Synthetic Humans & Quantum AI: The Future of Humanity

Is your business ready for a world where AI agents act, adapt, and make decisions for you?

Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Global Chief AI Engineer at PwC, Scott Likens.

Scott Likens serves as the Chief AI Engineer at PwC, overseeing both the Global and U.S. teams. He leads the AI Engineering and Emerging Technology R&D groups, driving the firm’s strategy across AI, blockchain, VR, quantum computing, and other disruptive technologies. With over 30 years of experience in emerging tech, Scott has helped clients across industries transform their customer experience, digital strategy, and operations. He began his career in software engineering during the early days of the internet, working with major multinationals to apply a localized lens to global digital and innovation trends. Scott’s diverse technical background spans advanced analytics, digital architecture, AI engineering, and innovation. During his time at PwC, he has lived and worked in both China and the U.S., serving as a global technology leader and advisor to key clients. He is a regular speaker at international conferences on emerging technologies, including AI and generative AI, blockchain and crypto, IoT, quantum computing, and advanced robotics.

Scott Likens sits down with Geoff Nielson for a look into what’s actually happening across the front lines of AI and innovation. Scott shares insights from the edge of tech, from AI agents and embodied intelligence to quantum computing and synthetic identities. He explains why most enterprise AI efforts fail to scale, how to think in innovation “horizons,” and what separates real value from hype. He touches on many topics including, how holographic AI and digital twins are already reshaping communication and the skills, and structures shaping the IT organization of the future.

In this video:

0:00 Intro

1:55 GenAI hype vs. real Value in the enterprise

4:20 Embodied AI and the rise of holographic humans

6:00 Multilingual synthetic avatars

7:30 Deepfakes, trust & the role of blockchain in authentication

9:00 Responsible AI

12:15 Innovation is moving faster than trust

14:00 Speed or scale?

16:00 Defining true innovation vs. incremental tech

18:00 A Framework for emerging tech

20:30 From quantum to satellites: What’s next

23:00 Digital Twins, IoT, and Bipedal Robotics

25:30 AI at the edge

28:45 AI agents in action

30:20 Legacy system modernization without rewriting code

34:00 Enterprise use cases

36:30 What business leaders get wrong about tech

39:00 Moving from pilot projects to organization-wide impact

42:30 Balancing speed, risk & innovation in enterprise ai

44:00 How PwC enables innovation without losing control

47:00 Why “waiting” is not an ai strategy

48:15 The most important investment is your workforce

50:00 Upskilling, hiring, and culture shift at scale

52:00 Quantum, cryptography & the real threat timeline

54:30 What’s next for leaders and innovators

Connect with Scott:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottlikens/

X: https://x.com/ScottLikens

Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/

Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG