Last updated on November 6, 2025
Global Perspectives: Technology, AI, and the Future with Nicolas Babin
As a leader, your inbox and newsfeeds are buried in noise about AI. Everyone has a “hot take,” but what is the truth? What do you, as a CEO or leader, actually need to know to build a real AI strategy for your business?
To cut through the hype, I sat down with a true pioneer in the field, Nicolas Babin. As the EU digital ambassador who launched Sony’s first AI robot (AIBO), Nicolas has a grounded, practical perspective on the real business impact of AI.
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Our conversation uncovered several key truths that every leader must understand. This isn’t about science fiction; this is about strategy, efficiency, and the new rules of leadership.
Truth #1: Your New Critical Skill is AI Fact-Checking
We are in an information war. The rise of “fake news,” censorship, and sophisticated propaganda is a direct threat to strategic decision-making. This is how AI is changing leadership: you can no longer trust a single source.
Nicolas shared his personal process for how to use AI for fact-checking. When he sees a piece of information, he doesn’t just trust it. He cross-references it using multiple AI models.
“What I do is I use, you know, Claude, I use Gemini. I use obviously ChatGPT. I use Mistral… and I try to… any information that I find… I check whether or not it’s true.”
Relying on one AI is dangerous. A core part of AI for leaders is using these tools against each other to triangulate the truth.
Truth #2: It’s Human Augmentation, Not Replacement
The single biggest question leaders have is: Will AI replace humans or augment them?
Nicolas is clear: the entire goal is human augmentation AI.
So, what is human augmentation AI in practice? It’s not about replacing your expensive lawyer; it’s about augmenting them. Nicolas shared an example of his lawyer friend who used to spend three days drafting a contract. Now, with AI, he generates a draft in an hour and spends half a day refining it.
The result: a 3-day task becomes a 1-day task. The lawyer wasn’t replaced; he was augmented. He’s now free to focus on high-value work like strategy and negotiation. This is the core of an effective AI strategy for CEOs: identify mundane tasks and use AI to augment your best people.
Truth #3: You Must Understand the AI Energy Paradox
A hidden strategic risk that few leaders are discussing is the AI energy paradox.
On one hand, the energy consumption of AI is staggering. A single LLM training run can use as much electricity as 1,000 US homes for an entire year. This has massive implications for cost and environmental policy.
But here’s the other side of the paradox: AI is also our single best tool for solving the energy crisis. It’s already being used to:
- Optimize smart grids and energy distribution.
- Streamline complex supply chains.
- Manage electric vehicle (EV) charging networks.
As a leader, you must understand both sides of this coin.
Truth #4: The Future of AI is Human-Centric
We also discussed the future of AI agents and other technologies like 3D printing. But the most important takeaway was about AI ethics for leaders.
The biggest challenge isn’t the technology; it’s our human relationship with it. It’s managing tech addiction, fighting confirmation bias, and leading with respect in a divided world.
Technology is a tool. The “truth” every CEO must know about AI is that it’s a powerful lever, but it’s still your hand, your strategy, and your leadership that will determine the outcome.
What is AI-powered fact-checking for leaders?
AI-powered fact-checking is the skill of using multiple AI models (like Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and Mistral) to cross-reference information and find the truth. In an era of ‘information wars,’ relying on a single AI is dangerous.
What is the AI energy paradox?
The AI energy paradox is that AI has a massive energy appetite (a single LLM training run can equal the annual electricity use of 1,000 homes), but it is ALSO the key to solving the energy crisis through optimization of smart grids, supply chains, and renewables.
Is AI about replacing or augmenting humans?
The true purpose of AI is ‘human augmentation.’ It is not about replacing people but about augmenting them by removing mundane tasks, freeing humans to focus on high-value work like strategy, creativity, and relationships.
What is the biggest threat in the age of AI?
The biggest threats are not just the technology itself, but our human relationship with it. We must take personal responsibility for managing tech addictions and practicing critical thinking and respect in a polarized world.
🎧 Detailed Episode Show Notes
Guest Introduction
Nicolas Babin is an EU Digital Ambassador and technology expert, best known for launching AIBO, Sony’s first AI robot in Europe. With a rich background in technology innovation, Nicolas brings deep insights into the evolving landscape of digital transformation.
Episode Highlights
- 00:00:00 – Introduction and podcast context
- 00:02:05 – Discussion on global technological connectivity and real-time information
- 00:13:36 – AI’s energy consumption and potential for energy efficiency
- 00:25:44 – AI as a human augmentation tool, not replacement
- 00:27:30 – Strategies for reducing technology addiction
- 00:32:34 – Evolution of mobile technology and computing power
Key Topics Discussed
- Global technological perspectives
- AI and energy consumption
- Technology addiction
- Future of data centers
- AI agents and human augmentation
- 3D printing potential
- Mobile technology evolution
Memorable Quotes
- “We’re not in the business of replacing people. We’re in the business of augmenting them.”
- “The world is becoming so small… anything happening [is] real time across the world.”
Key References
- AIBO (Sony’s AI robot)
- Starlink
- 3D Printing
- AI Models: Grok, Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, Mistral
- MIT Technology Review
Where to Find Nicolas
- EU Digital Ambassador
- Author of “The Talking Dog”
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