TechFirst with John Koetsier

AI is moving faster than anyone predicted.In a massive new study analyzing 1,000 jobs and nearly 20,000 tasks, Cognizant found that 93% of jobs are already impacted by AI ... with $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor value potentially automatable today.But here’s the twist: AI isn’t replacing entire jobs. On average, only 39% of a role’s tasks can be automated. The future isn’t AI alone: it’s humans plus AI. But will it be fewer humans?In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Babak Hodjat, CTO of Cognizant, to unpack:• Why construction and transportation are seeing surprising AI growth• Why programming jobs may have hit an automation plateau• What “agentic AI” actually means — and why it matters• How management roles are more automatable than we thought• The rise of vibe coding and democratized software creation• Why compute power — not ideas — may be the biggest bottleneckWe also explore how companies can safely capture AI’s upside, why training matters more than ever, and what happens when digital twins, LLMs, and human expertise combine.This isn’t hype. It’s a data-driven look at where AI is actually changing work right now.⸻👤 GuestBabak HodjatCTO, Cognizant🌐 https://www.cognizant.com⸻If you want clear, grounded conversations about AI, innovation, and the future of work, subscribe here:👉 https://techfirst.substack.com⸻⏱ Chapters00:00 Is AI Going to Take Your Job?00:40 Cognizant’s AI Report: 93% of Jobs Impacted01:05 Biggest Surprises from the Data02:30 Why Programming & Math Hit a Plateau03:30 The Limits of LLMs04:45 Construction & Transportation: Unexpected AI Growth06:05 Agentic AI and Real-World Automation07:05 39% of Jobs Automatable: Humans + AI08:15 AI in Management and Executive Roles09:05 Scenario Planning and Digital Twins11:30 $4.5 Trillion in Automatable U.S. Labor13:30 Global Impact and Compute Limitations15:30 The Data Center Rush & AI Infrastructure16:15 How Companies Should Realize AI Value17:00 Training, Skilling, and Safe AI Adoption17:40 Cognizant’s Vibe Coding World Record19:00 The Future of Vibe Coding & Software Development20:15 Final Thoughts on the AI Shift

Large language models have dominated the AI conversation — but are small language models (SLMs) actually the future?In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Andy Markus, SVP & Chief Data and AI Officer at AT&T, to unpack how small language models are delivering enterprise-grade accuracy at a fraction of the cost and latency of massive LLMs.Andy explains how AT&T uses SLMs for:• Contract analysis at massive scale• Network analytics and outage root-cause analysis • Fraud detection and enterprise knowledge systems• AI-driven “field coding” and agent-based workflowsThey also dive into the rise of agentic AI, how structured “archetypes” replace risky vibe coding, and why the future of software development may be humans supervising autonomous AI systems rather than writing every line of code.If you’re building AI for real-world, high-scale use cases — especially in enterprise environments — this conversation is essential.⸻GuestAndy MarkusSVP & Chief Data and AI Officer, AT&TFormer SVP at Time Warner Media⸻👉 Subscribe for more deep dives on AI, technology, and the future of innovation:https://techfirst.substack.com⸻00:00 – Why the future of AI might be small00:55 – What is a small language model (SLM)?01:45 – From LLM hype to enterprise reality02:25 – Solving accuracy, cost, and latency at once03:05 – How small is “small”? Parameters explained03:55 – Where SLMs work best inside enterprises04:45 – Contract analysis and enterprise vector stores05:35 – Network analytics and outage root-cause analysis06:45 – AI as a super-charged network engineer07:35 – Choosing high-ROI AI use cases08:20 – 4× ROI: measuring real business impact09:00 – AI field coding vs risky vibe coding10:10 – Archetypes, super agents, and structured AI workflows11:15 – What software engineers still need to do12:10 – From punch cards to natural language programming13:10 – Human-in-the-loop vs autonomous AI agents14:10 – How small can models really get?15:10 – Responsible AI at enterprise scale16:00 – The future of agentic AI and autonomy17:10 – Why AI output is finally becoming predictable18:10 – Final thoughts on where AI is headed

AI is hitting entertainment like a sledgehammer ... from algorithmic gatekeepers and AI-written scripts to digital actors and entire movies generated from a prompt.In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Larry Namer, founder of E! Entertainment Television and chairman of the World Film Institute, to unpack what AI really means for Hollywood, creators, and the global media economy.Larry explains why AI is best understood as a productivity amplifier rather than a creativity killer, collapsing months of work into hours while freeing creators to focus on what only humans can do. He shares how AI is lowering barriers to entry, enabling underserved niches, and accelerating new formats like vertical drama, interactive storytelling, and global-first content.The conversation also dives into:• Why AI-generated actors still lack true human empathy• How studios and IP owners will be forced to license their content to AI companies• The future of deepfakes, guardrails, and regulation• Why market fragmentation isn’t a threat — it’s an opportunity• How China, Korea, and global platforms are shaping what comes next • Why writers and storytellers may be entering their best era yetLarry brings decades of perspective from every major media transition — cable, streaming, global expansion — and makes the case that AI is just the next tool in a long line of transformative technologies.If you care about the future of movies, television, creators, and culture, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.⸻🎙 GuestLarry NamerFounder, E! Entertainment TelevisionChairman, World Film Institute⸻👉 Subscribe for more conversations on AI, media, and the future of technology:https://techfirst.substack.com⸻00:00 – AI, emotion, and the danger of “AI twins”00:00 – Welcome to Tech First + the AI disruption of entertainment00:01 – Chaos in Hollywood: Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros, and consolidation00:02 – AI as a productivity tool, not a creativity replacement00:03 – How AI gives creators back their most valuable asset: time00:04 – Regulation, guardrails, and the need for consequences00:05 – Fragmentation, niche content, and the future economics of media00:06 – Why streaming has been a gift to writers and storytellers00:06 – Disney licensing IP to AI and why it was inevitable00:07 – Contracts, actors’ rights, and why the law must catch up00:08 – Deepfakes, AI avatars, and digital celebrities00:09 – AI actors, empathy gaps, and spotting what isn’t human00:10 – Using GPT to launch a bestselling book in days00:11 – Big media M&A in an AI-driven world00:12 – Jobs AI will eliminate vs. jobs AI will create00:13 – Miniseries, deep storytelling, and why streaming changed everything00:14 – Vertical video, short-form drama, and old ideas in new formats00:15 – China vs. the West: who’s ahead in entertainment tech00:16 – Global storytelling and Game of Thrones–scale opportunities00:17 – Why Hollywood could ruin vertical video00:18 – Interactive, immersive, and branched storytelling00:19 – The future of screens, platforms, and audience choice00:20 – Why new media never replaces old media00:20 – Final thoughts on abundance, choice, and creativity

Can we really build a $10,000 humanoid robot on open-source AI?In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier talks with Chris Kudla, CEO of Mind Children, about a radically different approach to humanoid robots. Instead of six-figure industrial machines built for factories or war zones, Mind Children is building small, safe, friendly social robots designed for kids, classrooms, and elder care.Meet Cody (MC-1), their first humanoid prototype. Cody is built on open-source AI from SingularityNET, combined with modular hardware, low-torque actuators, and a wheeled base designed for safety, affordability, and mass production. And there's some other AI bits and pieces from all the big name companies that you'd recognize.Mind Children's goal is ambitious: a $10,000 humanoid robot that families, schools, and care facilities can actually afford.In this conversation we explore:• Why social robots may be the real gateway to embodied AI• How Cody is designed for children and elder care instead of factories• Why wheels beat bipedal legs for safety, cost, and stability• How open-source AI and modular software stacks enable faster innovation • The emotional and ethical challenges of building companion robots• And what it takes to bring a humanoid robot to market at scaleThis is not sci-fi. This is the early blueprint of a future where humanoid robots are personal, affordable, and open-source.00:00 – The $10,000 open-source humanoid question01:58 – Meet Cody, the MC-1 prototype04:10 – Why Cody is small, child-sized, and approachable06:55 – Designing humanoids for kids and elder care09:45 – Social robots vs industrial humanoids12:40 – Wheels instead of legs and why that matters16:05 – Low-torque actuators, safety, and toy-like design19:20 – Modular hands, arms, and future upgrades22:10 – Open-source AI and SingularityNET’s role25:30 – On-robot vs cloud AI and why it matters28:40 – Vision, LiDAR, and simulated world models32:10 – Emotional awareness and social intelligence35:10 – The $10K target and mass-production strategy38:15 – The risks of attachment to robot companions40:00 – Final thoughts on Cody and the future of social robots

The web is turning agentic. And that changes everything from shopping to search to SEO.In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Dave Anderson (VP at ContentSquare + host of the “Tech Seeking Human” podcast) to unpack what happens when browsers and AI assistants don’t just answer … they do stuff. For you. On your behalf.From Atlas and agentic browsing to the growing backlash from retailers (hello, Amazon vs Perplexity), we explore who benefits, who loses, and what the internet becomes when agents are the default user.You’ll hear why retailers are nervous (security, margins, coupon hunting), why agent-first experiences might create “headless” retailers (like ghost kitchens, but for ecommerce), and why search is shifting from SEO to AI visibility. Plus: real talk about trusting agents with your credit card, hallucinations, and what it means if your agent can look indistinguishable from you.GuestDave Anderson — VP, ContentSquarehttps://contentsquare.comPodcast: Tech Seeking Humanhttps://www.techseekinghuman.aiLinks & subscribeSubscribe for more conversations on tech, AI, and what’s next: https://techfirst.substack.comTranscripts always available herehttps://johnkoetsier.com00:00 Agentic web: what changes when browsers “do stuff”00:59 Meet Dave Anderson (VP + podcast host)01:31 30,000 feet: why “agents” suddenly matter03:48 The agent future John wanted 10 years ago04:21 Why Amazon doesn’t want your agent shopping on Amazon05:07 Ticketmaster, bots, and the security nightmare06:26 Siri’s original promise vs today’s reality08:31 Are agents just bots… or something different?10:04 Retail fears: coupon hunting, margins, returns chaos11:21 Can you trust an agent with your credit card?11:59 Why retailers want their own agents (and control)13:14 Amazon’s agent works… but is it the whole internet?14:19 Ghost kitchens for retail: “headless” agent-first brands15:17 Hugo Boss jacket test: agents vs manual search16:40 Agents should talk to your finance agent17:14 Kids + deepfakes: what even looks real anymore?18:04 Is this corrosive to apps… or the web?19:10 Online identity, anonymity, and agent verification20:28 Two futures: human-first brands vs agent-first retail21:19 Agentic browsers on your device: can they “look like you”?22:51 Baseball vs golf: the best analogy for search now24:44 Instant shopping problem: returns + missing “services layer”26:10 AI weirdness: wrong names, wrong locations, shifting behavior27:37 Agents beyond shopping: support is the sleeper win29:49 Inventing the future: who adopts agents and who won’t31:13 Will people get tired of AI and crave humans again?31:45 Serendipity vs optimization: the restaurant debate32:36 Wrap: nobody solved agents… but the shift is real

Quantum computers usually mean massive machines, cryogenic temperatures, and isolated data centers. But what if quantum computing could run at room temperature, fit inside a server rack — or even a satellite?In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Marcus Doherty, Chief Science Officer of Quantum Brilliance, to explore how diamond-based quantum computers work — and why they could unlock scalable, edge-deployed quantum systems.Marcus explains how nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond act like atomic-scale qubits, enabling long coherence times without extreme cooling. We dive into quantum sensing, quantum machine learning, and why diamond fabrication — including the world’s first commercial quantum diamond foundry — could be the key to manufacturing quantum hardware at scale.You’ll also hear how diamond quantum systems are already being deployed in data centers, how they could operate in vehicles and satellites, and what the realistic roadmap looks like for logical qubits and real-world impact over the next decade.Topics include: • Why diamonds are uniquely suited for quantum computing • How NV centers work at room temperature • Quantum sensing vs. quantum computing • Manufacturing challenges and timelines • Quantum computing at the edge (satellites, vehicles, sensors) • The future of hybrid classical-quantum systems⸻🎙 GuestMarcus DohertyChief Science Officer, Quantum BrillianceProfessor of Quantum PhysicsArmy Reserve Officer🌐 https://quantumbrilliance.com⸻👉 Subscribe for more deep dives into the future of technology:https://techfirst.substack.com⸻00:00 Diamonds and the next wave of quantum computing01:20 Why diamond qubits work at room temperature03:20 NV centers explained: defects that behave like atoms05:05 How diamonds replace massive quantum isolation systems06:40 Building the world’s first quantum diamond foundry08:30 Defect-free diamonds, isotopes, and qubit engineering10:15 Quantum sensing vs. quantum computing with diamonds12:40 From desktop quantum systems to millions of qubits14:25 Roadmap: logical qubits, timelines, and scale16:10 Quantum computers at the edge: vehicles and satellites18:10 Quantum machine learning and real-world deployments19:50 The long game: why diamond quantum computing scales

What if someone actually built TARS from Interstellar—and discovered it really could work?In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier sits down with Aditya Sripada, a robotics engineer at Nimble, who turned a late-night hobby into a serious research project: a real, working mini-version of TARS, the iconic robot from Interstellar.Aditya walks through why TARS’s strange, flat form factor isn’t just cinematic flair—and how it enables both walking and rolling, one of the most energy-efficient ways for robots to move. We dive into leg-length modulation, passive dynamics, rimless wheel theory, and why science fiction quietly shapes real robotics more than most engineers admit.Along the way, Aditya explains what he learned by challenging his own assumptions, how the project connects to modern humanoid and warehouse robots, and why reliability—not flash—is the hardest problem in robotics today. He also previews his next ambitious project: building a real-world version of Baymax, exploring soft robotics and safer human-robot interaction.This is a deep, accessible conversation at the intersection of science fiction, physics, and real-world robotics—and a reminder that sometimes the ideas we dismiss as “impossible” just haven’t been built yet.⸻GuestAditya SripadaRobotics Engineer, NimbleResearcher in legged locomotion, humanoids, and unconventional robot form factors⸻If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more deep dives into technology, robotics, and innovation:👉 https://techfirst.substack.com⸻Chapters:00:00 – TARS in Real Life: Why Interstellar’s Robot Still Fascinates Us01:00 – Why Building TARS Seemed Physically Impossible02:00 – From Weekend Hobby to Serious Robotics Research03:00 – How Science Fiction Quietly Shapes Real Robot Design04:00 – Walking vs Rolling: Why TARS Uses Both05:00 – Why Simple Robots Can Beat Complex Humanoids06:00 – Turning Legs into a Wheel: The Rolling Mechanism Explained07:00 – Leg-Length Modulation and Passive Dynamics08:00 – Inside the Actuators: Degrees of Freedom and Compact Design09:00 – Why TARS’s Arms Don’t Really Make Sense10:30 – Lessons Learned: Never Dismiss “Impossible” Ideas12:00 – Rimless Wheels, Gaits, and Robotics Theory13:00 – What This Project Taught Him at Nimble14:00 – What “Super-Humanoid” Robots Actually Mean15:30 – Why Reliability Matters More Than Flashy Demos16:30 – TARS as a Research Platform, Not a Product17:30 – From TARS to Baymax: Exploring Soft Robotics19:00 – Can We Build Safer, Friendlier Humanoid Robots?20:30 – What’s Next: Recreating Baymax in Real Life21:30 – Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Are we about to create real life Terminators? Humanoid robots built for war?In this episode of TechFirst I talk with Sankaet Pathak, founder and CEO of Foundation, a California-based humanoid robot company that is not afraid of the defense market. We dig into why he is building humanoid robots that can work three shifts a day, how they plan to scale from dozens of robots to tens of thousands, and why he believes humanoid robots will one day build bases in Antarctica and cities on the moon.We also dive deep into military use cases. From logistics and infrastructure to “first body in” building breach operations, we explore how humanoid robots could change asymmetric warfare, deterrence, and who wins future conflicts.In this episode• Why humanoid robots are the next strategic advantage for countries and companies• How Foundation went from zero to a working production robot in about 18 months• The hardware secrets behind Phantom: actuators, efficiency, and safety• Why their robots can run almost 24 hours a day, three shifts at a time• The master plan: Antarctic bases, moon cities, and infinite robot labor• Why Sankaet thinks home robots should feel like a “genie in a bottle”• How humanoid robots may enter military operations and what that means for war• Whether robot soldiers lead to dominance, stalemate, or new forms of peaceGuest: Sankaet Pathak, founder and CEO of FoundationWebsite: https://foundation.botSubscribe to my Substack:https://techfirst.substack.com00:00 – Are we about to build real life Terminators?00:55 – Meet Sankaet Pathak and Foundation02:08 – How Foundation built a production humanoid in 18 months04:17 – Scaling plan: 40 robots today, 10,000 next year, 40,000 after06:11 – Why manufacturing is still mostly manual and what they learned from Tesla09:31 – The Foundation master plan: Antarctica, the moon, and infinite labor14:21 – Phantom specs: size, strength, payload, and real factory work15:36 – Actuators as robot muscles and why backdrivability matters18:41 – Running three shifts a day and solving heat and durability21:01 – Robot hands today and the tendon driven hands of tomorrow23:40 – Why home robots should feel like a “genie in a bottle”25:51 – Why the military needs humanoid robots27:54 – Dangerous, boring, and impossible jobs robots should take over29:22 – Drones, costs, and asymmetric warfare32:18 – First body in and robots that can pull the trigger33:16 – The future of war as “video game” and who wins34:49 – Peace through strength and 100,000 robots as deterrent35:22 – Final thoughts and what comes next for Foundation