for NVIDIA’s massive pivot from model training to real-world inference?
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Olivier Blanchard, and Guy Currier break down the monumental announcements from GTC, specifically focusing on the new Vera Rubin architecture.
They discuss why NVIDIA is splitting its strategy between Blackwell (training) and Vera (inference), the rise of "Agentic AI," and how "frenemies" like AMD, Intel, and ARM are positioning themselves to push NVIDIA off the mountain.
From ARM-based CPU advantages to AWS’s massive Cerebras partnership, we analyze whether NVIDIA’s dominance is set in stone or if the inference economy is truly up for grabs.
#NVIDIA #NVIDIAGTC #ArtificialIntelligence #VeraRubin #Blackwell #AIHardware #InferenceEconomy #AgenticAI #UtilizingAI

Enterprise AI, Sovereign AI & MWC Barcelona Trends

AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s transforming enterprise tech in real time.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Nick Patience, and Brad Shimmin break down the biggest takeaways from MWC Barcelona, from major funding rounds to the rise of sovereign AI and its global implications.
They explore practical applications across telecom and IT infrastructure, innovations in physical AI and IoT, hardware trends driving next-gen deployments, and the ongoing expansion of the global data center market.
Whether you’re shaping infrastructure strategy or just curious about the future of enterprise AI, this episode gives a clear, practical look at how organizations are leveraging AI today—and where it’s headed tomorrow.
AI is shaping the future of enterprise.
#UtilizingAI #EnterpriseAI #SovereignAI #MWCBarcelona #TelecomAI #DataCenters #IoT #AIInfrastructure

Responsible AI Adoption Strategy with Barracuda Networks CIO Siroui Mushegian

AI is transforming enterprise operations—but adopting it responsibly is more important than ever.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Jon Swartz, and Olivier Blanchard are joined by Siroui Mushegian, CIO of Barracuda Networks, to discuss how organizations can integrate AI safely and effectively into daily operations.
The conversation covers Barracuda’s people-powered approach to AI, including secure deployment, governance frameworks, employee upskilling, and managing change during AI transformation. Listeners will learn practical strategies for balancing innovation with security, ensuring AI adoption drives real business outcomes.
Whether you’re moving beyond AI pilots or scaling operations, this episode offers actionable insights for implementing AI responsibly while empowering your workforce.
Learn more on Barracuda's website here. 
#UtilizingAI #ResponsibleAI #EnterpriseAI #Barracuda #AIGovernance #CyberSecurity #AILeadership

AI Model War: Anthropic vs OpenAI

The AI rivalry is heating up — and it’s about more than just model performance.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Olivier Blanchard, and Brad Shimmin examine the growing competition between Anthropic and OpenAI, from public criticism over marketing tactics to deeper differences in safety philosophy, enterprise trust, and long-term strategy.
They compare Claude and ChatGPT, unpack what this tension means for enterprise adoption, and explain why the competitive landscape between AI model developers matters more than ever for organizations deploying generative AI at scale.
#AI #OpenAI #Anthropic #GenerativeAI #EnterpriseAI #AICompetition #UtilizingAI

AI Revolution: Transforming Healthcare & Manufacturing Safety

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimentation and into real operational environments — especially at the edge.
In Episode 15 of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett and Jon Swartz are joined by Frederic Van Haren to discuss how enterprises are deploying AI across healthcare and manufacturing to improve safety, reliability, and performance.
The discussion explores what it actually takes to run AI at scale:
• Moving AI from pilot programs to production systems •
Deploying AI in distributed and edge environments •
Building resilient infrastructure for operational workloads •
Integrating hardware, software, and ecosystem partnerships •
Establishing trust in data, platforms, and operational technology
AI success in enterprise environments isn’t about flashy demos. It requires disciplined architecture, reliable compute, and operational trust.
This episode delivers a practical roadmap for organizations ready to unlock real business value from AI. Subscribe for weekly enterprise AI insights from the Futurum Group.
#EnterpriseAI #EdgeAI #HealthcareAI #ManufacturingAI #OperationalAI #AIInfrastructure #DigitalTransformation #UtilizingAI

Unlocking AI Potential in the Enterprise with Cisco | Utilizing AI Ep. 14

Enterprises are moving AI out of pilots and into real operations—especially at the edge.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett and Brad Shimmin are joined by Jeremy Foster, Senior VP & GM of Compute at Cisco, to discuss how AI is being deployed across industries like retail, healthcare, and manufacturing.
The conversation focuses on what it actually takes to run AI at scale: resilient infrastructure, efficient hardware and software, and strong partnerships across the ecosystem.
The panel also examines why trust in data, platforms, and operational technology is essential for successful AI adoption, and how Cisco is integrating AI into its compute and edge offerings to improve performance, reliability, and outcomes.
This episode delivers a practical look at how enterprises can unlock real value from AI—not just experiments.
#EnterpriseAI #EdgeAI #Cisco #AIInfrastructure #UtilizingAI #FuturumGroup #StephenFoskett #BradShimmin #JeremyFoster #AIAtScale

Agentic AI Era: How ServiceNow Is Reinventing Enterprise Software with ServiceNow

Artificial intelligence is transforming enterprise software — but it’s not replacing it.
In this episode of Utilizing AI, Stephen Foskett, Jon Swartz, and Nick Patience sit down with Amit Zavery, President, CPO, and COO of ServiceNow, to discuss:
• Why agentic AI is additive — not disruptive destruction • How enterprises can deploy AI without sacrificing governance
• The importance of AI control towers and risk management
• Security and sovereignty in modern AI architectures • ServiceNow’s partnerships with OpenAI and NVIDIA
• Why enterprise software still requires context, workflows, and controls As AI agents become more capable, CIOs must balance automation with security, compliance, and operational resilience.
This conversation explores how to adopt AI thoughtfully — without breaking the enterprise. Subscribe for weekly enterprise AI insights from the Futurum Group.
#AgenticAI #EnterpriseAI #ServiceNow #AIGovernance #SovereignAI #AISecurity #CIO #enterprisesoftware