Cisco CPO: First fully AI-written product shipped
Jeetu Patel, President & CPO at Cisco, revealed that the company has shipped its first product written entirely by AI. He also stated a goal for 70% of Cisco's products to be AI-written by 2027. Patel emphasized that this shift requires engineers and product leaders to focus on judgment, instinct, and managing digital agents.
- Cisco's broader AI strategy involves more than just code generation; it includes a $1 billion investment fund for AI startups and integrating a "Cisco AI Assistant" across its entire product portfolio, including security, networking, and collaboration tools. This assistant leverages large language models combined with Cisco's own data to provide intelligent insights. - The move towards AI-written code is part of a larger industry trend where AI is used to automate various stages of the software development lifecycle, from generating code and test cases to optimizing CI/CD pipelines and improving project management. McKinsey research suggests that AI could improve the productivity of software engineering by 20 to 45 percent of the current annual spending on that function. - "Agentic workflows," where autonomous AI agents collaborate to plan, execute, and refine complex tasks, are a key component of this new development paradigm. These workflows allow for greater adaptability and can operate with minimal human intervention, shifting developers from pure coding to more strategic roles. However, a significant challenge is ensuring the security of autonomously generated code, as the underlying models may have been trained on insecure or outdated codebases. - For advertising technology, the deprecation of third-party cookies is forcing a shift toward privacy-preserving techniques like Google's Privacy Sandbox, contextual targeting, and the increased importance of first-party data. This creates challenges for measurement and attribution but also opportunities for innovation in areas like Connected TV (CTV) and retail media, which are expected to see increased programmatic investment. - The role of a B2B SaaS CTO is evolving from a hands-on technical leader in early-stage companies to a strategic business partner in scaling companies. This requires not only technical leadership but also a strong understanding of business acumen, including go-to-market strategies and pricing models, to align engineering efforts with revenue goals. - In the UK tech ecosystem, while early-stage funding remains strong, there is a notable gap in late-stage funding (Series C and beyond) compared to the US, with late-stage rounds accounting for only 20% of total VC investment in 2024. Despite a general slowdown, London remains a top European hub for VC investment, raising $12.4 billion in 2024, with significant funding in Fintech, Healthtech, and AI. - In Formula 1, ahead of the 2026 season, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill has returned to the Williams team as a brand ambassador. Additionally, in a move to honor women in motorsport, the Australian Grand Prix has named Turn 6 of the Melbourne circuit 'In Her Corner' to recognize their contributions. - Recent local news in London includes the start of a major 14-month repair project on the Queen's Bridge, a key route connecting downtown to the west end. Additionally, a fire in an abandoned building in East London has been deemed suspicious by authorities.
