On AI in Action, IBM researcher Campbell Watson explains how foundation models are accelerating discovery across Earth and space science. Moving beyond traditional numerical methods, his team applies concepts from large language models to multimodal satellite data to build powerful, open-source AI systems.&nbsp;In collaboration with NASA and the European Space Agency, they have developed foundation models for Earth observation, weather and heliophysics. They are using AI for sustainability use cases, such as flood detection, biodiversity monitoring and solar flare forecasting.&nbsp;Designed for hybrid cloud environments and even deployed in orbit, these models point toward a future where AI and quantum computing unlock deeper planetary insights.

Campbell Watson is a Senior Research Manager & Master Inventor at IBM Research in New York. He leads the Climate & Sustainability research team at the T. J. Watson Research Center in New York with a focus on AI foundation models for Earth and Space with NASA.

Campbell moved to the United States in 2012 for a postdoc position at Yale University where he studied clouds physics over Dominica and gravity waves over New Zealand. He received a PhD in Atmospheric Science from The University of Melbourne in Australia.

Campbell Watson

 Senior Research Manager & Master Inventor at IBM Research

Campbell Watson joins the latest episode of the AI in Action podcast to share how he uses AI to study Earth, climate and space.

Foundation models accelerate space and climate science

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AI in Action explores what it takes to put artificial intelligence into action across a rapidly evolving business and tech landscape. Each episode focuses on responsible AI implementation and real-world business challenges, examined through a practical use case lens.

AI in Action

In the latest episode of AI in Action, Bernard Marr shares his perspective on how AI is changing the way we work and why AI literacy is becoming essential for every organization. He explains that real AI-driven business growth starts with a clear strategy. To make AI work at scale, companies need strong data foundations, modern data architecture and solid data management practices. Many organizations still struggle with siloed systems, weak governance and low data literacy, which hurts their competitive edge. Bernard encourages leaders to connect business intelligence with AI goals, rethink existing processes and give teams space to experiment. From agentic AI to quantum computing, he reminds us that change is happening fast and that a thoughtful, strategic approach to AI is key to building future-ready organizations. 0:00 Intro03:47 What AI really means for companies in 202606:47 Scaling AI starts with strategy10:42 Leading the cultural shift to AI13:17 Competitive advantage starts with AI awareness18:14 The real barriers to scaling AI28:33 What enterprises can learn from AI startups30:58 Top trends for data and AI leaders34:24 Overcoming data and governance challenges The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. AI news is moving fast. Keep your business ahead with updates about AI advancements, strategies and expert perspectives → https://ibm.biz/BdpEkq

Bernard Marr was born near Hamburg in Germany, where he grew up. He then moved to Cambridge, England to complete his degrees in business, engineering and information technology. He then joined the Cambridge Judge Business School as a research fellow and later Cranfield School of Management. In 2006, Bernard left the business school world to focus on his own company Bernard Marr & Co.
Today, Bernard Marr is one of the world’s most highly respected experts when it comes to future trends, strategy, business performance, digital transformation and the intelligent use of data and AI in business. In that capacity he has worked with and advised many of the world’s best-known organisations including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Astra Zeneca, The Bank of England, BP, NVIDIA, Cisco, DHL, IBM, HPE, Ericsson, Jaguar Land Rover, Mars, The Ministry of Defence, NATO, The Home Office, NHS, Oracle, T-Mobile, Toyota, The Royal Air Force, Shell, The United Nations, Walgreens Alliance Boots, Walmart, among many others.
He is the author of over 20 books and hundreds of high profile reports and articles, including the international best-sellers ‘Business Trends in Practice’, ’Tech Trends in Practice’, ‘Future Skills’, ‘The Intelligence Revolution’, ‘Artificial Intelligence in Practice’, ‘Data Strategy’, ‘The Future Internet’, ‘Extended Reality in Practice‘,  ‘Big Data in Practice’, ‘Big Data‘, ‘Key Business Analytics‘, ‘Key Performance Indicators’, ‘The Intelligent Company’, ‘Managing and Delivering Performance’ and ‘Strategic Performance Management’. His books have been translated into over 20 languages and have earned numerous Amazon No 1 bestselling positions, won the 2022 Business Book of the Year award, the CMI Management Book of the Year award, the Axiom book award and the WHSmith best business book award.
Bernard is a major social media influencer with a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels, newsletters, his popular content website, podcast, and regular Forbes column. LinkedIn ranked him as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world and number one in the UK. Beyond that, he has been featured on TV and radio as well as in high-profile publications such as The Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, the CFO Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Bernard’s latest book is ‘Generative AI in Practice’.
Away from his professional life, Bernard has a passion for wine, and prioritises being a good husband to his wife Claire and father to his three children Sophia, James, and Oliver. Together with them and their dog Millie, he lives in Milton Keynes, just north of London, England.

Bernard Marr

Bernard Marr joins AI in Action to discuss agentic AI, data strategy, and why AI literacy and human creativity are key to building future-ready organizations.

Turning AI into business impact through data and strategy

The Recording Academy is thoughtfully integrating generative AI to improve efficiency, accuracy and fan engagement across the GRAMMYs. David Gregory, CIO of the Recording Academy, describes using AI solutions, machine learning and large language models to streamline the GRAMMY Awards submission and voting process while preserving human oversight and strong AI governance.&nbsp;Fan-facing tools like GRAMMY IQ, an AI-powered chatbot, enhance grammy.com through interactive trivia and historical insights. Collaborating with IBM and others, the Recording Academy is exploring AI agents and advanced analytics across archives, membership platforms and operations. Their overall vision is to drive innovation balanced with responsibility, creativity and trust. 0:00 Intro05:01 How GRAMMY IQ elevates the fan experience06:43 Beyond GRAMMY IQ: The future of AI at the GRAMMYs12:10 Leading the AI initiatives with caution and clarity17:43 Driving member value with AI and digital transformation21:54 Operationalizing AI across the Recording Academy25:08 What every CIO should know about getting started with AI27:14 What’s next for AI at the Recording Academy The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.

David Gregory serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Recording Academy®. In his role, he leads the information technology team responsible for the overall technology infrastructure at the Academy and its awards shows, including network and systems technology, distribution and support of mobile devices, and training. He is responsible for driving operational technology and processes for IT, ERP, CRM, data security, governance, risk, and compliance while using technology to generate value, maintain security and increase productivity. Gregory also oversees the applications that manage membership and the voting process for the GRAMMY Awards® and supports the organization in achieving its diverse business objectives. Before joining the Academy, Gregory served as vice president of technology resources at Berklee College of Music for six years, where he led the implementation of major enterprise cloud applications including Salesforce and Workday and taught advanced music theory and composition for Berklee Online. He also held roles as vice president of technology at Smith College and chief information officer at Colgate University. From 1994 to 2002, Gregory was the founder and chief creative officer for Media Station, a digital media company that developed interactive products for companies such as Disney, Hasbro and Mattel. Gregory holds a bachelor's and master's degree of music in composition from the University of Michigan and a certificate in orchestration for film and television from Berklee Online.

David Gregory

Chief Information Officer, the Recording Academy

On AI in Action, David Gregory, CIO of the Recording Academy, shares how AI is streamlining submissions, voting and fan engagement at the GRAMMYs while keeping humans firmly in the loop.

Thoughtful AI integration at the Recording Academy

In this AI in Action episode, David Levy speaks with Lorie Meola about how IBM is transforming procurement through AI adoption and data management. Lorie explains how focusing on good-enough enterprise data, supported by data transparency and data visualization, leads to faster insights and better decisions.&nbsp;She shares how agentic AI helps teams move away from manual work and focus on higher-value outcomes. The conversation also highlights the cultural change required for digital transformation, including leadership support and iteration. The episode shows how modern procurement can drive efficiency, insight and business impact across the enterprise. Inside IBM's Client Zero journey: https://ibm.biz/BdbW4b

Lorie Meola is a global business leader and an accomplished Chief Procurement Officer known for driving transformation across complex, multinational enterprises. Recognized for her strategic vision and pragmatic leadership, she has guided organizations through complex cost takeout programs, digital reinvention, and AI-driven procurement modernization, collaborating between business, technology, and finance to unlock enterprise-wide efficiencies and accelerate AI adoption responsibly.
At IBM, she leads the company’s global procurement organization, partnering across business units and leveraging data, AI, and ecosystem relationships to deliver next-level financial results while prudently managing risk for both IBM and its procurement BPO clients.  She and her teams work seamlessly with business teams to ensure all sourcing requirements are leveraged to maximize quality and value from suppliers to their internal and external global client base.  
A trusted advisor to business leaders around the globe, Lorie is passionate about building high-performing teams, mentoring rising talent and fostering inclusion across global teams, advancing responsible AI adoption, and shaping the next generation of digital operating models.  Her leadership has been featured in executive forums and industry publications focused on enterprise transformation, supply chain resilience, and the future of work.  
Lorie has nearly two decades of experience in leading global sourcing and procurement teams, most recently as Chief Procurement Officer for Fiserv, a leading global technology provider in the financial services industry, where she focused on driving procurement innovation, insights and optimization for her organization.  Before joining Fiserv, Lorie worked at First Data Corporation, AIG and ADP in procurement, technology and implementation roles.  Lorie started her career as a high school math and computer science teacher before an opportunity in a start up shifted her career into the business world.
Lorie holds a BS in Mathematics from Andrews University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Lorie Meola

Chief Procurement Officer | Enterprise Transformation Leader | AI & Digital Innovator, IBM

IBM’s Chief Procurement Officer shares how good-enough data, transparency and agentic AI are transforming procurement from a cost center into a strategic, insight-driven function.

How IBM uses data and AI to modernize procurement

In this AI in Action episode, David Levy talks with Yashodha Bhavnani, Head of AI at Box, about how enterprises can turn massive volumes of unstructured data into high-value intelligence.&nbsp;Yashodha explains how Box is embedding AI into its content platform for easier data management without compromising security or governance. She shares real-world examples of enterprise content management and explains how agentic AI powers smarter workflows.&nbsp;The conversation also covers the role of IBM watsonx® in Box AI and what it takes to bring AI from experimentation into production.

Yash Bhavnani is the Vice President of AI, Collaboration & Strategy at Box Inc., leading Box’s AI initiatives, which play a crucial role across the company’s portfolio. Before joining Box, Yash spent 10 years at Google, where she contributed to groundbreaking products like Google Ads, Search, and Google Assistant. She was also a founding member of the Bard (now Gemini) team, driving AI innovations for enterprise and productivity. Prior to Google, she developed technical solutions for the U.S. government. Beyond work, Yash is a dedicated mother to 8-year-old twins, a wife to a life coach, and a caregiver to her mother. She has a passion for traveling, hiking, and mentoring women in tech.

Yashodha Bhavnani 

Vice President of AI, Collaboration & Strategy at Box Inc., 

Learn how Box uses AI to transform unstructured enterprise content into structured, searchable data that supports smarter decisions, stronger workflows and better business outcomes.

Making enterprise content actionable with AI

Explore the partnership → <a href="https://ibm.biz/BdbTR7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ibm.biz/BdbTR7</a> In this AI in Action episode, David Levy talks with Alon Cohen about how the UFC has turned its deep history of data into clear, meaningful insights. Alon shares how the team has moved from basic number tracking to smart systems powered by machine learning, computer vision and NLP. Thanks to better data management and processing, the team can measure speed, power and even fighter intent with far more accuracy.&nbsp;He explains why combat sports are challenging in terms of AI and data analysis, and how IBM watsonx® helps deliver real-time insights to fans and commentators. The episode also covers why building good AI takes patience, steady improvement and the careful judgment of people who truly understand the sport. 0:00 Intro04:11 Understanding MMA athletes and the culture07:17 Identifying the opportunity for statistical analysis in UFC09:28 The challenges of AI with real-time fight data16:24 How the UFC uses IBM watsonx® to power UFC Insights21:34 What data reaches UFC commentators25:14 How IBM and UFC built and trained the models31:08 How UFC measures the success of AI-driven fan experiences34:02 Advice for businesses advancing with AI The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.

Alon Cohen serves as Executive Vice President of Innovation for TKO, a premium sports and entertainment company that owns iconic properties including UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization; WWE, the global leader in sports entertainment; and PBR, the world’s premier bull riding organization. Together, these properties reach 210 countries and territories and organize more than 500 live events year-round, attracting more than three million fans.  In this role, Cohen oversees all aspects of research and development of new products, technologies, or processes to improve existing ones for TKO. 
Cohen served as Producer for the most ambitious production in UFC history, Noche UFC, the first live sports event at Sphere, the revolutionary entertainment venue in Las Vegas.   Cohen and the team delivered a once-in-a-lifetime immersive live sports experience by making use of Sphere’s state-of-the-art technology to enhance fan engagement. Noche UFC set numerous records including the highest-grossing UFC event and the highest-grossing single event at Sphere to date.

Throughout his career, Cohen has been instrumental in implementing new technologies into UFC events, including the addition of the UFC Fight Clock, the first-ever official clock for the sport of mixed martial arts, the UFC Fight Deck, a walkable LED fight deck that allows UFC to offer sponsors additional inventory, as well as enhance the viewing experience by integrating additional graphics around the world-famous Octagon.  Cohen also created the UFC Rankings, where fans around the world can access the most up-to-date rankings for UFC athletes, and UFC Access, a custom media portal and credentialing system for UFC and WWE.

Prior to his time with UFC, Cohen served as Founder and COO of FightMetric, a company that provided statistics and graphics for marquee companies like UFC, Apple TV, HBO Boxing, and more.  UFC purchased FightMetric in 2017 and rebranded the company to 3027, and the company now provides statistics and graphics for TKO.

Outside of his role with TKO, Cohen serves as Board Secretary for I Support the Girls, a international nonprofit dedicated to providing essential items, including clothing and feminine hygiene products, to women and folx experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress and allowing them to stand tall with dignity. 

Cohen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University’s Teaching Program of the University Professors in Interactivity Studies, where he graduated summa cum laude.  He also earned his Juris Doctorate from Boston University, where he graduated cum laude. 

Alon Cohen

Executive Vice President of Innovation, TKO

Learn how the UFC is using AI to turn decades of fight data into real-time insights that support analysts, enhance broadcasts and deepen fan understanding.

How UFC uses AI to turn data into real-time insights

Can agentic AI solve the scalability challenge in wealth management while expanding access to underserved communities?&nbsp;Ramona Ortega believes it can, but only with the right foundation. She explains how WealthBuild has moved from basic chatbots to RAG and now to agentic workflows that can deliver accurate and personalized guidance at scale. In her opinion, the real blockers aren’t algorithms but messy data, governance gaps and enterprise-grade security.&nbsp;Since traditional financial services can’t reach many everyday consumers, she partners with community banks to close the gap. For her, the future lies where AI, APIs and blockchain meet, opening the door to accessible and democratized financial advice. Explore the podcast → https://ibm.biz/BdbuaR

Ramona Ortega, Esq. is an award-winning tech entrepreneur and social impact leader shaping the future of financial services with AI. As founder of WealthBuild, she pioneered AI-powered agentic workflows that help financial institutions and SMBs deliver personalized client solutions, boost operational efficiency, and maintain compliance across every channel. WealthBuild is part of the IBM Fintech Fast Pass program, and Ramona also built the largest Latinos & tech event during SXSW in Austin, TX.

Previously, she founded My Money My Future, a leading financial literacy and inclusion platform that partners with the NASDAQ Foundation on the THRIVE Campaign to activate the next generation of investors. She has been a founding team member of Azlo, a BBVA-backed neo-bank, an angel investor, and fractional General Counsel for Rhia Ventures.
A former Wall Street attorney and U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission alum, Ramona brings two decades of expertise at the intersection of law, regulation, tech, and economic justice. Early in her career, she led high-impact nonprofits, submitted the first U.S. shadow report under ICERD to the United Nations, and served as a delegate to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.

Recognized as one of Crain’s Most Notable Women in Financial Advice, 100 Most Influential Latinas (Latino Leaders), and a Politico Impact Leader, Ramona has also been featured in HBO’s Gaming Wall Street. She holds a B.A. from UCLA and a J.D. from Fordham School of Law, and serves on the board of Camino Financial. Her honors include the 2019 Inspiring Fintech Females Award, the Frederick Douglass 200 Award for Entrepreneurship, and the Hispanic Heritage Award from the NYC Council.

Ramona Ortega

Founder & CEO, WealthBuild 

Learn how AI is impacting financial services as Ramona Ortega shares key insights on making financial guidance more accessible, reliable and scalable.

Recent Episodes

SEASON 2

Foundation models accelerate space and climate science

Turning AI into business impact through data and strategy

Thoughtful AI integration at the Recording Academy

How IBM uses data and AI to modernize procurement

Making enterprise content actionable with AI

How UFC uses AI to turn data into real-time insights

Bringing smarter, accessible wealth management through agentic AI

About The Show

AI in Action

David Levy

Host