Cognizant Podcasts

Because AI has diffused into so many aspects of our lives and work so seamlessly, it is easy to overlook how significant it will be for the rest of our working lives. In our new Work Ahead research series, executives appear to grasp that something big is going on. Join Cognizant experts as we discuss how you can use AI to build a successful future of work. Cognizant’s Work Ahead research series provides insight and guidance on how organisations are evolving to the next stage of the digital economy. With the rise of new machines, new generations of talent and new business models based on insight and intelligence, the rules of global competition have changed. Now, these tectonic shifts are being further catalysed and accelerated by the global pandemic.

A new survey shows that IoT at scale is a critical path, but many companies struggle to realize value. In fact, over 50% of companies piloting or deploying IoT are struggling to realize returns. according to according to a recent commissioned study conducted by Forrester for Cognizant. Tune into our three-part podcast series on Achieving IoT Escape Velocity, featuring Eddie Gotherman, Senior Director, Enterprise IoT, Bright Wolf … Michele Pelino, Principal Analyst, Infrastructure and Operations, Forrester … and Randal Kenworthy, Vice President, IoT and Engineering Services, Cognizant. They discuss how organizations can identify their IoT maturity to ensure that strategies and deployments pay off more quickly, how to activate key IoT levers to accelerate organizational change, and best practices to apply from real-world success stories.

The auto industry is going through an accelerated metamorphosis driven by Data and AI. AI's applications in the automotive industry is not restricted to self-driving cars, but extends to a host of activities from managing workflows to identifying component defects at the manufacturing unit. In this podcast episode, Jason Stoughton, a veteran technologist, AI enthusiast, author and entrepreneur, speaks with Jay Gopinath, GM of Advanced Tech, Platforms, Innovation Data and Analytics at Toyota North America and Bret Greenstein, SVP and Global Head of AI and Analytics at Cognizant, about the sweeping changes that data and AI are driving in the over century old automotive industry. To learn more, visit cognizant.com/ai. The content of this episode is a reproduction of Jason Stoughton’s podcast episode titled ‘Data and AI are changing the Auto Industry Forever’ that was originally posted on www.thepulseofai.com.

Globally, work has increasingly gone virtual for many, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden shift from working in groups to working from anywhere has given rise to many challenges and newfound opportunities. This is where technology comes into the picture and has the power to transform a virtual workplace into a more inclusive nest where everyone thrives. Tune into part three of our ‘Belonging’ podcast series where Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner at Microsoft, and Alan Alper, Vice President of Global Thought Leadership Programs at Cognizant, discuss how technology enhances inclusion and creates a more inclusive economy.

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, top companies are those that not only weathered the pandemic successfully but also demonstrated how progressive leadership and policies can drive inclusiveness. Such organizations have a diverse leadership team who are transparent and do not shy away from expressing honestly and openly. They even make room for differently-abled contributors and ensure that no employee is disenfranchised. Listen to part two of our ‘Belonging’ podcast series that featuring Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner at Microsoft, and Alan Alper, Vice President of Global Thought Leadership Programs at Cognizant, who discuss the top-down impact of leadership culture, inclusion and intersectionality, microaggressions, the human nature of work, vulnerability and empathy amid COVID-19.

For most of us, a large part of our adult lives is spent in a professional work environment, either physical or virtual. Humans as we know are social animals and have a constant urge to feel like we belong, even at work. However, this need is largely ignored by employers who still tend to believe that this will happen without any intervention and they do not have an active role to play. To better understand the importance of belonging at work, Cognizant and Microsoft partnered to gather insights from nearly 11,000 full-time workers worldwide. Tune into our three part podcast series on ‘Belonging’ that features Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner, at Microsoft, and Alan Alper, Vice President of Global Thought Leadership Programs at Cognizant, as they discuss our research findings and how we can collectively nurture belonging in the workplace.

A 9-to-5 workweek is almost synonymous with work and productivity. However, its relevance to our current times is significantly different from what it was originally intended – fixed work timings and rules have outlived their purpose and are a byproduct of the bygone industrial revolution. Freedom, flexibility and personal space now define the future of work and help employees perform better and be more effective. In part 3 of our Future of Work with Twitter podcast series, our host Deborah Eastman, Head of Cognizant’s Internet Business Unit, Donald Hicks, a Vice President at Twitter, and Robert Brown, a Vice President within Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work, discuss what it means to take care of your employees and how that results in many other indirect benefits.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has emerged as a major force in shaping the future of customer experience, communication and delight. Timely investments in technologies by organizations will aid in decision-making and drive performance. As everything is going digital, technology will also ensure that erroneous information get filtered while meaningful conversations flourish. In part 2 of our Future of Work with Twitter podcast series, our host Deborah Eastman, Head of Cognizant’s Internet Business Unit, Donald Hicks, a Vice President at Twitter, and Robert Brown, a Vice President within Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work, discuss the role technology plays in ensuring positive customer experience.

We are only beginning to realize the scale of impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our lives both personally and professionally. However, it will eventually return to pre-pandemic times, but with a myriad of changes. A permanent work-from-home option like Twitter has offered, will enable its employees to tap into their creative side from the comfort of their homes. Tune in to a three-part podcast series on the ‘Future of Work with Twitter’ in which our experts Deborah Eastman, Head of Cognizant’s Internet Business Unit, Donald Hicks, a Vice President at Twitter, and Robert Brown, a Vice President within Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work, discuss where the future of work is heading in the post COVID-19 era.

As we slowly get back to normalcy of getting back to work in a layered approach, we begin to put building controls in place. The idea is to mitigate infectious diseases that spread indoors, especially via air. We all have some idea about air filtration systems and other sanitization methods, but then what is new and where to start? In this Part 4 of the Safe Buildings podcast series, our experts Euan Davis, AVP from the Cognizant Center for the Future of Work and Joseph Allen, acclaimed author and Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at the Harvard School of Public Health, as well as a leading expert on urban resilience, discuss ways to fight COVID-19, newfound air cleaning technologies and approaches to future workplaces, and offer tips on where to start.