93. Billion-Dollar AI Headlines Obscure Real Business Value
Tue Feb 03 2026
Learn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here.
The big headlines that we're seeing around the massive funding of large AI companies are a distraction from the reality that AI is being built and used in business applications. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Frederic Van Haren, Chris Grundemann, Brian Martin, and Alastair Cooke reflecting after AI Infrastructure Field Day in Santa Clara. Popular news often covers the creation of large, general purpose AI models, yet the real-world application of AI through inference is where most companies see a return on their investment. Similarly, the common understanding of "AI" is as a single topic, without a more granular view that differentiates between rules-based systems, traditional machine learning, and emergent generative models like Large Language Models (LLMs). Specialized AI models will be vital for cost-effective applications with enhanced efficiency and the integration of diverse AI capabilities into agentic architectures. Advanced security protocols and regulatory frameworks are vital to mitigate novel vulnerabilities, organizations must adapt to an extraordinarily rapid pace of technological evolution. AI has already had a profound impact on software development, potentially enabling widespread custom application creation.
Panelists:
Frederic Van Haren, CTO and Founder of HighFens, Inc.
Brian Martin, VP of Data Center Performance at Signal 65
Chris Grundemann, Executive Consultant at Khadga Consulting
Hosts:
Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day
Alastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field Day
Stephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field Day
Follow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.
Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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Learn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here. The big headlines that we're seeing around the massive funding of large AI companies are a distraction from the reality that AI is being built and used in business applications. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Frederic Van Haren, Chris Grundemann, Brian Martin, and Alastair Cooke reflecting after AI Infrastructure Field Day in Santa Clara. Popular news often covers the creation of large, general purpose AI models, yet the real-world application of AI through inference is where most companies see a return on their investment. Similarly, the common understanding of "AI" is as a single topic, without a more granular view that differentiates between rules-based systems, traditional machine learning, and emergent generative models like Large Language Models (LLMs). Specialized AI models will be vital for cost-effective applications with enhanced efficiency and the integration of diverse AI capabilities into agentic architectures. Advanced security protocols and regulatory frameworks are vital to mitigate novel vulnerabilities, organizations must adapt to an extraordinarily rapid pace of technological evolution. AI has already had a profound impact on software development, potentially enabling widespread custom application creation. Panelists: Frederic Van Haren, CTO and Founder of HighFens, Inc. Brian Martin, VP of Data Center Performance at Signal 65 Chris Grundemann, Executive Consultant at Khadga Consulting Hosts: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day Alastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field Day Stephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field Day Follow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website. Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.