Techstrong Gang

Techstrong Gang - 2/16/2025

Artificial intelligence is reshaping software development, media production, and even competitive sports in ways that are testing operational models across industries.
In this episode, Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, JP Morgenthal and Stephen Foskett, president of the Tech Field Day arm of the Futurum Group, examine what some are calling an “Eternal September” moment for open source software. Project maintainers are increasingly overwhelmed by contributors using AI tools to generate code, raising questions about quality control, governance, and long term sustainability within open source communities.
The conversation then shifts to broadcast innovation as television networks such as NBC deploy drones to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics. The gang explores what this signals about automation in live production, aerial cinematography, and the evolving economics of sports broadcasting.
Finally, the discussion turns to the emergence of a robot prizefighting league in China, highlighting how robotics, artificial intelligence, and entertainment are converging in unexpected ways.
Across all three topics, the common thread is scale. As AI driven automation accelerates, organizations must rethink oversight, quality assurance, and operational resilience.
 

Techstrong Gang - 2/13/2025

Mike Vizard, Tracy Ragan, Jack Poller, and Jon Swartz delve into the FBI recovering deleted Nest Cam footage and what that signals about cloud data retention, before turning to Anthropic’s $20 million pledge to a political group backing AI safety rules.
Then the gang explores how AI-powered deepfakes and bots are accelerating romance scams, highlighting the growing industrialization of social engineering and its implications for digital trust.

Techstrong Gang - 2/12/2025

Co-Founder & CEO of Safe Security, Don Murray, argues that the debate between AI agents and traditional applications is largely misplaced, as both models are rapidly converging. He warns that the rise of “vibe coding” could create long-term maintenance risks while predicting that thin SaaS layers will struggle to survive as enterprises shift toward AI-generated, visually governed workflows and integrated automation platforms.

Techstrong Gang - 2/11/2025

In this episode, Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Jon Swartz, Andi Mann, and Teri Robinson break down three major developments shaping the next phase of enterprise technology.
The conversation begins with NVIDIA’s DreamDojo initiative, a training approach that enables robots to learn by watching humans — accelerating robotics development and redefining how AI systems acquire real-world skills.
The panel then examines Google’s warning around post-quantum cryptography and what organizations must consider as quantum computing advances threaten traditional encryption models.
Finally, the gang explores how artificial intelligence may change the way cybersecurity teams are structured, shifting roles, responsibilities, and operational models as automation increases.

Techstrong Gang - 2/10/2025

In this episode, Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Chris Blask, and Kate Scarcella examine how AI and “vibecoding” tools are reshaping the open source software community — and whether traditional OSS models can remain sustainable in an AI-driven world.
The conversation then turns to the growing debate around the “enshittification” of the internet, taking a hard look at who is actually responsible for platform decay. Is it the technology itself, or the incentives, business models, and decisions layered on top of it?

Techstrong Gang - 2/9/2025

Join Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Chris Blask, and Garima Bajpai live as they break down how artificial intelligence is reshaping multiple corners of the technology landscape — from silicon to security to space.
The conversation begins with the semiconductor surge, examining what will enable the chip market to cross the $1 trillion sales threshold for the first time in 2026, driven by AI workloads, data center expansion, and advanced computing demand.
Next, the gang dives into cybersecurity in the age of AI, exploring how advanced models are changing vulnerability discovery, threat analysis, and defensive research — and what new risks emerge as AI becomes both attacker and defender.
The episode wraps with a look beyond Earth, as the panel marvels at how AI is helping Mars rovers autonomously navigate the Red Planet’s terrain, accelerating scientific discovery and redefining planetary exploration.
 

Techstrong Gang - 2/6/2025

Alan, Mike, Mitch, Fred Wilmot, Jon Swartz and Jack Poller dive into why artificial intelligence (AI) is now becoming a mainstay of the Super Bowl advertising before debating the inherent cybersecurity risks associated with adopting agents such as MoltBolt/OpenClaw.
Then the gang takes a look at the future of DevOps in the age of AI.

Techstrong Gang - 2/5/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Jon Swartz, Anne Ahola Ward and Gina Rosenthal dive into a Gartner forecast that sees IT spending driven by artificial intelligence (AI) investments topping $6 trillion.
Then the gang looks at the military's growing interest in AI, before diving into why it's really important to understand how AI works following a new report shared by Anthropic.

Techstrong Gang - 2/4/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Jon Swartz, Teri Robinson and Barbara Roos dive into Elon Musk's latest moves to create an innovation engine by merging SpaceX and xAI.
Then the gang takes a look at whether AI will lead to the death of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, as many on Wall Street seem to now think, before delving into a deliberate disclosure of the identities of thousands of alleged cybercriminals.

Techstrong Gang - 2/3/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Chris Blask, Kate Scarcella, and Futurum Group president Dan O'Brien dive into the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the "Twilight Zone" before debating the chances an AI rebel alliance might usurp the status quo.
Then the gang takes a look at how IT professionals are evolving into data shepherds in the age of AI.