Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson

• Taking Back Your Data: Why the Next Web MUST Protect Digital Freedom

  What if your data worked for you and not the platforms controlling it?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by John Bruce, CEO and Co-Founder of Inrupt.With a background as both a founder and an executive at global tech firms, John Bruce is uniquely qualified to help engineer the next phase of the web alongside his co-founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He brings to bear decades of successful business leadership and experience creating new markets around innovative software. Prior to partnering with Tim, he was the co-founder and CEO of Resilient, now an IBM company, that developed a new approach to cybersecurity. Through Resilient and four other successful startups, John has experienced first-hand the strategic challenges that the current structure of the web causes for users, developers, and organizations around the world. John Bruce sits down with Geoff Nielson to talk about a future where individuals and not platforms own their data. John shares how AI, consent-driven data sharing, and a decentralized digital wallet called, Charlie could fundamentally reshape how we interact with technology, institutions, and each other. He explains why we must reclaim personal data from tech giants and what “agentic wallets” are and how they work. In this video:0:00 Intro1:25 Rebuilding the Web3:30 From Tim Berners-Lee to today5:10 Data ownership vs. data surveillance7:00 Moving from platforms to people9:15 What Is an Agentic AI wallet? 11:00 Why consent must be baked into AI and data flows13:45 Use cases in healthcare, government & enterprise16:10 “Decentralized” doesn’t mean disorganized18:30 What leaders get wrong about data control20:45 Enterprise integration23:00 The ROI of giving users control of their own data25:30 Why this moment feels like the early days of the web27:00 What’s next for Inrupt, Solid, and the Internet itself29:00 How We rebuild digital trust31:00 Inrupt's vision beyond 203034:00 Partnering with institutions to scale Solid37:00 Global digital identity and governance challenges40:00 Building public trust in data ecosystems43:00 A non-linear view of it allConnect with John:Website: https://www.inrupt.com/aboutLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwbruce/Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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• Synthetic Humans & Quantum AI: The Future of Humanity

  Is your business ready for a world where AI agents act, adapt, and make decisions for you?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Global Chief AI Engineer at PwC, Scott Likens.Scott Likens serves as the Chief AI Engineer at PwC, overseeing both the Global and U.S. teams. He leads the AI Engineering and Emerging Technology R&D groups, driving the firm’s strategy across AI, blockchain, VR, quantum computing, and other disruptive technologies. With over 30 years of experience in emerging tech, Scott has helped clients across industries transform their customer experience, digital strategy, and operations. He began his career in software engineering during the early days of the internet, working with major multinationals to apply a localized lens to global digital and innovation trends. Scott’s diverse technical background spans advanced analytics, digital architecture, AI engineering, and innovation. During his time at PwC, he has lived and worked in both China and the U.S., serving as a global technology leader and advisor to key clients. He is a regular speaker at international conferences on emerging technologies, including AI and generative AI, blockchain and crypto, IoT, quantum computing, and advanced robotics.Scott Likens sits down with Geoff Nielson for a look into what’s actually happening across the front lines of AI and innovation. Scott shares insights from the edge of tech, from AI agents and embodied intelligence to quantum computing and synthetic identities. He explains why most enterprise AI efforts fail to scale, how to think in innovation “horizons,” and what separates real value from hype. He touches on many topics including, how holographic AI and digital twins are already reshaping communication and the skills, and structures shaping the IT organization of the future. In this video:0:00 Intro1:55 GenAI hype vs. real Value in the enterprise4:20 Embodied AI and the rise of holographic humans6:00 Multilingual synthetic avatars7:30 Deepfakes, trust & the role of blockchain in authentication9:00 Responsible AI12:15 Innovation is moving faster than trust14:00 Speed or scale?16:00 Defining true innovation vs. incremental tech18:00 A Framework for emerging tech20:30 From quantum to satellites: What’s next23:00 Digital Twins, IoT, and Bipedal Robotics25:30 AI at the edge28:45 AI agents in action30:20 Legacy system modernization without rewriting code34:00 Enterprise use cases36:30 What business leaders get wrong about tech39:00 Moving from pilot projects to organization-wide impact42:30 Balancing speed, risk & innovation in enterprise ai44:00 How PwC enables innovation without losing control47:00 Why “waiting” is not an ai strategy48:15 The most important investment is your workforce50:00 Upskilling, hiring, and culture shift at scale52:00 Quantum, cryptography & the real threat timeline54:30 What’s next for leaders and innovatorsConnect with Scott:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottlikens/X: https://x.com/ScottLikensVisit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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• How Spatial Tech Will Change Your Reality Forever

  Is the Metaverse dead? Why is #OpenAI building jewelry? What happens when AI becomes more emotionally present than people?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by CEO of Future Dynamics and author, Cathy Hackl.Cathy is a globally recognized tech and gaming executive, futurist, and keynote speaker specializing in spatial computing, AI, virtual worlds, and gaming platform strategy. She is the co-CEO of Future Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions firm, and a top LinkedIn tech voice. Known as the “Godmother of the Metaverse,” she created the Tech Intimacy Scale and is currently researching the intersection of AI, love, and relationships. Cathy has held leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE, and has guided major brands like Nike, Walmart, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, and Clinique through their emerging tech and gaming strategies. She has spoken at events hosted by Harvard Business School, MIT, CES, SXSW, and the World Economic Forum. Named one of Ad Age’s Leading Women of 2023 and featured on Forbes Latam’s cover for its 100 Most Powerful Women issue, Hackl is also listed among Vogue Business's 100 Innovators. She hosts Adweek’s TechMagic podcast and contributes to Vogue Singapore. In 2022, she made history as the first human to ring the NASDAQ opening bell both physically and in avatar form on live TV.Cathy Hackl sits down with Geoff Nielson for an honest conversation about where technology is headed and what’s really happening with spatial computing, AI hardware, and the future of human connection. Cathy unpacks the evolution of the metaverse and why she believes we’re moving toward something bigger: the spatial web. She shares her first-hand experience with Google Beam, a revolutionary 3D communication technology that doesn’t require a headset. This episode dives into OpenAI’s push into hardware, why it’s a data play, and what that means for your privacy. Emotional technologies like Apple Vision Pro and what they mean for memory, grief, and connection, and the future of dating and relationships in a world filled with AI agents and romantic chatbots. In this episode:0:00 Intro1:00 Is the Metaverse dead or just renamed?3:00 Google Beam: 3D communication without a headset5:00 The Apple moment: reaching for a virtual object7:00 Dating, job interviews & presence in 3D9:00 Will this replace video calls? 11:00 Apple vision pro13:00 Memory preservation & future family photos15:00 OpenAI’s hardware push17:00 AI Agents and who controls your data20:00 From ChatGPT to therapy bots22:00 Emotional manipulation, mental health & ai advice24:00 Who owns the virtual air around you?27:00 Virtual real estate, annotations & air rights30:00 The battle for our senses35:00 Tech that arrived too early37:00 Why dating in 2D doesn’t work in a 3D world39:00 Spatial computing in creative industries41:00 Where tech meets intimacy, memory & legacy44:00 The real use case: Human connection47:00 The future of emotional presence and what’s at stake49:00 Getting It Right MattersConnect with Cathy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyhackl/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathyhackl/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HacklCathyVisit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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• Malcolm Gladwell on Tesla, RFK, and Why AI Could Save Us

  Can generative AI help us close the gap between expertise and access?This week on a special episode of Digital Disruption, we're joined by New York Times best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, recorded live in Las Vegas at Info-Tech Research Group's LIVE tech conference.Malcolm Gladwell is the author of eight New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, Revenge of the Tipping Point. Named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers, he is renowned for his unique perspective on the forces shaping human behavior and society. An extraordinary speaker, Gladwell combines eloquence, warmth, and humor to both entertain and challenge audiences. Through masterful storytelling, he unpacks complex and often misunderstood ideas, from decision-making in Blink and the roots of success in Outliers, to our underestimation of adversity in David and Goliath, and the missteps we make when interacting with strangers in Talking to Strangers.Malcolm Gladwell sits with Geoff Nielson for an engaging conversation on the future of AI, the power of storytelling, and the evolving forces that shape society. From AI’s role in closing the expertise gap to how unexpected narratives drive lasting cultural change, Gladwell offers his signature perspective: thoughtful, contrarian, and always surprising. He talks about why the most transformative uses of AI may be the simplest, how generative tools can elevate human capability, and why culture never changes in ways we expect. Malcolm provides insight into how the media, brands and politics are changing and what that could mean for leadership, while touching on the surprising truth about misinformation, expertise, and AI as a corrective tool. In this episode:0:00 Intro0:24 AI's biggest promise? Strengthening weak links1:33 AI in developing vs developed countries2:12 Should AI replace or empower teachers?3:13 Closing the expertise gap with AI4:18 AI as a safe place to learn without embarrassment5:08 The human side of AI5:32 AI in surprising places6:15 Malcolm’s personal use of AI7:57 Where Malcolm finds ideas and why AI can’t replicate them9:52 Why creativity can’t be automated12:42 Will AI ever replace storytellers and thinkers?14:24 Paul Simon’s genius explained17:27 What makes a great story? Tesla example22:26 Are people the new brand? Apple vs Chevy25:13 The power of "overstories" in shaping behavior26:57 We live in multiple narratives at once29:26 Can organizational culture be changed?30:37 How cultural narratives evolve31:37 Politics, power, and social media’s new role35:07 We’re still figuring out what tech is for38:10 Why AI disruption might not be as bad as we fear39:34 Is Malcolm an optimist or just realistic?41:22 Can AI restore trust in expertise?43:43 The power of narrative over facts44:15 Poking the bearConnect with Malcolm:Website: https://www.gladwellbooks.com/X: https://x.com/GladwellInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/malcolmgladwell/Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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• Forces That Will Radically Transform Society in the Next Decade

  Can your organization survive its own hesitation to take bold bets?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by former Amazon exec and bestselling author, John Rossman. John is an author, business advisor, and keynote speaker. He was an early Amazon executive who played a key role in launching the Amazon marketplace business in 2002. He has served as the senior technology advisor at the Gates Foundation and senior innovation advisor at T-Mobile. His books include “The Amazon Way” and “Think Like Amazon.” His new book, Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era, is an actionable guide for leaders who want to succeed in complex transformations. John sits down with Geoff to unpack why most change initiatives fall short, and what leaders can do to shift the odds in their favor. Looking back on his experience launching Amazon Marketplace and advising top organizations, he shares strategies for scaling effectively, leading through change, and building resilience in today’s digital environment. John explains why traditional transformation efforts often fail, the issues leaders come across, and how to adopt a system of risk-smart decision-making and drive meaningful change. Get ready to challenge assumptions, cut through the hype, and transform the way you lead. In this episode: 00:00 Intro01:07 Solving hard problems with an integrated mindset03:07 Why most companies struggle with change04:21 The 3 megatrends disrupting business06:32 Why Back-office productivity must change07:22 Why Past winners are at risk of losing09:36 Why big bets often fail13:30 The three habits of big bet leaders16:42 Why innovation labs often fail21:39 Why leaders must design decision points intentionally25:03 The power of a clear “Big Bet Vector”31:27 What extreme accountability really means36:08 Should we abandon silos?40:25 Advice for how CIOs can unlock progress despite technical debt46:08 How CIOs can win51:55 Why Change can’t just be an operator’s job53:01 The Big Bet Playbook explained56:27 Active skepticismWebsite: https://johnrossman.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rossman/X: https://x.com/johnerossmanConnect with John:Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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