n this episode of The Macro AI Podcast, Gary and Scott sit down with Michael Reid, CEO of Megaport, to explore how network-as-a-service is reshaping the way enterprises connect to the cloud, scale their infrastructure, and prepare for an AI-driven future.

Michael shares his perspective on why agility and flexibility in connectivity are now strategic imperatives for CIOs, CTOs, and CFOs—and how Megaport is positioning itself at the heart of this transformation. We discuss the company’s recent global expansion, the impact of Project Centurion’s 400G backbone upgrade, and what enterprises need to think about as AI workloads demand more bandwidth, lower latency, and tighter integration across multiple clouds.

Listeners will hear insights on:

• How enterprises can simplify multicloud strategies while maintaining performance and security.
• The role of software-defined networking in accelerating digital transformation.
• Why infrastructure investments like Project Centurion are foundational to AI adoption.
• Practical advice for decision-makers navigating the convergence of networking, cloud, and AI.

Michael also highlights where Megaport is heading next, from enabling new AI-centric services to supporting the rapid evolution of edge computing. For executives thinking about how to future-proof their connectivity strategies, this episode delivers both strategic guidance and actionable insights.

Want more from Megaport? Don’t miss their own podcast, Uplink, where Michael and his team dive deeper into connectivity, cloud adoption, and the future of digital infrastructure. It’s the perfect complement to today’s conversation. You can listen here: https://www.megaport.com/uplink

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Macro AI Podcast, share it with colleagues, and stay tuned for more conversations at the intersection of AI, infrastructure, and business transformation.

Send a Text to the AI Guides on the show!

About your AI Guides

Gary Sloper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsloper/

Scott Bryan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjbryan/

Macro AI Website:

https://www.macroaipodcast.com/

Macro AI LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-ai-podcast/

Gary's Free AI Readiness Assessment:

https://macronetservices.com/events/the-comprehensive-guide-to-ai-readiness

Scott's Content & Blog

https://www.macronomics.ai/blog

Customer Experience (CX) is undergoing the biggest transformation in decades, powered by AI and accelerated by the shift to Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). In this episode of The Macro AI Podcast, Gary and Scott break down where CCaaS is today, how AI is reshaping the landscape, and what business leaders need to do to prepare for the next ten years.

We start with the basics: what CCaaS actually is, why it matters, and who the leading players are — from established platforms like Five9, NICE, Genesys, and Avaya to innovators such as Verint, Talkdesk, 8x8, Microsoft, Zoom, eGain, and Observe.AI. This sets the stage for sourcing decisions and gives listeners a realistic view of the vendor ecosystem.

From there, we dive into where CX stands today. Companies have chatbots, transcription tools, and AI-driven coaching — but most of it is fragmented. The real future is orchestration: AI systems that not only interact with customers but orchestrate workflows across humans, machines, and enterprise systems.

Looking ahead, Gary and Scott explore four insights executives may not have considered:

• Contact centers as insight engines — mining every customer interaction for churn risk, product feedback, and revenue opportunities.
• A shift in the economic model — from cost-per-seat to outcome-based pricing tied to resolution, containment, or customer satisfaction.
• Regulatory blind spots — how compliance, transparency, and trust will define CX success as much as speed and efficiency.
• The organizational shift — why CX won’t remain a siloed department but will evolve into an enterprise-wide orchestration function.

The episode also highlights the role of independent AI consultants in bridging the gap between technology and business outcomes. From assessing data readiness and designing orchestration fabrics to implementing governance frameworks, consultants help companies avoid vendor lock-in and align AI to their unique business models.

For CIOs, COOs, and CEOs, the message is clear: the companies that start building AI fluency and governance now will be the ones delivering tomorrow’s customer experience. The future of CX is not just faster service — it’s intelligent, predictive, and woven into the fabric of the entire enterprise.

Send a Text to the AI Guides on the show!

About your AI Guides

Gary Sloper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsloper/

Scott Bryan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjbryan/

Macro AI Website:

https://www.macroaipodcast.com/

Macro AI LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-ai-podcast/

Gary's Free AI Readiness Assessment:

https://macronetservices.com/events/the-comprehensive-guide-to-ai-readiness

Scott's Content & Blog

https://www.macronomics.ai/blog

In this episode of The MacroAI Podcast, Gary and Scott take a deep dive into one of the most overlooked yet mission-critical concepts in artificial intelligence: robustness.

What does it mean for an AI system to be robust? In simple terms, it’s the ability to keep performing under stress — when the data is messy, unexpected, or even deliberately manipulated. Without robustness, AI that looks flawless in a demo can fail spectacularly in production, creating business risks instead of business value.

Gary and Scott break it all down for business leaders, connecting technical concepts to practical outcomes. You’ll learn:

• Why accuracy is not enough — accuracy is practice, robustness is game day.
• Real-world examples of AI failures across healthcare, finance, retail, and even autonomous vehicles.
• How organizations can build robustness into their AI systems through diverse data, stress testing, fallback mechanisms, and advanced methods like adversarial training and ensembles.
• Ways to measure robustness, from stress-test error rates to cross-domain testing and robustness curves.
• The growing role of third-party robustness testing, which is quickly becoming the AI equivalent of cybersecurity penetration testing.
• The high cost of ignoring robustness — from financial losses to reputational damage.
• Why future enterprise AI will require independent certifications, insurance validation, and proof of resilience to win trust.

For executives, the message is clear: robustness equals trust. If you can’t trust your AI under pressure, you can’t scale it. Robustness is no longer a technical “nice-to-have” — it’s a business differentiator, a regulatory expectation, and the foundation for long-term AI success.

Whether you’re a CEO, CIO, CFO, or a technical leader building AI systems, this episode will give you the insights, analogies, and practical takeaways to put robustness at the center of your AI strategy.

Key soundbites:

• “AI without robustness is like a self-driving car that only works in the sunshine.”
• “Accuracy is practice. Robustness is game day.”
• “Third-party robustness testing will soon be as common as penetration testing.”

Good Reference Article: Machine Learning Robustness A Primer

Tune in and learn how to future-proof your AI investments.

Send a Text to the AI Guides on the show!

About your AI Guides

Gary Sloper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsloper/

Scott Bryan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjbryan/

Macro AI Website:

https://www.macroaipodcast.com/

Macro AI LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-ai-podcast/

Gary's Free AI Readiness Assessment:

https://macronetservices.com/events/the-comprehensive-guide-to-ai-readiness

Scott's Content & Blog

https://www.macronomics.ai/blog