Technology

Business Futurist Jonathan Brill Discusses the AI Era and Rewiring the Enterprise in New Episode of Info-Tech’s Digital Disruption Podcast

Published

1 year ago

May 6, 2025

Episode 11 of Digital Disruption, Info-Tech Research Group’s popular podcast, features business futurist and expert Jonathan Brill. In a discussion with host Geoff Nielson, the episode explores the rise of the “octopus organization,” where agility, distributed intelligence, and AI-augmented decision-making drive success in a complex world.

TORONTO, May 6, 2025 /CNW/ – As enterprise leaders face growing pressure to move faster, adopt AI, and decentralize decision-making, organizations are rethinking how they operate from the inside out. To help leaders make sense of these shifts, Info-Tech Research Group’s eleventh episode of the Digital Disruption podcast, titled “What AI Can Never Understand,” features Jonathan Brill, named the #1 ranked futurist in the world by Forbes and described by Harvard Business Review as “the world’s leading transformation architect.” In a conversation with host Geoff Nielson, Brill breaks down how AI is accelerating the shift away from rigid hierarchies toward more decentralized, adaptive models of enterprise leadership.

In what is described as the era of the “octopus organization,” Brill challenges conventional thinking around digital transformation. He explains how AI is no longer just a tool for efficiency but a strategic force reshaping organizational physiology, from decision-making to culture to the very nature of human value.

“Jonathan Brill’s perspective really pushes us to reconsider the role of IT leadership in this moment,” says Geoff Nielson, Senior Vice President of Brand at Info-Tech Research Group and host of the show. “From decentralized decision-making to cultural transformation, this episode offers a new lens for thinking about how AI is disrupting the structure and strategy of the enterprise. It challenges leaders to not just adopt new tools, but to reimagine how their organizations think, learn, and act in a faster, more fluid world.”

Digital Disruption, Episode 11: “What AI Can Never Understand”
In the eleventh episode of Digital Disruption, Jonathan Brill and Geoff Nielson discuss the rise of low-code and no-code platforms, the exploding volume of code and data, and the importance of building psychological safety for teams expected to innovate in unpredictable environments. Brill also challenges the hype around the “rise of the generalist,” emphasizing the lasting importance of deep domain expertise, even as AI changes the nature of knowledge work. The key takeaways from the conversation include how to:

Design organizations that balance structure with adaptabilityPosition AI as an augmentation tool, not a replacementReassess what value humans provide in an age of automationCultivate the cultural conditions required for innovation to stick

During the episode, Brill also shares how organizations can embrace low-code platforms to accelerate development, foster cultures of experimentation, and make room for edge-level decision-making. Brill emphasizes that future-ready enterprises will rely on trust, not just tools, to unlock meaningful innovation and navigate ambiguity.

Episode 11 of Digital Disruption with Jonathan Brill is now available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. New episodes are released regularly, featuring bold ideas and expert perspectives to help leaders navigate uncertainty, rethink strategy, and drive innovation.

To learn more, visit the Digital Disruption podcast page and follow Info-Tech Research Group on LinkedIn and X for updates.

For more information about guest opportunities and participation in upcoming episodes, please contact pr@infotech.com.

Media Passes for Info-Tech LIVE 2025 in Las Vegas
Media professionals, including journalists, podcasters, and influencers, are invited to attend Info-Tech LIVE 2025 to gain exclusive access to research, content, and interviews with industry leaders. For those unable to attend in person, Info-Tech offers a digital pass option, providing access to live-streamed keynotes, select sessions, and exclusive virtual interviews with speakers and analysts.

Media professionals looking to apply for in-person or digital passes can contact pr@infotech.com to secure their spot and cover the latest advancements in IT directly from the event or remotely.

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

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Technology

BlueNexus Technologies Unveils AquaX Hub at SIWW 2026 — AI Autonomous Operations Extended to Legacy Water Assets

Published

3 hours ago

June 21, 2026

SINGAPORE, June 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2026, BlueNexus Technologies unveiled the global debut of AquaX Hub™ — a compact plug-and-play edge device that brings full AI-powered autonomous operation to standalone water equipment and legacy treatment plants. The launch drew sustained engagement from utilities, industrial operators and engineering firms.

The water sector confronts converging pressures: aging infrastructure, a critical shortage of skilled technicians, and relentless operational cost escalation. AquaX Hub™ answers these directly — extending the AI autonomous operation already proven plant-wide by AquaX Robot™ to a single asset, and delivering comparable monitoring and operational management without a control-system overhaul.

“The industry cannot hire its way out of this problem,” said Jack Zhang, CEO of BlueNexus Technologies. “AI autonomous operation is no longer a future concept — the barrier to entry is gone.”

The AquaX Ecosystem

BlueNexus has built the industry’s first fully integrated AI autonomous water operation platform, spanning three complementary pillars:

AquaX Robot™ is the flagship plant-wide AI agent, built on large language models with proprietary vision, acoustic and infrared multimodal sensing. It optimizes treatment processes 24/7 and predicts equipment failures. Live deployments show up to 90% reduction in on-site staffing, a 50% drop in equipment breakdowns, and approximately 35% lower O&M costs.

AquaX Hub™, making its global debut at SIWW 2026, is a lightweight edge terminal extending that capability to any water system. With an independent local processing module, it monitors and inspects equipment through multimodal sensing and runs a self-contained processing loop. The device integrates seamlessly with existing SCADA, cloud and enterprise platforms via standardized APIs.

i-WaterHub™, the company’s standardized modular treatment plant, operated autonomously by AquaX Robot, delivers 2,500 to 40,000 m³/day for municipal and industrial applications.

Market Momentum

SIWW 2026 convened nearly 500 exhibitors from over 65 countries. BlueNexus has identified priority markets for AquaX Hub™ in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. “The conversations this week have already translated into concrete business opportunities and we expect rapid deployment in the coming months.” Zhang confirmed.

About BlueNexus Technologies

BlueNexus Technologies is a Singapore-based water-technology company building intelligent, AI-operated systems for the world’s most water-intensive industries. We design and deliver modular water treatment infrastructure that is smarter to run, faster to deploy, and built to operate autonomously.

Web: www.bluenexus.tech

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Technology

VIVATECH 2026 CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A RECORD EDITION SURPASSING 200,000 VISITORS

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

With the presence of Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

PARIS, June 20, 2026 /CNW/ — From June 17 to 20, 2026 at Paris Porte de Versailles, VivaTech celebrated its 10th edition, surpassing the exceptional milestone of 200,000 visitors from 165 nationalities, with more than 15,000 startups present, 1,155 speakers and over 5 billion cumulative impressions on social media. Europe’s largest tech and innovation event has reached a new dimension, consolidating its status as an unmissable global gathering.

Exceptional speakers

VivaTech welcomed the greatest figures in global tech: Jeff Bezos (Amazon & Blue Origin), Dave Limp (Blue Origin), Bernard Arnault (LVMH), Henna Virkkunen (European Commission), Ekaterina Zaharieva (European Commission). Germany, Country of the Year 2026, was represented by a ministerial delegation, while India, AI Country Partner 2026, was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a continuation of the AI Summit in New Delhi.

Innovation and business at the heart of the event

More than 4,500 exhibitors, 61% of whom were international, showcased their latest innovations. Among the standout innovations: the smart contact lens by XPANCEO, the thought-controlled humanoid robot by Unitree x HABS, and the 3D-printed resorbable implants by Lattice Medical. New formats such as the Business Plaza and Investors Office Hours further accelerated business connections.

The VivaTech x Bloomberg Awards

For the first time, VivaTech presented the VivaTech x Bloomberg Awards, recognising the most influential figures in global tech, including Sir Tim Berners-Lee (Visionary Award), Joe Tsai (Leadership Award) and Yann LeCun (Momentum Award).

Innovation open to all

VivaTech also took over the Champs-Élysées on June 14th for an open-air technology showcase, before opening its doors to the general public on June 20th with astronaut Thomas Pesquet as guest star.

“This 10th edition was not a celebration of the 9 previous years, but the opening of a new decade full of promise.” — Maurice Lévy, Michèle Benbunan & François Bitouzet, VivaTech

See you from June 16 to 19, 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for VivaTech 2027!

About VivaTech

VivaTech accelerates innovation by connecting startups, tech leaders, major companies, and investors responding to our world’s biggest challenges.

Each year, over four exciting days in Paris, VivaTech creates Europe’s biggest startup and tech event, exploring the most disruptive topics in tech with world-premiere demos, launches, and conferences in a collaborative ecosystem. This is where business meets innovation. Join us for the eleventh edition of VivaTech 16-19 June 2027.

For more information go to our website at https://vivatech.com/media or follow us on social media @VivaTech.

Contact
press@vivatechnology.com

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Technology

Pope Leo XIV embraces paediatric patients at CNAO in Pavia

Published

14 hours ago

June 20, 2026

PAVIA, Italy, June 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO) served as the first stop today during Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to the city of Pavia. His choice to begin his journey at this center reflects a profound commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue between advanced scientific progress and the alleviation of human suffering.

CNAO President Gianluca Vago and General Manager Sandro Rossi received His Holiness, illustrating the center’s distinctive capabilities. CNAO stands out as a unique reality in Italy, remaining one of the very few facilities worldwide capable of delivering hadrontherapy using both protons and carbon ions. The technological core of the facility is its synchrotron, a subatomic particle accelerator that generates ultra-high-precision beams to treat complex, inoperable and radioresistant tumours. This cutting-edge technology allows for the targeted eradication of diseased cells while meticulously preserving surrounding healthy tissues, drastically improving patients’ survival and quality of life.

Furthermore, CNAO is expanding its capabilities as a premier multi-center utilizing new ion species, like Helium, later Oxygen and Neon. Soon, treatments will incorporate the Leo Cancer Care upright positioning and imaging system. The immediate future also includes beginning therapies with a Hitachi dedicated proton accelerator and gantry and a BNCT system for metastatic diseases, equipped with an electrostatic accelerator produced by TAE Life Science. With these new technologies, CNAO will become one of the most technologically advanced center in the world.

To date, over six thousand individuals, including approximately three hundred children and adolescents, have benefited from these life-saving treatments.

During his visit, the Pope engaged with CNAO’s Board of Directors, a collaborative body uniting national universities, clinical institutions, and research centers. He also extended his heartfelt greetings to the two hundred employees of the center. These doctors, physicists, engineers, and researchers tirelessly operate the advanced technologies in the service of oncology patients.

The emotional pinnacle of the day was the Holy Father’s private gathering with a delegation of young children who underwent treatment. The paediatric patients and their families shared a deeply touching moment of closeness, receiving the Pope’s comforting embrace.

“The visit of Pope Leo XIV honours us and represents a moment of extraordinary human value”, stated CNAO President Gianluca Vago. “In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father emphasizes the necessity of a science that constantly safeguards the centrality of the person and directs technology toward the common good. In a time marked by global tensions, CNAO testifies daily how the incredible power of the atom can be used not to destroy, but to heal. The particle beams we utilize against disease are, symbolically, Rays of Hope, sharing and supporting the IAEA project bearing this name. The embrace the Holy Father reserved for our children reminds us that scientific research finds its most authentic purpose when it encounters listening, compassion, and hope”.

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