#297 Jeff Lunsford: How Agentic AI Will Redefine Every Digital Interaction

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents.  Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. Why should AI that learns from the messy real world still obey strict logic, and what does it take to make that reliability hold up in production? In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith sits down with Sunita Sarawagi to unpack how large scale learning can be combined with explicit rules and constraints so models stay trustworthy. We cover when world ingestion fails without structure, how to encode domain logic alongside LLMs, and which hybrid or neurosymbolic approaches reduce hallucinations while preserving flexibility. You will hear how to design a reliability stack for real users, detect out of distribution inputs, and choose evaluation signals that reflect outcomes rather than accuracy alone. Learn how product teams layer formal logic on top of generative models, decide what to hard code versus learn from data, and enforce business policies across agents, tools, and knowledge graphs. You will also hear how to run safe experiments, track prompt and model changes, prevent regressions before they reach customers, and plan for compute and infrastructure at scale with metrics like completion rate, CSAT, retention, and cost per resolution.   ​​Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigss  Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

Why will agentic AI redefine every digital interaction, and what foundation do enterprises need to make it safe, trusted, and real time? In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith sits down with Jeff Lunsford to unpack how a neutral customer data platform like Tealium becomes the control plane for agentic systems. We cover how to collect and unify first party data responsibly, enforce consent and identity across channels, and feed the right context to models so agents can act with confidence in the moment. You will hear how real time profiles, event streams, and deterministic identity power personalization, automation, and transactions across web, mobile, ads, email, and customer support. Learn how leading enterprises are preparing for agentic commerce that could double digital interactions, why governance and privacy must be embedded into delivery teams, and which standards enable safe transactions and payments with agents. You will also hear how to build an "agentic front door" for your business, design guardrails and spending allowances, choose where to run reasoning and inference, and measure impact with metrics like conversion rate, ROAS, CSAT, and cost per resolution. ​​Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigss  Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI 

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents.  Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. How is Coxwave Redefining AI Evaluation? In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith is joined by Yeop Lee, Head of Product at Coxwave. Together they explore how teams move beyond accuracy-only metrics to outcome focused evaluation with Coxwave's Align. We look at how Align measures satisfaction, trust, and task completion across chat, email, and voice, how LLM as judge pairs with human review, and how product teams search conversations to find hidden failure patterns that block adoption. Learn how leading companies design an evaluation stack that guides prompts, agents, and UX, which pitfalls to avoid when shipping updates, and which metrics matter most for success, including completion rate, CSAT, retention, and cost per resolution. You will also hear how to run experiment tracking with model and prompt change logs, set up governance that prevents regressions, and choose between SaaS and on premise deployments that meet security and compliance needs. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents.  Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. Why do so many chatbots fail in the real world, and how can AI agents actually fix customer support? In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith explores how teams move beyond scripted bots to production-grade AI agents that resolve real issues across chat, email, and voice. We look at what makes agents reliable at scale, how to configure them safely, and how to manage them like digital workers alongside your human team. Learn how leading companies approach agent onboarding and governance, which pitfalls to avoid, and which metrics matter most for success, including resolution rate, CSAT, and cost per resolution. You will also hear how to enable actions like refunds and returns through secure procedures, design human handoff that customers appreciate, and build an omnichannel rollout plan that scales responsibly. ​​Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

Try OCI for free at http://oracle.com/eyeonai This episode is sponsored by Oracle. OCI is the next-generation cloud designed for every workload – where you can run any application, including any AI projects, faster and more securely for less. On average, OCI costs 50% less for compute, 70% less for storage, and 80% less for networking.  Join Modal, Skydance Animation, and today's innovative AI tech companies who upgraded to OCI…and saved.   How are enterprises moving from AI experiments to a true agentic enterprise with measurable ROI? In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith speaks with Bhaskar Roy from Workato about how organizations can design, orchestrate, and govern AI agents at scale without sacrificing security or control. Together they unpack Workato's approach to building a single workspace for employees while agents and apps work behind the scenes to automate real business processes. They explain why the future of enterprise AI depends on orchestration, permissions, and human in the loop design. You will hear how Workato One and Workato Go bring connectivity, action, and governance into one stack, how teams assign KPIs to agents and track outcomes, and how to reduce agent sprawl while optimizing SaaS spend. Learn how leading companies are defining the agentic enterprise, what pitfalls to avoid when moving from pilots to production, and how to measure impact across sales, IT, support, HR, and finance so AI drives durable business value. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents.  Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. How can enterprises truly scale with agentic AI?  In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith speaks with Greg Shewmaker, CEO of r.Potential, about how organizations can successfully implement agentic AI systems that enhance human performance instead of replacing it. Greg explains why the future of work depends on a new partnership between people and intelligent digital agents. He shares how r.Potential, a spin-out from the Adecco Group, helps enterprises design "digital workforces," integrate AI agents into complex systems, and rethink productivity from the C-suite down. Learn how leading companies are approaching AI adoption, what pitfalls to avoid, and why agentic AI could redefine how enterprises operate and grow in the years ahead. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

Discover how Neurix is building the next generation of voice AI that sounds and reacts like a human in this conversation with Peeyush, former Google technologist and co-founder of Miracle Labs. Peeyush shares how Neurix is solving the toughest challenges in conversational AI — from eliminating latency to creating natural, real-time dialogue that mirrors human interaction. He explains why voice is the hardest frontier in AI, how Neurix's proprietary models manage conversation flow, and what it takes to integrate voice agents into enterprise systems at scale. Learn how Neurix is combining low-latency speech recognition, dialogue management, and large language models to deliver seamless, multilingual customer experiences. If you're a business leader, product builder, or AI professional interested in how human-like voice agents are transforming customer support and enterprise communication, this episode reveals the future of intelligent conversation.   Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss  Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI 

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents. Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. Can AI and RNA testing make illness optional? In this episode, Eye on AI host Craig S. Smith sits down with Naveen Jain, founder and CEO of Viome, to explore how RNA sequencing and artificial intelligence are transforming our understanding of chronic disease. Jain shares how a personal tragedy led him to launch Viome, a company on a mission to digitize the human body, predict illness before symptoms appear, and revolutionize healthcare. Together they discuss how Viome uses metatranscriptomics to analyze microbiome and human gene expression, what makes RNA a better indicator of health than DNA, and how large molecular AI models are paving the way for early detection of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and more. Jain also reveals his bold entrepreneurial framework—"Why this, why now, why me?"—and his belief that asking better questions is the real key to innovation. If you're interested in the intersection of AI, biotechnology, and human longevity, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

This episode is sponsored by AGNTCY. Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents. Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support.   Joel Hron, Chief Technology Officer at Thomson Reuters, joins Eye on AI to unpack the future of agentic systems and what it takes to build them responsibly at enterprise scale. We dive into the shift from prompt-based AI to true agentic workflows capable of planning, reasoning, and executing complex tasks. Joel breaks down how Thomson Reuters is deploying generative AI across law, tax, risk, and compliance, while keeping human experts in the loop to ensure trust and accuracy in high-stakes domains. Topics include: - What separates agentic AI from simple prompt-based tools - How "agency dials" (autonomy, tools, memory) change system behavior - Infrastructure and architecture required for multi-agent collaboration - Why human verification and user experience design are essential for trust - The future of coding, engineering skills, and AI adoption inside enterprises If you want to understand how a 170-year-old company is reinventing itself with AI — and what's next for agentic systems in business and knowledge work — this conversation is a must-listen. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigssEye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI

How do we get from today's AI copilots to true human-level intelligence? In this episode of Eye on AI, Craig Smith sits down with Eiso Kant, Co-Founder of Poolside, to explore why reinforcement learning + software development might be the fastest path to human-level AI. Eiso shares Poolside's mission to build AI that doesn't just autocomplete code — but learns like a real developer. You'll hear how Poolside uses reinforcement learning from code execution (RLCF), why software development is the perfect training ground for intelligence, and how agentic AI systems are about to transform the way we build and ship software. If you want to understand the future of AI, software engineering, and AGI, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI (00:00) The Missing Ingredient for Human-Level AI(01:02) Eiso Kant's Journey(05:30) Using Software Development to Reach AGI(07:48) Why Coding Is the Perfect Training Ground for Intelligence(10:11)  Reinforcement Learning from Code Execution (RLCF) Explained(13:14) How Poolside Builds and Trains Its Foundation Models(17:35) The Rise of Agentic AI(21:08)  Making Software Creation Accessible to Everyone(26:03) Overcoming Model Limitations(32:08) Training Models to Think(37:24) Building the Future of AI Agents(42:11) Poolside's Full-Stack Approach to AI Deployment(46:28) Enterprise Partnerships, Security & Customization Behind the Firewall(50:48) Giving Enterprises Transparency to Drive Adoption