Emerging Tech Exchange

Excited to share that the AI Trailblazers Growth Summit will be held on Dec 3rd in New York City. It marks our seventh gathering of the year—an incredible milestone for this dynamic series. I’m honored to welcome guests from globally renowned brands, including Amazon, Citibank, Estée Lauder, Google, Mastercard, NYSE, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Publicis, Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Shiseido, Stagwell Global, TikTok, and Unilever, among many others. I’m also happy to share that Adweek is serving as our media partner for this summit. Register soon ?? https://lu.ma/ecnlt6ix Select speakers at the summit include: ??Alex Craddock, Chief Marketing Officer & Content Officer, Citibank ??Amit Shah, CEO, Instalily & Co-Founder AI Trailblazers ??Andrea Zaretsky, CMO, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management ??Chris Wiggins, Chief Data Scientist, The New York Times ??Greg Kahn, General Partner GK Digital Ventures & Co-Founder AI Trailblazers ??Gregory Shove, CEO, Section School & Founder, Machine & Partners ??Justin "Hasard" Lee, Decorated fighter pilot & International bestselling author ??Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer, Publicis Groupe ??Joe Benarroch, Head of Content, Media Partnerships, & Distribution, NYSE ??Jonathan Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer, Dotdash Meredith ??Joe Marchese, General Partner, Human Ventures ??Mark Howard, Chief Operating Officer, Time Inc. ??Michael Lacorazza, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S Bank ??Michaela A. Ternasky-Holland, Emmy Award-Winning Nominated Director ??Shiv Singh, Board Member & Co-Founder AI Trailblazers ??Wizdom Powell,PhD, MPH, CMHC, Chief Purpose Officer, Headspace ??Yang Adija, MBA, SVP, Digital League Business Operations at Turner Sports The AI Trailblazers Growth Summit agenda features keynotes, panels, and educational workshops exploring AI's transformative influence on marketing, content creation, and media. Topics include AI-driven personalization, Agentic AI, AI ROI in business, generative AI content strategies, and AI’s impact on video production. Can’t wait to see many of you there!

???What an incredible evening in NYC with some of the most forward-thinking leaders in food, beverage, beauty and consumer products. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a dynamic dinner discussion centered on the transformative power of AI. As we explored, EthonAI and its co-founders Julian Senoner + Bernhard Kratzwald are paving the way for a new era in manufacturing and quality control, where AI is not just a tool but a strategic driver of change. As part of the dinner discussion, I shared a few insights gathered from conversations with business leaders, investors, and technologists, highlighting the five AI trends shaping our industries: 1???Personalization at Scale: AI empowers brands to connect on a personal level like never before, delivering real-time, hyper-tailored experiences that resonate with individual consumers. 2???Supply Chain Optimization: With AI-driven forecasting and inventory management, supply chains are becoming more agile, cost-effective, and reliable — a true game-changer for operational resilience. 3???Quality Assurance & Automation: From automated defect detection to predictive maintenance, AI is setting new standards for quality, reducing disruptions, and enhancing product reliability. 4???Generative AI for Content Creation: AI is rapidly transforming content production. It’s enabling faster, more creative campaigns and product innovations that keep brands fresh and responsive to market trends. 5???AI-Driven Sustainability: With a growing focus on eco-conscious practices, AI is playing a crucial role in minimizing energy use, optimizing resources, and aligning businesses with sustainability goals. Each of these trends illustrates how AI is not just “another technology” but a force for strategic, industry-wide evolution. It was inspiring to hear everyone’s perspectives on how these changes are impacting their organizations and sparking new growth opportunities. Here’s to continuing these conversations and seeing where AI will take us next! ?? #AI #Innovation #Manufacturing #QualityControl #EthonAI #FoodIndustry #Beverage #Beauty #ConsumerProducts #Sustainability #FutureOfBusiness #TechLeadership

AI for Dirty Jobs? ???? The gap between AI software and hardware is closing—and it’s happening faster than any of us imagined. Just last week, Verbotics, an Israeli company, debuted its spider-like window-washing robot in Dallas, ushering in a new era of intelligent machines that get their hands dirty (or clean, in this case). And if that wasn’t enough, big names like Jeff Bezos, OpenAI, Lux Capital, and Thrive Capital announced a major investment in Physical Intelligence, or “??” for short. ??’s vision? To build machine learning models that empower robots to tackle just about any physical task—like loading the laundry or folding clothes. Meanwhile, OpenAI is making serious moves into hardware by bringing on Caitlin Kalinowski, the former AR glasses leader at Meta, to spearhead robotics initiatives. It’s a bold step that underscores a massive shift in AI’s trajectory. This isn’t just about OpenAI; it’s the start of something much bigger. AI companies are breaking out of the algorithm-only world, pushing forward to merge the digital with the physical and transforming our businesses, careers, and daily routines. My POV ?? The future will be built on a seamless integration of hardware, software, and services. AI is no longer confined to the cloud. It’s about to transform our physical world—working on factory floors, patrolling city streets, and even helping out with household chores. AI is primed to reshape our daily experiences in ways that feel tangible and real. We’re witnessing AI’s evolution into full-stack innovation. With strategic partnerships, groundbreaking advancements, and massive investments, AI is moving from software to smart, physical reality. This convergence isn’t a passing trend; it’s laying the foundation for the next wave of connected intelligence. And this is why the IoT and connected ecosystems I’ve been involved with for years are more crucial than ever. The real question? It’s not whether AI will merge with hardware—but how soon this fusion will disrupt every industry it touches.

Most AI conversations focus on media, but maybe the real magic is happening behind the scenes—in manufacturing. One example? Swiss startup EthonAI is revolutionizing quality control for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Lindt & Sprüngli. More here ?? https://lnkd.in/eaUdBqJS Here’s what’s impressive: EthonAI’s manufacturing analytics system processes massive sensor data in real time, identifying potential quality issues before they occur. This means immediate adjustments—like tweaking temperature or mold settings—to ensure every chocolate bar meets top standards. It’s real-world AI at work, with direct impacts on quality and waste reduction. And it doesn’t stop at chocolate. From Siemens to Roche, companies across industries are leveraging this tech to drive efficiency and minimize waste. This might not generate the headlines that generative AI in media or marketing does, but it’s the type of innovation that redefines industries from the inside out. My take? The next AI unicorns won’t be chatbots—they’ll be the ones solving complex industrial or consumer challenges with everyday impacts that often go unseen. Hats off to Julian Senoner, Bernhard Kratzwald & the EthonAI team for leading the way. -------------- R "Ray" Wang Brian Solis Jeremiah Owyang Sandy Carter Evan Kirstel B2B TechFluencer Pete Blackshaw Filippo Catalano Steven Wolfe Pereira ??Jon Suarez-Davis (jsd) Allie K. Miller

As the UN General Assembly and Climate Week kick off the week ahead in New York City, it's fitting to reflect on the balance between technological innovation and social responsibility. The infamous Jurassic Park line, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should," resonates deeply in our current AI-centric discourse. At the heart of UNGA / Climate Week discussions is the double-edged sword of AI: its energy-hungry data centers versus its potential as a powerful tool for climate action. To harness AI effectively for good, we must address critical gaps in data, expertise, capacity, and coordination, with equity and ethics at the forefront. Through Emerging Tech Exchange's #TechForGood initiative, I've observed the growing emphasis on ethical considerations in tech. It's heartening to see major players like OpenAI, Google, and Salesforce championing responsible AI development. Particularly inspiring is the role of nonprofits in this space. It feels like the story of climate change has already been written — and it feels dire. But it’s not. The story of climate evolution, along with the story of AI, is still being written today, this week, this month and beyond. And it's being written by all of us. As if I’ve said before, to get to that sense of positive, ethical change, we need to shift from the “move fast and break things" to an ethos of?"move thoughtfully and build futures." So while you take in UNGA & Climate Week NYC, what are your companies — and you — doing to embrace that stance? It's about asking not just if we can, but if we should - a principle that applies as much to AI development as it does to our broader approach to climate action and sustainability. #UNGA #ClimateWeek #AI #TechEthics #AIForGood #ResponsibleAI #Innovation #EmergingTech

My POV is that no one is an "expert" in AI. The tech is advancing so rapidly that it requires constant adaption. I learn from consistent reading (articles/books), discussions with academics & technologists as well as investing in (and conducting due diligence on) AI start-ups. Here's What Has Influenced My Recent Thinking on AI 1?? AI Summits: One of the most enlightening panels I participated in this calendar year was at AI Trailblazers Summit. In the Unlocking AI Product Innovation panel, Samantha Tucker-Samaras shared that AI was used to identify a vegan alternative to carmine, a red pigment traditionally derived from crushing 1,000 beetles per tube for the?Unilever's?Hourglass Red lipstick. That's operational efficiency, creativity and growth rolled into one. ?? 2?? Educational Advancements in AI: Back in February, the introduction of a Bachelor’s program in AI by UPenn signified a major step in cultivating future AI talent. This move underlined the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge and ethical considerations in AI, pushing me to consider how companies can collaborate with educational institutions to bridge the talent gap and promote responsible AI development. Universities such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Cornell, and a dozen others have also elevated AI courses into full-fledged undergraduate programs. ?? 3?? AI on The Menu: I recently collaborated with my good friend and former Denny’s President John Dillon on an article on “Leveraging AI in Restaurants and Retail: A Strategic Overview.” The detailed case study on Yum! Brands’ AI strategy, particularly their SuperApp for restaurant managers, provided concrete examples of AI driving tangible business outcomes. ?? 4?? Legal Implications For Publishers: The rise of AI has caused some schisms among publishers: is AI a benefit that allows for streamlined workflows, aiding the creation of content and audience services? Or is AI a destructive force that’s scraping publishers’ content without permission, spurring media companies to sue for protection? While companies like the NYT are engaging in lawsuits, they’re also recognizing ways to adapt and use AI as a tool for growth. The company’s recently unveiled AI Initiatives Team are developing machine-assisted reporting tactics that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. ??? 5?? Insights from Venture Capital Trends: Silicon Valley has once again established dominance in AI start-up activity. And yet, newer markets are emerging as hubs of growth. I'm keeping my eye on Tel Aviv, Paris, Boston, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and even New Jersey. ?? 6?? AI’s inclusion Challenge: AI outputs are only as good as their inputs. And for the most part, the inputs that have trained gen AI platforms have been fairly narrow. Quick fixes to promote more diverse sources haven’t gone well. We all need to guard against the blind spots and bias that diminish the value of these systems we’re all increasingly engaging with. ???? What have you learned the past year?

A huge thanks to everyone who attended, spoke at, and supported AI Trailblazers’ first Summit in June. ?? All the sessions provided the practical, real-world experiences of how the world’s largest and most influential companies are establishing best practices for AI. Each of our speakers are showing the way — in driving revenue growth, in creating a more engaged employee base, and in making operations more efficient so that the core management can stay laser-focused on strategy. And they’re doing with it a clear eye on shaping the debates currently raging on the ethical and legal implications associated with the use of AI. We couldn’t have pulled this off without our partners Amazon Web Services (AWS) & super{set}}. I'm excited to share that we will be expanding our information service offerings the second half of the year -- launching research, a salon dinner series (on East and West Coasts) AND another AI summit in October 2024. If you're interested in participating as a partner, send us a note or comment below.

The day-to-day news-cycle often makes it hard to plan for a better world. But then, you have those moments when you get away from your devices (for a bit) and engage with people looking for solutions. And a spark of hope emerges. That’s the feeling of the room at a conference I participated in early April. Thanks to New York University for hosting and having me on a panel at the 2024 Social Innovation Symposium. The discussion represented a perfect opportunity to do more of what we all urgently need to push for: namely, creating practical change on a large-scale across business, government, and academia to address social and environmental challenges on a global scale. Additional thanks to my fellow panelists on "Smart Solutions, Sustainable Future: Revolutionizing Social Impact Through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning," which featured Alec Crawford, Becky Duane, Maria Jo?o Sousa and moderator and NYU Stern professor, Raphael Carty. The event is organized by NYU Stern Social Impact and Sustainability Association and NYU Wagner Social Innovation & Investment Initiative. Learn more about the event here ?? https://lnkd.in/djy8TKJk. And to learn more about what me and some of my clients are doing to press for real-word sustainability — or if you’d like to contribute to Tech for Good initiatives — reach out to me directly. #ArtificialIntelligence #socialinnovation #machinelearning #impact #sustainability #NYU #techforgood Emerging Tech Exchange ?? fontana photography

There is a growing movement by both political parties in the US government to ban TikTok. ??? Getting a quick Monday morning read on this important issue. Do you believe TikTok should be banned in the US? #ethics #socialmedia #creatoreconomy #dataprivacy

85% of purchase decisions are made by women. Yet, only 2% of VC funding finds its way to women founders. Women hold a mere 5% of CEO roles in the S&P 500. Equality is possible… when good intentions meet intentional action. Join ETX’s Greg Kahn with The Female Quotient in the #EqualityLounge @ #SXSW alongside founders, leaders and forward thinkers. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gPwPSvJG #WomenHistoryMonth Shelley Zalis Talia Bender Small Alexa Kahn