AI Proving Ground Podcast

Agentic AI systems have the potential to work together, but not yet at scale. This episode breaks down two emerging standards — Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication. Both promise modular AI integration, safer data flows, and agentic collaboration that actually scales. WWT engineer Sally Jankovic and AI advisor David Geddam explain why these protocols are becoming essential infrastructure for enterpris...

For many, AI success isn’t limited by how many GPUs you can buy; it’s limited by how fast those GPUs can talk to each other without tripping over the plumbing. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, two of WWT’s top networking minds —Justin van Schaik and Eric Fairfield — lay out the real choke points slowing AI projects to a crawl and how powerful, modernized network architectures are quietly rewriting the rulebook for ...

Jack in the Box CTO Doug Cook and WWT Chief Digital Advisor Charlie Lawhorn detail how a multi-year modernization sprint paved the way for advancements in AI — and what every business can learn from the fast-food chain's journey. Doug and Charlie offer a candid conversation that delivers a playbook for prioritizing AI use cases, funding innovation in capital-constrained environments and rolling out AI with minimal disruption.

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At Cisco Live 2025, the networking giant rolled out a sweeping agenda to make AI not just powerful, but practical — and secure. In this episode, we caught up with leaders from Cisco, NVIDIA and WWT to talk about what this year's announcements actually mean for enterprise teams tasked with building scalable, secure, AI-ready infrastructure. From the rise of the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA to the reality of agentic workf...

AI leaders these days have little time for proofs of concept. They need ROI. If you're leading AI transformation in a large organization, this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast is your blueprint. AI consultants Kathleen Nowicke and Yoni Malchi share how top enterprises prioritize use cases, align across business units and unlock lasting ROI, and detail a three-step process to get AI right from the start.

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Nearly half of today’s AI initiatives are dead on arrival. The culprit? The data. From disjointed systems and undefined use cases to cultures that overestimate readiness, WWT data strategists Bill Stanley and Jonathan Gassner break down why many organizations, and detail how you can build real momentum for AI transformation.

Support for this episode provided by: Dataminr

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Jonathan Gassner is a ...

As AI innovation intensifies, one domain is already feeling the impact: software development. In this episode, WWT experts Nate McKie and Andrew Athan explore how AI-powered coding assistants are improving developer productivity and reshaping enterprise engineering. From Copilot to agentic tools capable of autonomous code generation, they examine how organizations are navigating this transition, balancing speed with quality and red...

As AI pushes the limits of traditional IT infrastructure, enterprises are racing to modernize their data centers. In this episode, Mike Parham and Bruce Gray walk us through the behind-the-scenes decisions that matter — from power and cooling challenges to GPU readiness and sustainability. Whether you're modernizing or starting from scratch, this conversation is your blueprint for AI-ready infrastructure.

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AI systems are only as trustworthy as the data they're trained on — but what happens when that data is intentionally corrupted? WWT's Justin Hadler and Chance Cornell break down the growing threats of data poisoning and prompt injection, explore the challenges of securing AI pipelines and dive into why the next big cybersecurity frontier starts inside the model.

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Chance Cornell join...

Where should your AI workloads run? It's one of the most overlooked questions in AI strategy. From surprising constraints around power, cooling and floor space, to the growing demand for GPU-as-a-Service models, this episode delivers a field-level view of the challenges enterprises face when moving from AI proof of concept to production. You’ll hear why infrastructure readiness assessments are essential, how AI workloads diffe...

Can deepfakes go from dangerous to delightful? In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, Adam Dumey and Chris Roberts explore one of the more surprising — and controversial — topics in generative AI: the use of synthetic media and deepfakes in personalized customer experiences. You'll learn: what deepfakes really are and why they're no longer just a security threat; how AI-powered personalization is reshaping the ...

Many organizations are chasing AI's promise. But who's actually delivering results? In this episode of The AI Proving Ground Podcast, we take you inside WWT's AI Day STL, where real-world success stories meet tactical, boots-on-the-ground guidance for enterprise AI transformation. It's what we call "Practical AI." This episode explores the four phases of AI maturity, why clear use cases are more valuab...

As enterprise AI strategies mature, the user interface is evolving beyond chatbots. Enter the digital human — real-time, emotionally aware, multilingual AI avatars designed to mimic human interaction with uncanny realism. In this episode of AI Proving Ground Podcast, WWT Chief Technology Advisor Ruben Ambrose and Area Director of Strategy an Innovation Eric Jones unpack their journey building WWT’s own avatar, “Ellie,” and offer a ...

AI isn't just evolving — it's accelerating into every corner of business and society. But while innovation surges ahead, AI policy and regulation is playing catch-up. In this episode of The AI Proving Ground Podcast, two of WWT's foremost AI and cyber experts — Kate Kuehn and Bryan Fite — dive deep into the fragmented and fast-changing world of AI policy, regulation and governance. Plus, what every enterprise should ...

Can AI solve the healthcare crisis? Hear from two frontline healthcare executives — Dr. Sanaz Cordes and Dr. Eric Quinones, both Chief Digital Advisors with WWT — on the groundbreaking ways AI is reshaping clinical care, restoring physician focus, and unlocking new levels of operational efficiency. Explore how healthcare organizations are implementing AI today—with use cases including ambient scribing, inbox management, predictive ...

As AI moves from predictive analytics to real-time autonomous decision-making, enterprises face a critical challenge: scaling AI securely and efficiently. This episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast explores key takeaways from NVIDIA GTC, the evolving Cisco-NVIDIA partnership and the foundational role AI infrastructure plays in unlocking enterprise-scale AI. Featuring WWT VP of Networking and AI Solutions Neil Anderson, NVIDIA SV...

Jensen Huang’s keynote at NVIDIA GTC 2025 reinforced that we are entering a new phase of AI-driven enterprise transformation — signaling a shift from AI as a supporting tool to AI as a decision-making and autonomous agent. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, we get quick-hit reaction from WWT experts on the ground at NVIDIA GTC 2025.

More AI Proving Ground Podcast: https://www.wwt.com/events/ai-proving-ground-podcast/o...

AI is transforming enterprises — but are businesses actually using it effectively? In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, experts Jon Duren and Jay Custard explore the real challenges of enterprise AI adoption — from underutilized AI tools and shadow AI risks to the struggle of proving AI’s ROI.

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Jay Custard has deep experience helping companies harness the power of digital technologies to...

The AI hype cycle drove enterprises to stockpile GPUs—but now what? In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, Chris Braun and Andy Moser explore how organizations are leveraging their GPU investments, the role of fractional GPUs and the evolving skill sets IT teams need to optimize AI workloads. Chris and Andy also discuss GPU power and cooling considerations and what's next in AI computing. Are GPUs still the future, ...