Podcast Summary: Risk Never Sleeps Podcast

Episode #152 – “AI Is Hungry: Feeding the Beast Without Burning Out the Grid” with Neil Morris, Head of IT at Redaptive
Host: Ed Gaudet
Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Ed Gaudet welcomes Neil Morris, Head of IT at Redaptive, to discuss the profound impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on energy infrastructure, how organizations can adapt to new energy demands (without burning out the grid), and the importance of aligning technology with business goals—especially in the healthcare sector. Neil also shares his personal journey through the tech industry, insights on workforce disruption due to AI, thoughts on the resurgence of nuclear energy, and reflective advice for those entering IT and risk professions today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Redaptive’s Role in Energy & Sustainability (00:37–02:28)

• Company Mission: Redaptive provides “energy as a service”—helping organizations, including industrial manufacturers and healthcare facilities, reduce energy consumption and modernize infrastructure.
  • Neil: “We provide energy, HVAC, solar lighting...allow them to reduce their energy consumption, which reduces their energy bill...in a similar way as you pay for your power bill, allowing different companies to buy infrastructure more directly related to their core business.” (00:37)
• Healthcare Sector: Hospitals and medical systems, while not Redaptive's primary vertical, are significant due to their energy intensity.

Scaling for the Future and the Rise of Energy Demands (02:37–03:46)

• Main Initiative: Scaling services to address soaring energy consumption and helping clients build more “energy independence.”
  • Neil: “If we can consume less, we put less pressure on the grid...taking our service and figuring out how we can scale that to support our customers better.” (02:37)

AI’s Impact on Energy Infrastructure (03:36–04:43)

• AI and Data Centers: Dramatic increases in energy demands from AI/data centers can strain the grid and indirectly impact Redaptive’s clients.
  • Neil: “Those large gigawatt colocation facilities...are putting additional strain on the grid, which creates risk for some of our customers. Can the grid keep up?” (03:46)

Nuclear Energy’s Reemergence (04:43–06:18)

• Small-scale Nuclear: Growing interest in small reactors and micro-nuclear production, especially for needs like data centers.
  • Neil: “Those small nuclear reactors and micro nuclear production...to power this energy greedy monster — that’s AI and large language models. I think it's definitely going to have a play over the next three to ten years.” (04:49)
• Regulatory Landscape: Some states, like Texas, are more receptive to nuclear development.

AI “Bubble” & Infrastructure Foundations (06:18–07:20)

• Comparison to Early Internet: Current infrastructure investments for AI may outpace current utilization but lay foundations for future advances.
  • Neil: “[Bezos] related it to when big telecom companies were laying down fiber in the early dotcom...a bit of a bubble...we’re laying a lot of the foundation.” (06:29)

The Unprecedented Pace of AI (07:20–08:41)

• Rapid Innovation: AI models’ capabilities are doubling in months, outstripping the pace of previous tech booms.
  • Neil: “There was an MITRE survey...talking about the capabilities of AI doubling every few months...it's completely unprecedented.” (07:30)

Societal Impact: Job Displacement & Reskilling (08:08–11:52)

• Job Market Concerns: Unlike past tech booms, AI’s disruption may not come with proportional job growth.
  • Neil: “If you can define your job algorithmically, you can probably replace it with AI...The human creativity I think is really where we'll be able to lean in.” (08:41, 09:22)
• Need to Adapt: Emphasizes using AI as a copilot for higher-order work, encouraging intentional upskilling and creative problem solving.

Navigating Overwhelm & Information Overload (11:52–12:31)

• Staying Current: The rapid pace of AI innovation can feel overwhelming, even for seasoned tech leaders.
  • Neil: “Nowadays, I'm reading constantly...it feels overwhelming to try to stay relevant across the conversation.” (11:53)

Personal Story: Career Path & Philosophies (12:31–18:13)

• Unconventional Start: Neil became a father at 16 and credits a family member for nudging him into tech.
• Diverse Experience: From early networking to VoIP, IBM, security, and leading IT in aerospace—Neil’s varied background provides bridges across industries.
  • Neil: “I'm not a finance guy or a healthcare guy or a telco guy...there are more similarities in a lot of industries than differences.” (15:26)
• Learning Across Vertical Silos: He argues that cross-industry experience broadens problem-solving capabilities.

Work Ethic & Personal Motivators (18:13–19:15)

• Passion for Problem Solving: Loves the challenge and admits to being far from a “40-hour-a-week” employee.
  • Neil: “Give me a pen, a whiteboard and a handful of geeks and let's just talk about...the biggest business problems.” (18:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI & Job Displacement:
  “If you can define your job algorithmically, you can probably replace it with AI...How do we use AI to do our jobs better...and hand off intentionally those things that are algorithmic to allow me to do things that are more creative?”
  — Neil Morris (08:41)

• On the Overwhelming Pace of Tech:
  “Nowadays, I'm reading constantly...it feels overwhelming to try to stay relevant across the conversation. So I end up almost picking a horse...”
  — Neil Morris (11:53)

• On Business Perspective in IT Careers:
  “If I was going to tell my 20-year-old self something, it would be to focus on understanding the business first...things got much easier...when I learned how to speak to HR, marketing, sales, legal, and finance.”
  — Neil Morris (19:15)

• On Industry Diversity:
  “There’s more similarities in a lot of industries than differences...I almost challenge that [narrow industry experience] because I think it limits our thinking.”
  — Neil Morris (15:26)

• On Work-Life and Learning:
  “What’s 40 hours look like? That’s vacation. That’s what 40 hours is.”
  — Ed Gaudet (18:55)

Personal Side: Martial Arts, Teaching, and Family (20:45–26:33)

• Martial Arts School: Neil and his wife own a Kenpo/Kami Shinru Aki Jiu Jitsu school; martial arts philosophy influences his leadership approach.
• Teaching Aspirations: Enjoys teaching at the college level; envisions a future combining coaching, teaching, and leadership support.
• Family: Married for 27 years, father of four daughters, and a “girl dad.” (25:03)

Advice for Young Professionals (28:35–31:05)

• Specialization & Impact:
  “Focus on solving a problem...become the go-to expert in that very narrow niche. AI makes generalism more accessible, but niche skills are still irreplaceable.”
  — Neil Morris (28:48)

• Business Alignment: Use deep technical knowledge to solve real business problems, ensuring you deliver tangible value.

Music & Personal Taste (26:47–28:35)

• Eclectic Music Interests: From jazz and bebop to country, classic rock, and even Taylor Swift—demonstrating an appreciation for creativity and storytelling across genres.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:37 – Redaptive’s energy model and healthcare connections
• 02:37 – Scaling up amid growing energy and infrastructure demands
• 03:46 – AI’s effect on energy consumption and data center risk
• 04:49 – Nuclear energy’s return and micro-nuclear trends
• 06:29 – Infrastructure “bubble” and AI parallels to early Internet
• 07:30 – Exponential pace of AI advancement (MITRE survey)
• 08:41 – Job disruption, AI, and the need for creativity and reskilling
• 11:53 – Overwhelm of keeping pace with AI and tech news
• 12:42 – Neil’s origin story: early family, entry into tech
• 15:26 – Cross-industry experience and its value
• 19:15 – Importance of business acumen in tech roles
• 20:45 – Martial arts, teaching, and personal passions
• 28:48 – Advice for young professionals: specialize and solve real problems

Episode Tone & Style

Candid, conversational, and pragmatic. Ed and Neil blend personal stories and professional insights, mixing humor and realism to explore the intersection of modern technology, business, and the evolving energy landscape.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking insights on the impacts of AI, energy innovation, IT leadership, and career guidance in digital healthcare.