By Walt Maciborski
Publication Date: 2026-10-07 04:04:00
Jeetu Patel is bullish on AI, especially AI agents. He also thinks the technology brings real national security stakes.
Patel is Cisco’s president and chief product officer. He was in Austin for WebexOne, Cisco’s major user conference, where the company showed off its next wave of AI tools. Cisco has a significant presence in Austin, including an innovation hub.
“One of the most seismic shifts in history”
Patel says AI is moving fast. He believes it can help solve some of the world’s biggest problems, including disease, poverty, and education.
“This technology is one of the most seismic innovations and shifts that we have experienced in the history of humanity,” Patel said. “But it also has a meaningful amount of risk that we have to make sure that we mitigate.”
His outlook is optimistic, with a clear view of the downsides. “I am, on balance, a net optimist,” he said. “I feel like this is going to be one of the most amazing technologies that allows us to do things we could never dream…