AI Proving Ground Podcast

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AI Proving Ground Podcast

Hear from top IT leaders and AI innovators on how to navigate the future of enterprise AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation. New episodes dropped weekly — here on wwt.com or on your favorite streaming platform.

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Insights from the Frontlines of Enterprise AI Adoption

AI deployment and adoption is complex — this podcast makes it actionable. Join top experts, IT leaders and innovators as we explore AI's toughest challenges, uncover real-world case studies, and reveal practical insights that drive AI ROI. From strategy to execution, we break down what works (and what doesn't) in enterprise AI.

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The CEO's Playbook to AI

WWT Co-Founder and CEO Jim Kavanaugh explains why executive leadership is the critical factor in moving beyond pilots, how companies should build the right foundations for AI and why waiting on the sidelines may be the biggest risk of all.

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How AI Is Rewriting Customer Expectations Across Healthcare, Utilities and Retail

Customer expectations are shifting faster than most organizations can respond. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, leaders from healthcare, utilities and retail break down how AI is redefining what "good" customer experience looks like — and how their industries are rethinking service models, operational workflows and human touchpoints to keep pace with a new, AI-shaped standard.

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•30:55

Nov 18, 2025

When AI Starts to Act on Its Own, Who's in Control?

As artificial intelligence moves from prediction to action, a new security frontier is taking shape. In this episode, Zscaler's Head of AI Innovation Phil Tee and WWT's VP of Global Cyber Chris Konrad explore the rise of autonomous agents, the evolution of Zero Trust and what it means to secure AI itself. From poisoned prompts to quantum threats, they warn the biggest risk isn't just deploying AI — it's trusting it. A sharp, real-world look at how enterprises can protect their future as machines begin to make decisions of their own.

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•42:00

Nov 5, 2025

How AI Agents Are Transforming IT Ops

AI agents are moving from hype to the heart of enterprise IT. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, Eric Jones and Ruben Ambrose — two leading AI experts — explore how intelligent, human-guided systems are transforming IT service management, incident response and operational scale to deliver faster resolutions, stronger security and smarter decisions across the enterprise.

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•45:08

Oct 28, 2025

Can AI Be Trusted to Run Critical Networks?

Artificial intelligence is firmly in the heart of the world's most critical infrastructure — the massive networks that keep our digital lives running. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, two of our top trusted advisors to the world's largest network operators — Dave Clough and Yohannes Tafesse — break down the high-stakes reality of applying AI at scale, the often-overlooked work of preparing data and building trust, and why the lessons emerging from telecom will shape how every enterprise approaches AI in mission-critical environments.

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•50:39

Oct 21, 2025

Cloud, FinOps and AI: What You Need to Know About Unit Economics, GPUs and the ROI Flywheel

AI has pushed cloud into overdrive. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, two of our top cloud experts — Jack French and Todd Barron — reset the approach and detail why cloud is the launchpad but portability is the strategy; how to start greenfield with containers and abstraction; what a real FinOps model for AI looks like (unit economics, tagging, token/GPU visibility); where neo clouds fit versus hyperscalers; and how to handle cross-cloud risk and skill gaps; and the governance moves that accelerate—not restrict—innovation.

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•39:34

Oct 14, 2025

AI's Trust Problem: What Great Leaders Know That Most Don't with Great Place to Work CEO Michael Bush and WWT CTO Mike Taylor

Artificial intelligence investment is exploding, but adoption often stalls. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, Great Place to Work CEO Michael Bush and WWT CTO Mike Taylor unpack the real reason why: trust. They reveal how culture, leadership and access — not just technology — determine whether AI pilots fail or flourish, and why people-first leadership may be the ultimate competitive advantage in the age of AI.

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•49:03

Oct 7, 2025

Executive Leadership in the Age of AI: Lessons from WWT Co-Founder and CEO Jim Kavanaugh

AI is reshaping business faster than any technology in history. But while employees are already using AI daily, enterprises are struggling to capture value at scale. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, WWT Co-Founder and CEO Jim Kavanaugh explains why executive leadership is the critical factor in moving beyond pilots, how companies should build the right foundations for AI and why waiting on the sidelines may be the biggest risk of all.

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•52:19

Sep 30, 2025

Agents, Copilots and Beyond: Everyday AI's Jordan Wilson on Future of AI in the Enterprise

In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, we talk with Jordan Wilson, host of the popular Everyday AI Podcast, to unpack the realities of enterprise AI adoption. From tool sprawl and failed pilots to executive sponsorship and agentic models, Jordan shares lessons he's taken away from thousands of conversations with enterprise leaders — and explains why soft skills and unlearning old habits may be the ultimate keys to success.

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•58:22

Sep 23, 2025

From Pilots to Productivity: Unlocking the True ROI of Microsoft Copilot

Millions of employees now have Microsoft Copilot at their fingertips, but only a small fraction of organizations have scaled it successfully. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, World Wide Technology's Mike Davis and Softchoice's Craig McQueen share hard-won lessons on driving adoption, overcoming change management challenges and moving from pilots to measurable ROI. If your Copilot rollout has stalled, this conversation could be your roadmap forward.

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•34:17

Sep 16, 2025

AI Acceleration in Action: How AI in Higher Ed Is Balancing Innovation vs. Risk

AI is transforming higher education — from classrooms to research labs — but with innovation comes risk. How can universities protect sensitive data, meet compliance obligations, and still foster discovery? In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, WWT Higher Ed Principal Advisor Janet and Principal Cybersecurity Consultant for AI Bryan Fite share how one leading university is tackling AI governance and building guardrails that empower rather than restrict. Their insights reveal why higher ed is a proving ground for responsible AI adoption — and why every industry should be paying attention.

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•48:29

Sep 9, 2025

Private AI vs. Cloud: How Enterprise Leaders Can Make Smarter Build-or-Buy Decisions

Is your organization ready to own AI or are you better served by leveraging the speed and scale of the cloud? In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, WWT High-Performance Architecture Director Jeff Fonke and VP of Advanced Technology Solutions Jeff Wynn break down the toughest question facing IT leaders today: should you build or buy your AI capabilities? From the economics of inference costs to hybrid cloud realities, the two Jeffs share practical strategies on private AI, workload orchestration, data readiness and overcoming the enterprise skills gap.

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•40:55

Sep 2, 2025

Enterprise AI Adoption: How Workforce AI Is Changing the Future of Work

Organizations are racing to unlock the potential of workforce AI, but only a few have cracked adoption at scale. In this episode of the AI Proving Ground Podcast, VP of Digital Experiences Joe Berger and workforce AI expert Kait Miller break down why AI pilots stall, how to move from pockets of success to enterprise-wide impact and why employees often trust consumer AI more than company-approved tools. Kait and Joe explore the hidden gap between employee adoption and enterprise rollout, address the build vs. buy conundrum and walk through a real-world case study at WWT that slashed days of work into hours and generated new revenue.

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•49:24

Aug 26, 2025

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About the AI Proving Ground

Everything AI. All in one place.

The AI Proving Ground Podcast is a byproduct of WWT's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. Powered by our Advanced Technology Center, this unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.

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