Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson

Is artificial intelligence strengthening democracy or quietly reshaping power in ways we’re not prepared for?

On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by world-renowned security technologist and author Bruce Schneier.

Bruce is described by the Economist as a "security guru," he is best known as a refreshingly candid and lucid security critic and commentator. He works at the intersection of security, technology, and people. and has been writing about security issues on his blog since 2004 and monthly newsletter since 1998. He is a fellow and lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School, a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc.

Bruce joins Geoff to explore one of the most important questions: Will AI strengthen democracy or quietly undermine it? From government services and public policy to cybersecurity, labor, and the justice system, Bruce breaks down how artificial intelligence acts as a power-magnifying technology, amplifying both the best and worst intentions of those who use it. Drawing from real-world examples in Germany, Brazil, Japan, France, Canada, and the United States, this conversation examines where AI is already reshaping democratic institutions. He also outlines four concrete strategies for steering AI toward democratic outcomes: resisting harmful uses, reforming the AI ecosystem, responsibly deploying AI where it helps, and fixing the underlying societal problems AI tends to amplify.

This conversation also dives into:
◼️How AI can improve government efficiency without replacing human judgment
◼️The risks of AI concentration in the hands of powerful corporations and governments
◼️AI’s impact on work, jobs, and hiring in an era of automation
◼️The role of regulation, reform, and resistance in shaping AI’s future
◼️Whether AI will ultimately democratize power or reinforce inequality

In this video:
00:00 Intro
02:10 AI as a power-magnifying technology
05:00 The four ways AI can help or harm democracy
07:20 Real-World AI use in elections and civic engagement (Germany & Japan)
10:00 AI in courts, justice systems, and public administration (Brazil)
12:30 Journalism, transparency, and AI as an investigative tool
15:00 Human-in-the-loop: Why oversight still matters
18:20 Designing AI that can say “yes” but not “no”
21:00 AI, Work, hiring, and the automation arms race
24:00 Fraud, trust, and remote work in the AI Era
27:00 Does AI democratize power or reinforce it?
30:00 Trustworthy AI vs. “good enough” AI
33:00 When AI is forced on citizens without choice
36:00 Regulation, markets, and the myth of the AI arms race
39:00 What leaders should ask before deploying AI
42:00 Jobs, backlash, and AI-driven inequality
44:00 Lessons from blockchain and past tech hype cycles
48:00 AI, cybersecurity, and the attacker vs. defender balance
52:00 The future of AI skills and careers
55:00 Steering AI toward democracy

Connect with Bruce:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bruce.schneier

Our links:
Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast
Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

What does the future of AI really look like as we head toward 2026, beyond the hype, headlines, and fear-driven narratives?
On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by internationally recognized advisor, speaker, and researcher on AI strategy, Walter Pasquarelli.
Walter is one of the world’s leading voices on ethical and strategic AI. He has advised governments, global institutions, and leading technology companies on AI governance, policy, and readiness, and brings a grounded perspective on what it really takes to lead in the age of artificial intelligence.
Walter joins Geoff to unpack what’s actually happening with artificial intelligence and what most media coverage gets wrong. He brings a 360-degree view of AI adoption and how AI is moving out of boardrooms and into everyday life, reshaping how people think, decide, work, and relate to technology.

This conversation dives into:

Why AI adoption is accelerating among consumers not just enterprises
The rise of AI companions, humanoid robots, and everyday AI use
The real risks behind automation anxiety, data privacy, and emotional dependency
What “AI psychosis” is and why it’s a growing concern
Why AI literacy matters more than fear, hype, or blind regulation
How AI is reshaping work, leadership, and global competitiveness

In this video:
00:00 Intro
01:14 AI’s trajectory toward 2026
02:09 AI moves from boardrooms to living rooms
03:16 Humanoid robots: From screens to physical bodies
05:35 Household robots, prestige, and consumer adoption
07:33 Military, drones, and high-stakes AI applications
08:46 Self-driving cars as robotics, not just vehicles
13:49 Automation anxiety and ethical reality
18:30 Shifting authority from humans to algorithms
19:58 Power concentration and data privacy risks
22:49 AI, mental health, and emotional dependency
28:11 Why regulation alone will always lag
33:25 Business leaders’ biggest AI misconceptions
36:49 Data, talent, and capability gaps
42:18 Estonia, strategy, and digital leadership
44:42 Advising governments: What leaders must do
49:49 AI, sector disruption, and the future of work
53:22 Why top performers benefit most from AI
56:14 Judgment, curation, and human excellence

Connect with Walter:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-m-pasquarelli/?originalSubdomain=uk
X: https://x.com/waltpasquarelli

Our links:
Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast
Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

What if AI becomes the most consequential technology in human history?
On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Nina Schick, geopolitical analyst and one of the world’s leading voices on AI.
Nina Schick is a globally recognized expert on AI, geopolitics, and power. She was among the first to forecast the societal impact of AI-generated content and now leads the conversation on Industrial Intelligence, the idea that AI is not just software, but a geopolitical and industrial transformation.
Nina sits down with Geoff to unpack how intelligence itself is becoming a geopolitical weapon. She explains why we are entering the Age of Intelligence, where non-biological intelligence may soon rival or surpass human intelligence, reshaping economics, warfare, democracy, labor, and global power structures

This conversation goes far beyond AI tools and chatbots. We explore:

Why AGI may arrive sooner than expected
How AI infrastructure and scaling laws are reshaping global power
What AI means for warfare, democracy, and national security
How near-zero-cost intelligence will transform work and leadership

In this episode:
00:00 Intro
01:33 The AI scaling laws accelerating toward AGI
03:09 Excitement vs fear: how disruptive will AI really be?
05:16 Deepfakes, information warfare, and early AI misuse
06:58 AI’s true killer app: scientific discovery
08:49 Intelligence as a utility and the speed of global disruption
10:38 Why AI is becoming the biggest political issue of our time
12:12 Concentration of power and the rise of AI monopolies
14:33 Technology, history, and why power always follows innovation
16:18AI infrastructure, hyperscalers, and trillion-dollar CapEx
19:05 AI as hard power and American technological dominance
21:15 NATO, national security, and autonomous warfare
23:55 The end of American hegemony and the rise of hard power politics
27:36 Democracy vs authoritarianism in the AI race
29:48 Why trivial consumer AI is a strategic failure
35:52 What AI deployment really means for businesses
39:13 The myth of AI tools vs intelligence as a capability
41:41 Will AI actually cause mass layoffs?
46:32 Asset ownership in a world of cheap intelligence
50:24 How AI empowers individuals and emerging economies
52:51 The most important skills for the AI age
55:38 Why being human matters more than ever
56:41 Resilience, risk, and the future

Connect with Nina:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaschick/
X: https://x.com/NinaDSchick

Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast
Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

Is the metaverse actually dead or just badly branded?
On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Christian Venables, co-founder of Radical Realities.
Christian specializes in immersive technology and AI, staying at the forefront of emerging tools, platforms, and workflows. With a strong foundation in architecture and design, he has transitioned into extended reality (XR), exploring the evolving possibilities of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and spatial computing. He is the Co-Founder of Radical Realities, a global immersive studio of creative innovators operating entirely virtually. The studio delivers experiences that transcend the physical world, spanning metaverse development, gaming, AR/VR/MR, CGI, VFX, and AI consultancy. Throughout his career, Christian has led and contributed to immersive projects for globally recognized brands including Coachella, Universal, Disney, Cartier, and Hyundai.
Christian sits down with Geoff to break down why the metaverse will be rebranded and not abandoned. The real future isn’t cartoon avatars or fantasy worlds, but spatial computing, AR glasses, and ambient interfaces that blend seamlessly into everyday life. Despite years of hype, backlash, and false hope, the metaverse may finally be entering its most practical and powerful phase. Christian explains why the term itself may disappear, while the underlying technologies XR, spatial computing, AI-driven 3D design, and wearable AR glasses, are already reshaping how we work, learn, design, and collaborate. From Meta Ray-Ban display glasses and neural wristbands to Gravity Sketch, Unreal Engine, and AI-assisted worldbuilding; This conversation explores how immersive computing is moving beyond gimmicks into real-world utility, especially across architecture, engineering, education, and the creative industries.

In this video:
00:00 Intro
03:00 Is the metaverse dead or just misbranded?
06:00 Spatial computing vs virtual worlds
09:00 Why AR glasses matter more than headsets
12:00 Smart glasses: why this wave is different
15:00 Neural wristbands and gesture-based control
18:00 How quickly humans become dependent on tech
21:00 The split between human-made and AI-generated culture
24:00 Augmenting creativity instead of replacing it
27:00 Designing entirely inside VR
30:00 Gravity Sketch: true 3D creation explained
34:00 Why spatial collaboration beats screens
38:00 Real-world use cases: architecture & manufacturing
42:00 Why mouse and keyboard are reaching their limits
47:00 AI + XR: generating worlds in real time
52:00 What needs to happen before immersive tech scales
56:00 Should immersive computing be back on our radar?

Connect with Christian:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-venables-74542836/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/csavenables/
X: https://x.com/Csavenables

Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast
Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

What happens when the people building artificial intelligence quietly believe it might destroy us?

On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Gregory Warner, Peabody Award–winning journalist, former NPR correspondent, and host of the hit AI podcast The Last Invention.

Gregory Warner is a versatile journalist and podcaster. He has been recognized with a Peabody Award and other awards from organizations like Edward R. Murrow, New York Festivals, AP, and PRNDI. Warner's career includes serving as an East Africa correspondent, where he covered the region's economic growth and terrorism threats. He has also worked as a senior reporter for American Public Media's Marketplace, focusing on the economics of American health care. His work has been recognized with a Best News Feature award from the Third Coast International Audio Festival.

Gregory sits down with Geoff for an honest conversation about the AI race unfolding today. After years spent interviewing the architects, skeptics, and true believers behind advanced AI systems, Gregory has come away with an unsettling insight: the same people racing to build more powerful models are often the most worried about where this technology is heading. This episode explores whether we’re already living inside the AI risk window, why AI safety may be even harder than nuclear safety, and why Silicon Valley’s “move fast and fix later” mindset may not apply to superintelligence. It also examines the growing philosophical divide between AI doomers and AI accelerationists. This conversation goes far beyond chatbots and job-loss headlines. It asks a deeper question few are willing to confront: are we building something we can’t control and, doing it anyway?

In this video:
00:00 Intro
03:00 AI models that already behave like elite hackers
05:00 Why the AI risk window may already be open
06:30 What AI safety actually means (and why it’s so hard)
12:00 Human-in-the-loop: safety feature or illusion?
15:00 AI as an alien intelligence, not a human one
19:00 The Silicon Valley AI arms race explained
21:00 OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, xAI: who’s racing and why
25:00 The “Compressed Century” and radical AI optimism
27:00 Can AI actually solve humanity’s biggest problems?
33:00 Capital, competition, and the pressure to deploy
37:00 Is AI more dangerous than nuclear weapons?
39:00 The problem with comparing AI to past technologies
43:00 What happens to human agency in an AI-driven world?
45:00 How AI reshapes creativity, journalism, and truth
53:00 The quiet assumptions built into AI systems
55:00 Why optimism and fear both miss the full picture
59:00 What responsibility do users have?
01:01:00 The most important question we’re not asking about AI

Connect with Gregory:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radiogrego/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiogrego/

Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcastFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG