The neXt Curve reThink Podcast

Silicon Futures for April 2026 - The AI CPU craze, Qualcomm's custom AI, Google TPU 8 explained

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1654726/fan_mail/new] Silicon Futures is a neXt Curve reThink Podcast series on AI and semiconductor tech and the industry topics that matter. This month shall be dubbed the month of specialization as the tide of AI compute make a hard turn toward inference and agentic AI. What is all this all this madness about CPUs about? The Silicon Futures Trio unpacks the mystery of the month.  In this episode, Leonard, Karl and Jim talk about some of the top headlines from April of 2026.  ➡️ What's up with the CPU mania in AI? ➡️ Why is everyone going custom, specialized AI systems?  ➡️ The diverse velocities of AI change & digestion.  ➡️ The many roles of CPU in an agentic AI system.  ➡️ Cloud demand driven by AI system complexity and speed.  ➡️ The AI narrative has graduated from the "chip".  ➡️ Is the AI boom sustainable?  ➡️ Clarifying the Google TPU 8 Enigma.  ➡️ How will AI system specialization and general purpose play out?  ➡️ The hyperscale red flag for NVIDIA.  ➡️ Where are the AI business model transformations?  ➡️ A quick thought on Terafab by Intel & Elon.  ➡️ Impressions on Qualcomm's custom AI silicon & systems.  Hit Leonard, Karl, and Jim up on LinkedIn and take part in their industry and tech insights. Check out Jim and his research at Tirias Research at www.tiriasresearch.com. Check out Karl and his research at Cambrian AI Research LLC at www.cambrian-ai.com. Check out Karl's Substack at: https://substack.com/@karlfreund429026 Please subscribe to our podcast which will be featured on the neXt Curve YouTube Channel. Check out the audio version on BuzzSprout or find us on your favorite Podcast platform. Also, subscribe to the neXt Curve research portal at www.next-curve.com and our Substack (https://substack.com/@nextcurve) for the tech and industry insights that matter. NOTE: The transcript is AI-generated and will contain errors. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only.

The Blueprint for Agentic Security (with Raj Chopra)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1654726/fan_mail/new] The topic of agentic security was a very big one at RSAC Conference this year. The conversation was split between safe and secure agentic AI enablement for the enterprise (and consumers), and the agentic enablement of threat actors armed with a new generation of AI tools.  The second part of our conversation with Rajneesh Chopra, SVP and CPO of Cisco Security, touched on the crisis of trust that we face, and the framework that Cisco is contributing openly to help foster safe, enterprise grade GenAI and agentic AI applications.  Raj does a great job of outlining a holistic blueprint that Cisco is working off for safe agentic AI and enterprise GenAI.  Bottom line, Getting to safe agentic AI is a journey with many twists and chasms along the way. We are in the early rounds facing a threat environment that is highly fluid and moving at machine speed.  It will take a mindset of safe AI innovation that preemptively injects what Raj calls "common sense" in lieu of lagging best practices to meet the challenges and threats of fast-evolving AI-assisted cyberattacks. Please subscribe to our podcast which will be featured on the neXt Curve YouTube Channel. Check out the audio version on BuzzSprout or find us on your favorite Podcast platform. Also, subscribe to the neXt Curve research portal at www.next-curve.com and our Substack (https://substack.com/@nextcurve) for the tech and industry insights that matter. NOTE: The transcript is AI-generated and will contain errors. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only.

The Unknown Unknowns of Agentic Security (with Raj Chopra)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1654726/fan_mail/new] It was a busy week at RSAC Conference 2026. The topic of agentic security was a very big one, whether you were contemplating it for securing agents you deploy in your enterprise or protecting it from malicious AI agents. neXt Curve's Leonard Lee had an enlightening conversation with Raj Chopra, SVP and CPO of Cisco Security, about what the company is discovering about the path to enabling safe and secure agentic AI. What impressed was the humility with which Raj approaches the task. We are dealing with unknown unknowns in the age of agentic AI.  Yes, agentic AI is here, whether we like it or not, as a productivity tool or a threat. Check out this conversation. Raj highlights some priorities and approaches that we agree with based on neXt Curve research. He also introduces some additional angles that CISOs and security practitioners need to contemplate in approaching safe agentic AI for their organizations.   AI security will require the cybersecurity community to think beyond its comfort zone. Yes, fundamentals matter more than ever, but the threats and the countermeasures are unknown. We hope you find part one of this conversation with Raj Chopra informative. Remember to follow neXt Curve for the agentic security insights and analysis that matter. Please subscribe to our podcast which will be featured on the neXt Curve YouTube Channel. Check out the audio version on BuzzSprout or find us on your favorite Podcast platform. Also, subscribe to the neXt Curve research portal at www.next-curve.com and our Substack (https://substack.com/@nextcurve) for the tech and industry insights that matter. NOTE: The transcript is AI-generated and will contain errors. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only.

Quantum Computing Master Class & Quantum Day Insights

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1654726/fan_mail/new] In this special Silicon Futures podcast episode, Karl and Jim provide a master class on the modalities of quantum computing and the state of their development and commercialization. The trio then provide their insights and analysis of NVIDIA's Quantum Day 2026. The following topics are explored in this episode. ➡️ Quantum computing landscape and modalities described. (5:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=315s]) ➡️ The pros and cons of quantum modalities. (15:57 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=957s]) ➡️ Comparative maturity and capabilities of quantum modalities. (17:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=1062s]) ➡️ The quantum continuum and the race to 1 million Qubits. (19:16 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=1156s]) ➡️ What is a quantum application? (25:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=1538s]) ➡️ Thoughts on how the quantum industry will evolve and the game play out. (26:50 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=1610s]) ➡️ What is the role of accelerated computing and AI in quantum computing? (30:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=1854s]) ➡️ What is the AI opportunity and business model for quantum computing? (35:44 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=2144s]) ➡️ The quantum computing ecosystems and emerging business models. (38:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TxZl3qauw&t=2336s]) Hit Leonard, Karl, and Jim up on LinkedIn and take part in their industry and tech insights. Check out Jim and his research at Tirias Research at www.tiriasresearch.com. Check out Karl and his research at Cambrian AI Research LLC at www.cambrian-ai.com. Check out Karl's Substack at: https://substack.com/@karlfreund429026 [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazRUMW5qYk9xOWlmX2xKbUFsZUtHTnhGZjdYZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsV1dUNUw0YjFBRHV4LU9UOWJuXzdHOTFxSEI3RDExOTVlQl9wZWRQUDFxOHdrUWRWS0xvQWdRbHZZN1BzTi1sendxTWlsR2J3ektJV3BERmlLekh3SGx2SG5Gb2EwUW8ySEh5UG9fbkVGVnhTS0t5QQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40karlfreund429026&v=P7TxZl3qauw] Please subscribe to our podcast which will be featured on the neXt Curve YouTube Channel. Check out the audio version on BuzzSprout or find us on your favorite Podcast platform. Also, subscribe to the neXt Curve research portal at www.next-curve.com and our Substack (https://substack.com/@nextcurve [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0MzbGhHcGRPalNMcm9oUUNXa185bFI5TkZfZ3xBQ3Jtc0trN3lkM2paM05fZ3ZtU3Ewc29iNGZyQWx4Z1l3djVubEtfRTA0cDlwcElkV2o0dWw1a0s2OFFvQlZuSk8yQnZQV1J1RXdtVVppQmJLMUI2bjdLREhCUWc5NTV3aEIyMTlDVXJ2eHpaR09aekhJb29WMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40nextcurve&v=P7TxZl3qauw]) for the tech and industry insights that matter. NOTE: The transcript is AI-generated and will contain errors. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only.

Silicon Futures for March 2026 - Intel Foundry, Embedded World, Edge AI and Arm Everywhere

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1654726/fan_mail/new] Silicon Futures is a neXt Curve reThink Podcast series on AI and semiconductor tech and the industry topics that matter. Oddly, all three of us agree, March has turned out to be a pivotal month set by MWC and NVIDIA’s GTC. The AI silicon and systems script is being dramatically rewritten around the CPU and inference accelerators and architectures that arguably challenge the myth of the NVIDIA moat as AI an agentic pivot in 2026. In this episode, Leonard, Karl and Jim talk about some of the top headlines from March of 2026.  ➡️ Jim recaps March in the semiconductor industry and AI in 2 minutes. ➡️ Karl on NVIDIA GTC 2026 and Arm's new AGI CPU.  ➡️ Leonard invents Application-specific General-purpose Computing with Rene Hass. ➡️ The different approaches to CPU architectures. ➡️ Why some CPU makers exclude Spatial Multi-threading (SMT) from their chips. ➡️ Do buyers buy Arm or agentic AI systems? ➡️ What is Arm's AI systems ecosystem game? ➡️ Is agentic AI changing the AI supercomputing game? ➡️ Is OpenClaw the ChatGPT moment for agentic AI? ➡️ There is a new AI in town. That AI is edge AI! Hit Leonard, Karl, and Jim up on LinkedIn and take part in their industry and tech insights. Check out Jim and his research at Tirias Research at www.tiriasresearch.com. Check out Karl and his research at Cambrian AI Research LLC at www.cambrian-ai.com. Check out Karl's Substack at: https://substack.com/@karlfreund429026 Please subscribe to our podcast which will be featured on the neXt Curve YouTube Channel. Check out the audio version on BuzzSprout or find us on your favorite Podcast platform. Also, subscribe to the neXt Curve research portal at www.next-curve.com and our Substack (https://substack.com/@nextcurve) for the tech and industry insights that matter. NOTE: The transcript is AI-generated and will contain errors. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only.