AI, Critical Thinking, and Geopolitical Risk: More from DisrupTV on Gemini, Multimodal AI, and Global Resilience

About the latest episode of Disrupt TVco-sponsor Vara AfsharChief Evangelist at Salesforce, and R”Ray WangThe CEO and founder of Constellation Research held a timely conversation at the intersection of AI innovation, critical thinking, and geopolitical risk.

They were joined by Peter Dannenberga distinguished software engineer at Google and a key contributor to the Gemini AI platform. Dr. David BrayChairman Emeritus of the Stimson Center and CEO of LDA Ventures. Together, they explored how multimodal AI, community-driven innovation, and geopolitical awareness are becoming essential capabilities for leaders navigating the age of intelligence.

Inside Google Gemini: From demo to developer community

Peter Danenberg takes you behind the scenes at Google. Gemini AI PlatformIncluding new features like code canvas and computer usemoving AI beyond chat interfaces and into real-world workflows.

The central theme of Danenberg’s work is Community participation. What started as a small Gemini Meetup with about 20 participants has now grown into a vibrant forum of over 600 participants – developers, builders, and AI practitioners – experimenting at the limits of what’s possible.

These meetups are more than just tech demos. they function as Feedback loop between users and platform buildersThis ensures that insights from real-world experiments feed directly back into Google’s leadership. According to Denenberg, this user-driven model is critical to forming powerful and practical AI tools.

Multimodal and ambient AI: the next evolution

Looking to the future, Dannenberg highlighted the following changes: Multimodal and ambient AI systems— A model that can process text, images, audio, and context signals simultaneously and can operate continuously in the background of human activity.

These systems are not intended to replace human judgment; Enhance decision makingcreativity, and problem-solving skills. The challenge, he stressed, is to ensure that humans remain active participants rather than passive recipients of the output produced by AI.

AI and critical thinking risks

Quotes from his widely viewed works TED talkDenenberg cited a growing concern about the potential erosion of critical thinking in an era of increasingly sophisticated large-scale language models.

He cited research comparing brain activity when people rely on AI tools versus when they actively create and reason about problems themselves. The point is not to avoid AI; Design systems that encourage users to thinktest hypotheses, and maintain ownership of your work.

His experiments with Socratic-style AI learning environments reflect the philosophy that AI should ask better questions, not just provide faster answers.

Geopolitical risk, AI, and the new reality of global enterprises

Dr. David Bray expanded the conversation beyond technology. Geopolitical and Cybersecurity Realities What businesses are facing today. As global supply chains become increasingly fragmented and AI increasingly weaponized by state actors, companies will need to rethink how they manage risk.

Bray emphasized that AI-powered cyber threats now operate at machine speedsimilarly requires adaptive and responsive defenses. Traditional static security models are no longer sufficient when attackers can use AI tools to quickly adjust their attacks.

AI, cybersecurity, and board-level accountability

One of Bray’s most powerful messages is that Board of Directors and Executive Awareness. AI risks are no longer limited to IT departments, but span legal, operational, geopolitical, and reputational areas.

He emphasized the close cooperation between the two countries. CIO, CISO, General Counselespecially for organizations that operate across borders. Boards need to understand not only where AI is being deployed, but also how geopolitical changes can amplify technological vulnerabilities.

Human-AI collaboration as a competitive advantage

Despite the risks, both speakers were clear. The future lies in the organizations that master it. Collaboration between humans and AI.

Denenberg envisions AI systems that will help organizations model worldviews, predict risks, and explore scenarios, augmenting rather than automating human foresight. Bray reinforced this view by pointing out that resilience comes from combining machine-scale intelligence with human judgment, ethics, and strategic context.

Key takeaways from DisrupTV Episode 426

AI is going beyond chat Multimodal ambient systems integrated into everyday workflows
Community-driven AI development Accelerate innovation and improve real-world adoption
Critical thinking must be protected Through intentional AI design, not blind automation
Geopolitical risk and AI security are inseparableespecially for global companies
Collaboration between humans and AINot a replacement, but a decisive advantage in the age of intelligence

Final Thoughts: Intelligence with Intent

This episode of DisrupTV reveals that the true value of AI lies not just in its raw capabilities, but in how it is thoughtfully integrated with human expertise, organizational culture, and global awareness.

As Vala Afshar and R “Ray” Wang emphasized in closing, Community, critical thinking, and contextual intelligence AI will not just catch up with AI, it will responsibly shape how AI transforms business and society.

In an era defined by rapid technological change and geopolitical uncertainty, intelligence with purpose It may be the most important innovation of all.