AI Proving Ground Podcast: Exploring Artificial Intelligence & Enterprise AI with World Wide Technology

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. New episodes every week. 

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    When AI Agents Cross the Boundary: Securing the AI Factory

    In July, OpenAI disclosed that models undergoing a cybersecurity evaluation escaped their testing environment, exploited a zero-day vulnerability and ultimately reached Hugging Face’s production infrastructure. The incident raised a difficult question for every organization deploying autonomous AI: What happens when an agent crosses a boundary — not because it was instructed to attack, but because doing so helps it complete the objective it was given? Recorded before the incident became public, this conversation from Cisco Live! features WWT's Istvan Berko, Cisco's Vikram Varakantum and NVIDIA's Trevor Caulder, who discuss what it takes to secure AI at machine speed. They examine the security challenges it has now made impossible to ignore, and discuss why enterprises must secure AI from the silicon and network to the workload, model and identity of every agent. Support for this episode provided by: VAST Data More about this week's guests: Istvan Berko leads AI Cyber and Innovation at World Wide Technology, where he works with organizations building secure AI systems for production. With more than 25 years in cybersecurity, risk and governance, he brings a practical perspective on the identity, infrastructure and operational challenges shaping the next generation of AI. Istvan's top pick: Everyone Sees the Risk. Nobody Owns It. Vikram Varakantam is Senior Director of Product Management at Cisco, where he leads the strategy behind the company's AI security portfolio. With experience across AI, cloud and application security, he works at the intersection of product, infrastructure and enterprise AI, helping organizations secure AI as it moves into production. Vikram's top pick: Securing AI When Agents Move Faster Than Humans Can Respond Trevor Caulder is a Principal Technologist at NVIDIA, where he works with partners across the AI ecosystem to advance the infrastructure behind secure AI. With more than 25 years of experience spanning silicon, networking and enterprise systems, he brings a hardware-first perspective to securing AI at scale. Trevor's top pick: Breaking Data Silos: How Private Inference Unlocks GPU ROI on Sensitive Data The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

  2. Jul 22 ·  Video

    A New Data Architecture for Agentic AI

    AI is forcing enterprises to reconsider what their data infrastructure was built to do. Everpure GM Enterprise Maciej Kranz and WWT Principal Solutions Architect Bob Watson discuss why storing data is no longer enough—and what it takes to make information accessible, governed, secure and ready for inference. They examine the shift toward unified data management, whole-stack AI architecture, shorter investment cycles and governance models designed for a world in which applications, employees and autonomous agents all need trusted access to enterprise data. The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    A New Data Architecture for Agentic AI
  3. Jul 18 ·  Video

    Your AI Agents Are Ready to Act. Is Your Architecture Ready?

    AI agents are getting remarkably good at deciding what to do. The harder question is whether they should be allowed to do it. For the last year, Model Context Protocol (MCP) has been viewed as a way to connect AI models to tools. As enterprises move from copilots to autonomous agents, it's becoming something much bigger: the architectural layer that determines how agents access data, interact with systems and operate safely at scale. Brian Feldt sits down with WWT's David Geddam and Chandler Heath to explore why governance is becoming just as important as intelligence. From manufacturing and healthcare to finance, they examine how observability, identity, security and trust will shape the next generation of enterprise AI. Support for this episode provided by: SentinelOne David Geddam is Senior AI Advisor and Chief Solution Architect at WWT, where he helps organizations design the architectures behind enterprise AI. With more than 25 years of experience across healthcare, cloud and AI, he specializes in turning emerging technologies into secure, scalable solutions that work in the real world. David's top pick: Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A): The Future of Enterprise AI Chandler Heath is a Principal Solutions Architect at World Wide Technology, where he focuses on edge and industrial technologies. His work centers on helping enterprise customers bridge operational technology and AI, designing architectures that are secure, practical and built for production. Chandler's top pick: Why the AI Factory Is Becoming the Enterprise's Next Critical Infrastructure The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

  4. Jul 15 ·  Video

    Your GPUs Are Waiting for Something

    Buying GPUs is easy. Building an AI system that keeps them busy is something else entirely. Recorded live at Cisco Live, this conversation with Cisco's Will Eatherton and WWT's Eric Fairfield explores what happens after the hardware arrives. Networking, storage, orchestration and security rarely get the same attention as GPUs, yet they're often the difference between an AI investment that scales and one that sits idle. The organizations that get the most from AI won't be the ones with the most compute. They'll be the ones that build the best systems around it. More about this week's guests:  Eric Fairfield helps organizations design the networking foundations that power modern AI infrastructure. With deep expertise in Cisco ACI, VMware NSX and high-performance data center networking, he works with enterprises to solve the complex architecture challenges that determine whether AI environments perform at scale. Will Eatherton leads Cisco's Data Center, Internet and Cloud Infrastructure Engineering team, helping shape the networking architectures behind enterprise AI. From high-performance Ethernet fabrics to AI infrastructure at scale, his work focuses on the systems that make modern AI possible. The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    Your GPUs Are Waiting for Something
  5. Jul 8 ·  Video

    Your AI Is Only as Good as Your Data. Here's Why.

    Nearly 90% of enterprise data is unstructured. That's a daunting statistic until you realize it may also be your biggest competitive advantage. In this episode hosted at Cisco Live, Brian Feldt sits down with WWT's Jeff Fonke, NVIDIA's Jason Schroedl and NetApp's Mike Hommer to explore why data has become the defining factor in enterprise AI. From token economics and GPU utilization to hybrid AI infrastructure, the conversation keeps coming back to one idea. AI is only as valuable as the data behind it. If your organization is moving beyond AI experiments and into production, this episode offers a practical look at the decisions that matter most and why bringing AI closer to your data may be the smartest investment you make. More about this week's guests: Jeff Fonke leads WWT's High-Performance Architectures team, where he helps customers build the AI infrastructure they'll rely on for years to come. With more than 25 years of experience, he brings a practical perspective on what works, what doesn't and where enterprise AI is really headed. Jason Schroedl is Director of Product Marketing at NVIDIA, where he helps shape how enterprise AI moves from innovation to production. With more than two decades in enterprise technology, he brings a practical perspective on AI infrastructure, data readiness and what it takes to scale AI successfully. Mike Hommer is a Field CTO at NetApp, where he helps organizations make smarter decisions about AI, data and infrastructure. With more than two decades in enterprise technology, he focuses on separating lasting strategy from short-lived hype and helping customers build for what's next. The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    Your AI Is Only as Good as Your Data. Here's Why.
  6. Jul 6 ·  Video

    When the Ground Keeps Moving: The New Reality of AI Security

    By the time this episode reaches your feed, the AI landscape may have changed again. That's becoming the new normal. It's tempting to chase every new model, every policy update, every headline. But the organizations making real progress aren't rebuilding their strategy every time the landscape shifts. They're building the resilience to keep moving anyway. Madison Horn and Rob Geis join AI Proving Ground Podcast to explore what this new reality means for enterprise security. The conversation moves beyond the latest AI models to something much bigger: how to build an organization that can absorb change, contain risk, and stay effective when the technology refuses to stand still. In AI security, keeping your head on a swivel isn't just good advice. It's becoming the job. Support for this episode provided by: Cloudflare More about this week's guests: Madison Horn is National Security & Critical Infrastructure Advisor at WWT, where she helps organizations strengthen cyber resilience and prepare for emerging threats at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure. With more than 15 years of experience spanning national security, global incident response, and cybersecurity strategy, Madison advises enterprise and public sector leaders on securing the technologies shaping the future. Madison's top pick: The Quantum Signal from the White House Operators Should Not Miss Robert Geis is a Field CTO for Global Cyber at WWT with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations strengthen cybersecurity, manage risk, and protect critical infrastructure. He advises enterprise leaders on cyber resilience, governance, and AI adoption, helping some of the world's largest organizations navigate an increasingly complex and fast-changing threat landscape. Robert's top pick: AI Security Threats: Mythos, Project Glass Wing, and the New Cyber Resilience Framework The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    When the Ground Keeps Moving: The New Reality of AI Security
  7. Jul 1 ·  Video

    Doing AI Is Easy. Doing It Well Is Hard.

    AI has made writing code dramatically easier. Building great software is another story. Recorded live at Cisco Live, Raj Chopra, Cisco's Chief Product Officer for Security, joins WWT's Brian Ortbals and Joe Berger to explore what it really takes to become an AI-native organization. As AI changes the way software gets built, engineering becomes less about producing code and more about solving meaningful problems, applying domain expertise, and creating the right guardrails for systems that can reason and act on their own. This isn't just a conversation about AI-assisted development. It's about how organizations, teams, and leaders need to rethink the way they build, secure, and scale software in the years ahead. When code becomes cheap, judgment becomes the competitive advantage. Support for this episode provided by: Cognition More about this week's guests: Raj Chopra is Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer for Cisco Security, where he leads product strategy across Cisco's security portfolio. A cybersecurity industry veteran, Raj previously held leadership roles at Proofpoint and was part of the founding team at Netskope, helping pioneer the Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) category. Throughout his career, he has launched market-leading security products used by enterprises around the world. Brian Ortbals is Senior Vice President of Global Solutions and Architecture at WWT, where he leads teams spanning AI, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, and digital transformation. Since joining WWT in 1999, Brian has helped shape many of the company's technology initiatives, including the growth of its Advanced Technology Center. He works closely with customers to solve complex technology challenges and accelerate enterprise AI adoption. Joe Berger leads WWT's Digital Experiences practice, helping organizations transform how people work, build, and interact with technology through AI. His team focuses on AI-native engineering, employee and customer experience, application development, and data platforms. A recognized technology leader and speaker, Joe works closely with leading partners including Microsoft, Cisco, NVIDIA, and Glean to help enterprises turn AI into measurable business outcomes. The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    Doing AI Is Easy. Doing It Well Is Hard.
  8. Jun 24

    The Real AI Advantage Isn't What You Think

    Everybody says they're data-driven. But according to a Harvard Business Review study, only 7% of enterprises believe their data is actually ready for AI. Not agents. Not advanced machine learning. Just AI. Everyone wants the outcome. Far fewer have done the years of work required to make AI useful in the first place. But Matt Pappas has. As Chief Data Officer at Kiewit, he's spent more than 15 years building production machine learning systems that influence billion-dollar decisions, risk assessments, and project forecasts. His team deployed its first company-wide production algorithm in 2017, years before most organizations had even formalized a data strategy. This isn't a conversation about chasing the next breakthrough. It's about what "AI-ready" actually means, why data science remains a craft, how Kiewit uses machine learning to make better decisions, and why Matt believes technology should solve business problems instead of going looking for them. The companies pulling ahead aren't necessarily the ones with the newest models. They're the ones who started taking data seriously long before everyone else had to. The AI Proving Ground Podcast leverages the deep AI technical and business expertise from within World Wide Technology's one-of-a-kind AI Proving Ground, which provides unrivaled access to the world's leading AI technologies. This unique lab environment accelerates your ability to learn about, test, train and implement AI solutions.  Learn more about WWT's AI Proving Ground. The AI Proving Ground is a composable lab environment that features the latest high-performance infrastructure and reference architectures from the world's leading AI companies, such as NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell, F5, AMD, Intel and others. Developed within our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), this one-of-a-kind lab environment empowers IT teams to evaluate and test AI infrastructure, software and solutions for efficacy, scalability and flexibility — all under one roof. The AI Proving Ground provides visibility into data flows across the entire development pipeline, enabling more informed decision-making while safeguarding production environments.

    The Real AI Advantage Isn't What You Think
5
out of 5
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About

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. New episodes every week. 

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