Phil pods with BMO's Kristin Milchanowski: Quantum advantage arrives this year Video
From the Horse's Mouth: Intrepid Conversations with Phil FershtShow Notes
In this episode of From the Horse's Mouth, HFS Research CEO and Chief Analyst Phil Fersht speaks with Kristin Milchanowski, Chief AI & Quantum Officer and Founding Director, BMO Institute for Applied Artificial Intelligence & Quantum, BMO Financial Group.
Kristin explains why becoming an AI-first enterprise isn't about deploying another technology. It's about building the infrastructure to help every part of the business make better, faster decisions. She shares how a 200-year-old bank is embedding AI responsibly through strong governance, executive leadership, and a focus on business outcomes.
Phil and Kristin discuss why revenue should take priority over efficiency, which decisions should always remain human, and how trust and judgment become even more valuable as AI becomes widely accessible.
They also explore the future of quantum computing, where AI and quantum complement each other to solve complex optimization challenges. Kristin shares why she believes quantum advantage will arrive this year and how it could reshape industries from financial services to pharmaceuticals and energy.
The conversation also covers AI investment, token economics, the shift toward smaller language models, and why organizations that translate intelligence into real business outcomes will lead the next wave of innovation.
Chapters
00:00 Intro & Kristin's journey 01:59 The AI-first misconception 03:05 Frontier AI in a 200-year-old bank 04:40 Revenue over efficiency 06:13 What AI should never decide 07:31 Where AI meets quantum 09:44 When quantum goes mainstream 12:06 Token maxing: experiment or expense 13:17 Building an AI-native bank 14:06 Why relationships still win 15:06 The limits of LLMs 17:12 The rise of small language models 18:11 The premium on sounding human 19:48 The 2030 test 20:58 Closing
Learn more & connect HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com [https://www.hfsresearch.com/] The podcast: https://horsesmouthpodcast.com [https://horsesmouthpodcast.com/] Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht Kristin Milchanowski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinmilchanowski
From the Horse's Mouth: Intrepid Conversations with Phil Fersht brings together founders, executives, and contrarian thinkers for unfiltered conversations on the forces reshaping business and technology. Hosted by HFS Research CEO and Chief Analyst, Phil Fersht.
#AI #QuantumComputing #Banking #FutureOfWork #EnterpriseAI #KristinMilchanowski #PhilFersht #HFSResearch
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