John Chambers’ Post

AI is transforming the world of business, creating new opportunities for growth, innovation, and social good. But organizations are still finding it challenging to strategically harness the power of AI and apply it to their specific goals. On episode 31 of Chambers Talks, former EY Global Chairman and CEO Carmine Di Sibio talks with John about how the firm is leveraging AI to create long-term value for its people, clients, and the world. Listen for more on #AIatWork, the evolving role of the CEO, and the art of directness.

France and Europe need to seize the opportunities in AI and cybersecurity. Following #VivaTech 2024 – the best one yet – I felt compelled to share some of the takeaways from my conversations in Paris. My latest “Chambers with a View” column in The Innovator with Jennifer Schenker dives into how France is driving the continent’s tech growth, much of which is credited to their strong AI focus. That said, Europe is still behind the U.S. and other countries when it comes to technology and innovation. I see AI and cybersecurity as the two main windows of opportunity for Europe to become a global leader, so long as they move quickly and create an environment for startups to flourish in these areas. https://lnkd.in/gMhfZCRE

Introducing my new monthly series: John’s #AICorner. With the influx of news and developments in AI every day, I’m starting this series to help people understand the biggest and most pressing announcements in this space, as well as the business implications for those in tech and beyond.   For this inaugural post, here are three recent updates in AI that have caught my attention: 1) Apple has entered the AI game with its new Apple Intelligence software as the next Big Tech company to create its own AI product. This news comes just as NVIDIA became the largest U.S. public company last week, passing Apple as #2 a few weeks ago. This development shows that organizations are recognizing how vital AI solutions are to driving business growth, for large enterprises and #startups alike. See more in NBC News:  https://lnkd.in/gPEawiwM 2) Major tech companies are banding together to create next-gen AI chip components. The UALink Promoter Group – consisting of Intel, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and more – is developing an open industry standard for a more competitive AI hardware ecosystem. This could be a crucial next step in making AI technology more accessible and affordable, speeding up its implementation across industries. Read about it in TechCrunch:  https://lnkd.in/gRteYGUA 3) AI agents, the next evolution of AI chatbots, are a new priority within tech investors’ interests. As valuations for startups specializing in AI agents rise, investors’ heads are turning towards these companies – even when VC funding is slow. This trend is in-line with my thinking that startups with a strong AI strategy and product are dramatically more attractive to investors than those that lack them. Learn more in CNBC: https://lnkd.in/gWKrQ7sV     I’m looking forward to sharing these updates on a monthly basis and am excited to hear what my followers have to say about these developments. What do you think? Let me know your feedback in the comments.

Exciting interview with my good friend Shereen Bhan from CNBC-TV18. Our discussion ran the gamut from the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, to the #startup engine in India and the U.S., AI and cybersecurity, India's ascension to the #1 economy in the world, and our dream of a dramatically expanded partnership in the future. Shereen, thank you for the time; we've been doing interviews for over 20 years, and I look forward to many more in the future.

Congratulations US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on an extremely successful annual meeting in D.C. Eight years ago, we dreamed big and outlined a vision of what might be possible in a strategic partnership between the U.S. and India. How wonderful it’s been to see not only that vision and those dreams come to life, but to see this partnership between our two great nations flourish into one of the most powerful in the world. I want to thank our speakers and attendees, including fireside chat participants Senator Dan Sullivan and Senator Steve Daines, as well as the many other political leaders who continue to support the vision of USISPF. I also want to recognize my good friend Henry Kravis for his contributions to this partnership, including the over $11B in investments KKR has made in India over the past two decades. This meeting was yet another a reminder of what is possible when we unite under a common goal and dream together. Now is the time to dream even bigger (leveraging technology like AI to do so) as India becomes the #1 economy in the world and the U.S.-India relationship defines job creation and technology leadership for the future.

Exciting news! NVIDIA has surpassed Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company. I saw a similar movie play out before when Cisco passed Microsoft as the #1 company at the dawn of the Internet era. I talked with Asa Fitch of The Wall Street Journal about the parallels between this moment and what I experienced in 2000. The main difference, though, is that AI is moving at a rate we’ve never seen before – 10x faster than what we saw with the adoption of the Internet. Product cycles that used to take five years are now accomplished in 18 months. This is all evident in Nvidia’s growth over the last two years, increasing by a remarkable 539%. Congrats to my friend Jensen Huang on this major achievement. With the AI race underway, the fun is just getting started!

"I'm worried about what France will be like without Emmanuel Macron." I shared this thought, among many others around tech and entrepreneurship, with Aurélie Pasquier of Maddyness at #VivaTech last month. If you can’t read French, here are the key takeaways from our conversation: A decade ago, France was one of the worst places in Europe to do business. Now, France is the country that’s leading technology innovation and economic growth in Europe. I give full credit to President Macron for this shift and have been honored to serve as the Global Ambassador of the French Tech to help execute his vision of building a #startup nation. I’m placing my bets on France, as well as India, to be the major players in fostering the next generation of the global innovation ecosystem.

This time, Ticketmaster is the latest victim, as another cyberattack is making headlines. Reportedly, hackers managed to breach the data of over 500 million users, including personal contact information and credit card details. Leaders: in case you need another reminder to revisit your cybersecurity strategy, let this be it. It’s not a matter of if your organization will be targeted, it’s when – and we will see lots more of these stories in 2024 as a result. By taking action now and ensuring your cyber infrastructure is secure, while also having technology ready for an inevitable attack, you are setting yourself and your organization up for success.

Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has captured a third term in office, following India’s general election. When I reflect back on my first meeting with PM Modi, I recall being struck right away with his humble yet courageous spirit and also his bold vision for India. His Digital India initiative is one of the best I have ever seen, and recent major partnerships in defense, technology, and more are a clear indicator of the country’s growth trajectory. As I said at the Kennedy Center last June, I trust PM Modi with my life and I believe India will become the #1 GDP in the world, in large part because of his efforts. I look forward to collaborating further to make the US-India partnership the strongest in the world as the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. Keep an eye on India – I, for one, will continue to be the biggest bull on the country under his leadership.

Great fireside chat with JC2 Ventures-backed Nile on the impact of AI in networking. I had the pleasure of joining Jackson’s Chief Operating Officer Dev Ganguly, to discuss the impact of this technology on digital customer experiences and the future of enterprise IT infrastructures. Dev and I have different industry backgrounds, but we both agree that the network is the basis for any new technology that organizations use. Thanks to Scott Gainey for moderating this fun discussion. https://lnkd.in/g-iFrC4k