SPOTLIGHT: AI Has Escaped Your Datacenter Presented by Cisco

An episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast podcast, hosted by Tech Field Day, titled "SPOTLIGHT: AI Has Escaped Your Datacenter Presented by Cisco" was published on February 10, 2026 and runs 30 minutes.

February 10, 2026 ·30m · Tech Field Day Podcast

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Summary

Learn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here. AI has driven your datacenter designs and is now moving outwards through your whole network. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Lee Peterson from Cisco discussing AI and networks with Andy Banta, Jack Poller, and Alastair Cooke. The discussion explores how AI is "escaping the data center" and becoming pervasive across the network, necessitating a dual focus on “networking for AI” and “AI for networking.” The former involves building robust, high-performance, and secure infrastructure, particularly at the edge, to support AI workloads like real-time inference. The goal is to support new applications such as robotics, fraud detection, and small language models, moving beyond traditional cloud-centric deployments to a more federated model. The latter leverages AI to manage, optimize, troubleshoot, and secure the network itself, with Cisco utilizing deep network learning models, historical data, and expertise to create AI assistants that enable intent-based networking and streamline operations. Additionally, the conversation emphasizes the critical role of advanced security, including hardware-accelerated post-quantum cryptography, to protect data in this evolving, AI-driven environment from future decryption threats.Cisco Representative: Lee Peterson, VP of Product, CiscoAndy Banta, Storage and Infrastructure ConsultantJack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm TechnicaHosts:⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead for Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead at Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Foskett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, President and Organizer of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Description

Learn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here.

AI has driven your datacenter designs and is now moving outwards through your whole network. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Lee Peterson from Cisco discussing AI and networks with Andy Banta, Jack Poller, and Alastair Cooke. The discussion explores how AI is "escaping the data center" and becoming pervasive across the network, necessitating a dual focus on “networking for AI” and “AI for networking.” The former involves building robust, high-performance, and secure infrastructure, particularly at the edge, to support AI workloads like real-time inference. The goal is to support new applications such as robotics, fraud detection, and small language models, moving beyond traditional cloud-centric deployments to a more federated model. The latter leverages AI to manage, optimize, troubleshoot, and secure the network itself, with Cisco utilizing deep network learning models, historical data, and expertise to create AI assistants that enable intent-based networking and streamline operations. Additionally, the conversation emphasizes the critical role of advanced security, including hardware-accelerated post-quantum cryptography, to protect data in this evolving, AI-driven environment from future decryption threats.

Cisco Representative: Lee Peterson, VP of Product, Cisco

Andy Banta, Storage and Infrastructure Consultant

Jack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm Technica

Hosts:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead for Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead at Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Foskett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, President and Organizer of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠