The Actionable Futurist® Podcast Chief Futurist - The Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

This podcast episode features an interview with Darshan Chandarana and Julia Howes from PwC about opportunities in enterprise AI. 

They discussed AI adoption across industries, with financial services and retail leading the way, and Darshan emphasised the importance of responsible AI and understanding societal impacts.

Julia discussed the challenges of AI adoption like determining value and data privacy issues. 

Julia gave examples where Microsoft's Copilot AI is helping non-native English speakers and explains how the future of work with AI could involve remote working and creativity hubs. 

Emerging technologies like augmented reality are also discussed, and our guests encourage experimenting with AI, embracing change, and coordinating cross-functional teams to unlock value from enterprise AI.

We also discussed:
Industries benefiting the most from Gen AIResponsible AI in practiceGetting started with AIWhy GenAI needs an intelligent approach to adoptionPWCs own tool - ChatPWCWhat are customers asking about Generative AI?What are AI Co-Pilots?AI Strategy and Execution ChallengesThe need for an AI Council to help co-ordinate activitiesWhat do clients need to look out for with AI projects?Common challenges faced in integrating AISafe, short experimentsAI Applications and Data QualityThe quick wins for AI projectsThe need for quality AI-ready dataWithout good data, there is no good AIIndustry-specific LLM'sAI Industry Trends and ApplicationsThe most unique problems solved by AIPodcast tip - using AI for language translationPreparing the workforce for Gen AIAddressing employee issues around AI deploymentsFuture Work Trends and Emerging TechThe need for critical thinking in the age of AIThe future of work under AIEmerging technologies to watchHow to stay informed on new technologies3 actionable tips to prepare for Enterprise AIMore on Darshan
Darshan on LinkedIn

More on Julia
Julia on LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in this episode
The PWC Essential 8 Technologies
PWC website
"I am Flame" book on Amazon



Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book

In this episode, we look at a report I wrote in partnership with Vodafone UK to examine how 5G Standalone (5G SA) could transform UK over the next 5-7 years.

To talk more about the findings, I spoke with Nicki Lyons, Vodafone UK's Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer.

Some of the predictions in the report include:

We’ll see the end of Video Assisted Referee (VAR) and poor off-side decision-making thanks to smart ball tech, pitch sensors and player wearables enabled by 5G Standalone (5G SA) – meaning more time is devoted to the beautiful game and less time on disputes.

Connected clothing will mean trainers will ‘talk’ to each other and collate style and sustainability-inspired looks from other feet on the street, powering your very own AI-powered style guide – enabling fashionistas to discover styles and express themselves in new ways.

Working with Vodafone, in a new report, leading futurist Andrew Grill predicts how 5G SA could transform the things the UK loves most in the next five-to-seven years – from retail and sports to gaming and entertainment.

The report supports the growing need for 5G SA infrastructure in the UK, as the proposed Vodafone and Three merger paves the way for UK 5G SA leadership with a pledge to invest £11 billion and reach over 99% of the UK population with 5G SA by 2034.

More on Nicki Lyons

Nicki became Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability in October 2021. She’s responsible for external communications, government and regulatory affairs, and sustainable business. Before this, she worked in senior roles at Walgreen Boots Alliance, Unilever, PepsiCo, in UK government and in international development.

Nicki on LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in the show
Ann Patchett Tom Lake book
Vodafone UK Website
Vodafone and Three website

More on the report
Vodafone press release about the report
Download the report



Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book

In this episode, we’re casting our minds back to 2004, when NASA landed the Spirit rover on Mars; the last episode of Friends aired; George W Bush was re-elected US president, and the number one hits were LMC’s Take Me To The Clouds Above in the UK and Hey Ya! By Outkast in the US.
Over at Harvard University, computer science student Mark Zuckerberg is coding in his dorm room. Lately, he’s been nurturing a reputation as a minor enfant terrible on campus after creating the shortlived site FaceMash, which allowed students to rate each other’s hotness.

Today, Wednesday, 4th February, he’s about to push “publish” on TheFacebook, which would later become simply Facebook.

So what does Facebook look like at 20, and what can we learn from this social networking phenomenon?

To help me answer this and more, I’m joined by Jason Mander, Chief Research Officer at leading global consumer research platform GWI, to dive into their vast research platform and take a deep dive on Facebook at 20.

Here are the key statistics Jason mentioned on the podcast, extracted from the GWI platform.
75% of people in the UK use Facebook monthly, 66% use it weekly, and 50% use it dailyBoomer Facebook usage has increased 20% over the last decade, with around 66% of boomers currently using itGen Z and student Facebook usage has decreased compared to 10-20 years ago, though around 66% of Gen Z still use itHalf of 13-14 year olds are on Facebook, despite declining usage among younger generationsTikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular platforms among childrenMeta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger – the top 4 platforms in the UK15% of UK residents purchase secondhand items online weeklyAround 50% of Brits use eBay for selling items, 25% use Facebook Marketplace, and smaller percentages use sites like GumtreeThree quarters of Millennials and Gen X in the UK use Facebook, with stable usage over the last 10 yearsInstagram ranks as the 4th most used social media platform in the UK, used by around 60% of peopleFacebook Messenger ranks 3rd for pure messaging platforms in the UKiMessage overtakes Messenger among younger Gen Z96% of Gen Z in the UK use at least one Meta platform like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsAppBoomers’ Facebook usage is up 20% in the last decadeMore on Jason
Jason on LinkedIn
Jason on Twitter
You can listen to the episode with GWI Tom Smith here.

Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book

Twenty-four years ago, the world prepared for the risk of a global meltdown due to the "Y2K bug" - the potential for computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after the year 2000. The issue at the time was many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits, making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. 

Because many computer systems could not correctly distinguish dates, this had the potential to bring down worldwide infrastructures for computer-reliant industries.

Thanks to the awareness of this as early as 1985, many systems could be modified in time, and the impact of the Y2K issue was minimal.

However, a new threat is looming with the advent of Quantum computing. These mega-powerful computers will potentially be able to decrypt current-day encryption by 2030, with some cybersecurity experts suggesting it could even be as soon as next year.

What does this mean for businesses and consumers? Any currently encrypted data could be stored until such a time that quantum computers can decrypt it, exposing our most important secrets and personal information to bad actors and hackers.

Are you prepared for the quantum threat? In this first episode for season six, we discuss the risks and opportunities of quantum computing with Chris Johnson, Senior VP and Global Head of Enterprise at Nokia.
Chris explains how quantum computing will exponentially increase data volumes and processing power, potentially allowing encrypted data from today to be decrypted in the future. He stresses the importance of preparing networks and systems now to be "quantum safe."

We also explore the positive uses of quantum, such as accelerating research and optimizing complex systems, and Chris shares examples of how quantum could speed up vaccine development and financial analysis.

Tune in to learn what Nokia is doing in the quantum space, how edge and cloud computing will work with quantum and three actionable steps you can take today to future-proof against quantum threats. 

It's a fascinating look at an emerging technology with worldwide implications.

About Chris

Chris is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Enterprise at Nokia.

A veteran sales and business leader, Chris focuses on delivering critical network solutions for the world's most essential industries. He is a passionate champion of industrial digitalization for enterprises and government organizations, with a deep understanding of how innovative and intuitive digital technologies can bring resilience, productivity, efficiency and sustainability to any operation.

Drawing on his experience defining business strategies, developing teams, executing initiatives and driving profitable growth, Chris helps Nokia Enterprise customers harness the exponential potential of networks to unlock new business models and build capacity for long-term success.

Connect with Chris on Linkedin
Connect with Chris on Twitter

Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book

Curious about edge computing? Want to understand why it's the next big thing in the world of IT?

My conversation with Mark Swinson, an enterprise IT Automation Sales Specialist at Red Hat, might just be the discussion you're looking for.

Mark takes us on a deep dive into the world of edge computing, discussing its benefits, applications, and the crucial role of open-source projects.

We navigate the diverse applications of edge computing, exploring its transformative impact in sectors like retail, autonomous driving, and more.

Mark also enlightens us on the significant role of AI and Kubernetes in shaping the edge computing landscape.

Our conversation also touches upon the unique challenges in edge computing and why data security is paramount in this field.

More on Mark
Mark on LinkedIn
Resources Mentioned
Red Hat Connect London  7 November 2023
The Age of AI - Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Huttenlocher

Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book

On this episode of the Actionable Futurist Podcast, I had an in-depth conversation with Steve Young, UK SVP & Managing Director for Dell Technologies, on why it is now critical that CEOs, CIOs, CFOs and CISOs play a role in driving a well-planned multicloud strategy for their businesses.

In recent years, cloud technology has proliferated. However, many are realising that not all workloads and applications are suited to a single public cloud environment. Or, in fact, a public cloud environment at all.. As such, going 'multi-cloud' has been implemented unintentionally rather than strategically.

The need for a multi-cloud approach is now more urgent as companies are deploying more complicated applications and services, so this Podcast is timely and important for business leaders in any organisation to hear.

The discussion made me realise that multi-cloud strategy is not just about the tech world – and as Steve highlights, it has significant implications for various industries, including financial services and FMCG

In the podcast, we discussed how a financial services organisation has efficiently utilised multi-cloud for cost and efficiency using ground-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground approaches.

We also explored Dell Technologies' vision and differentiation in the multi-cloud space and how they focus on enabling customers to consume public cloud-style services irrespective of where their data and applications sit.

Dell Technologies is helping to bridge the gap in the market for multi-cloud skilled talent. Artificial Intelligence also impacts the multi-cloud environment, and we talked about how AI will function in a multi-cloud world.

It’s fair to say that multi-cloud environments offer numerous benefits, from increased flexibility and agility to improved cyber resilience; however, the journey towards effective multi-cloud adoption is filled with challenges.

We examined in detail how each member of the C-suite can benefit from a multi-cloud approach.

More and more, CEOs understand the importance of technology in driving business innovation and growth. Embracing a multi-cloud strategy allows CEOs to get their organisations on the front foot of digital transformation.

Steve explained how organisations can successfully navigate the multi-cloud maze through strategic planning, business understanding, and the right technological support.

We also spoke about the Dell Technologies Forum on November 28th in London that I'm attending, the premier conference for technology enthusiasts and business leaders looking to drive innovation and growth. You can sign up for a free pass at futurist.click/dell-forum

Resources mentioned in this episode
Steve on LinkedIn
Sign up for the Dell Technologies Forum

This was a sponsored podcast in partnership with Dell Technologies.

Your Host: Actionable Futurist® & Chief Futurist Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
Andrew's upcoming book