From research to reality: An AI adoption conversation with analyst Will Townsend

In this episode of Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Will Townsend, Chief Analyst at LoneStar Advisory and Research. After nearly a decade at Moor Insights & Strategy, Will recently launched his own analyst firm rooted in Texas’ independent spirit. Will has over thirty years of experience and is consistently ranked among the top technology analysts worldwide. Tammy and Will chat about the current state of AI in the enterprise and compare notes on experimenting with emerging technology.

Highlights from the episode include:

• Culture drives adoption, not tools. Want value from AI? Don’t skip over change management. Leaders need to support AI from the top while teams need space to explore it from the bottom. With emerging technology, it’s all about creating an environment where people feel safe to try, learn and trust.
• Bringing employees into the journey. Instead of starting with the tool, start with conversations. Ask employees what slows them down and what they wish they could hand off. That helps pave the way for adoption, so once the tool is introduced, people can’t wait to get their hands on it.
• The double-edged AI cybersecurity sword. Will highlights Project Glasswing, a collaboration between Anthropic and Cisco that uses AI to scan codebases, find vulnerabilities and address them automatically. Tammy echoes the urgency, noting that bad actors are using the same AI advances to craft more convincing attacks.

Check out the full episode for more on quantum readiness and why AI first does not mean human last.

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Please note that the views expressed in this episode may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.