A Masterclass on AI with Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist IBM: From Prompt Engineering to Agentic AI (Part 1)

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🎙️ Ruchir Puri (Part 1): From Prompt Engineering to Agentic AI Guest: Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist at IBM Research
📍 Website: ibm.com/watsonx
🎧 Host: Al Martin, Worldwide VP, Technical Sales, IBM
📨 Want to be a guest? Email us at [email protected]

👤 About the Guest
Dr. Ruchir Puri is IBM Fellow, Chief Scientist of IBM Research, and one of IBM’s most prolific inventors. With over 70 patents and a lead architect behind IBM’s AI breakthroughs including Watson and watsonx, Ruchir is a globally respected authority on AI, chip design, and scalable compute. He’s led groundbreaking work from Deep Blue to Agentic AI and is shaping how AI will drive the next era of enterprise transformation.

🧠 What’s Inside This Episode This episode is a masterclass in where AI is headed. Ruchir takes us on a journey from the fading relevance of prompt engineering to the rise of agentic AI systems that think, plan, execute, and reflect. You’ll hear his candid views on inference at scale, memory in systems, and why 2025 is the year of agents.

⏱️ Chapters & Timing

• 01:22 – Hints for the IBM THINK Conference
  Sneak peek into what’s coming at THINK — and what not to miss.
• 04:09 – What Drives Ruchir
  From childhood curiosity to global impact. How does a mind like his stay inspired?
• 10:00 – Where Are We Now: Feedback Systems
  Why the “training is done” mindset is outdated and how feedback loops change the game.
• 12:21 – Prompt Engineering Gone!
  Hot take alert! Ruchir declares the death of prompt engineering — and what replaces it.
• 13:39 – Inference Scaling
  How scaling inference (not just training) is the next AI frontier.
• 16:26 – Systems with Memory
  Why “forgetting” systems are failing us — and how memory transforms intelligence.
• 17:56 – Agentic AI: Think, Plan, Act, Execute, Observe, Reflect
  A full walkthrough of what makes AI “agentic” and where we’re headed next.
• 21:02 – Future of Work and MCP (Multi-Contextual Personas)
  AI in the workplace isn’t about job replacement — it’s about augmentation.
• 23:45 – 2025: The Year of Agents
  Why this year will be the breakout moment for agents in enterprise AI.
• 23:58 – The Open Ecosystem
  Open-source meets enterprise grade. Ruchir breaks it down.
• 26:38 – Agentic AI Leader
  Final thoughts on leadership in AI and how to stay ahead.

💬 Quotes to Remember

“Prompt engineering is dead. It’s like writing assembler. You needed it at first. But not anymore.”“The true intelligence lies in systems that can remember — not just respond.”“We’re heading into an era where your agent will know you better than your coworkers do.”

🔥 Why You Should Listen If you want a front-row seat to the future of AI — especially in enterprise environments — this is it. Ruchir combines deep tech insights with strategic vision, all while keeping it practical and human.

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Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.