Why next-level AI needs connection as well as compute.

“The next phase of AI will be shaped by the infrastructure that lets intelligence exist everywhere, scale at pace and create strong value in the real world. Connectivity is critical to all three.” 

This was the thinking of Rajeev Chand, Partner at Wing Venture Capital. As a co-creator of Nova Future Summit this September, these are precisely the kind of big-picture conversations he’s looking forward to: What does tomorrow look like? What’s needed to get there? How will value be created?    

His view is clear: “AI is not simply another application wave, it is a technology supercycle—moving at unprecedented speed and creating a revolution across every element of the stack…applications, horizontal, vertical, hardware infrastructure, software infrastructure, developer infrastructure, chips, devices and, of course, networks.” 

“AI is not simply another application wave, it is a technology supercycle—moving at unprecedented speed and creating a revolution across every element of the stack.” 

The layers are no longer separate, they are interdependent. And that interdependence changes the role of telecoms—from background providers of connectivity to central players in the AI value chain: as infrastructure partners, distribution channels, and strategic enablers of global enterprise and digital growth. 
 

Why telecoms matter more to AI  

AI is still often framed through the lens of models and apps, but the systems behind those experiences are becoming vastly more complex—from the compute, data centers, security and governance, to the requisite chip materials, energy and water. 

So as AI is embedded in every industry, function and system, then the question is no longer just what models can do—it is whether the global digital system is ready to support them. It needs infrastructure that can operate at global scale and local proximity, providing the ability to move intelligence across industries, devices, markets and societies. 

Telecoms brings distinctive assets to the table. Global operators have networks, spectrum, customer relationships, enterprise reach and regulatory experience that few AI companies can replicate. And that makes the relationship between technology and telecoms even more strategic.  

“You can’t build data centers, or create the right experiences, unless you have resilient connectivity. And you can’t build the global market unless you have global distribution.”  

Chand explains further, “Telecoms is a distribution channel for AI, especially outside of the US. They have reach in the order of billions of users that the AI companies can benefit from.” 

The opportunity lies in understanding where those ecosystems meet—and what can only be built when they work together.  

The value creation questions are only beginning 

In essence, this is about the architecture of the intelligence economy. Where should compute sit? How will edge infrastructure evolve? How will secure, sovereign and low-latency services be delivered? On value creation, Chand points to other areas of debate: Will tokens become commoditized like bits? Will open-source models shift enterprise economics away from frontier providers? Will AI-native companies displace existing software categories? Are today’s valuations justified by tomorrow’s returns?”  

These are not speculative questions, they are boardroom questions—and as AI investment accelerates, they are increasingly urgent for leaders. 

“I don’t talk to a single CIO who says, I’m pulling back. The exact opposite is happening: CEOs are telling their CIOs and CTOs to move faster, automate faster. We’re looking at AI transformation of the entire Global 1000.” 

So how radical will this new transformation be—across leadership and hiring, front and back office, product development and go-to-market? Enterprises are not slowing down and that creates pressure at every level. Boards want speed, but they also need control. CIOs want transformation, but they need governance. Investors want growth, but they need durable value.  

 “So what is the right pace of AI implementation?” Chand asks. “How do you keep ahead but still minimize risks to reputation? And what can corporations learn from AI-native founders and startups?” 

The strategic map is being drawn in real time—and this is, again, where tech and telecoms have a shared interest. Both sectors operate critical systems. Both face growing challenges around sovereignty, trust, resilience and security. Both are being asked to scale intelligent services while maintaining the confidence of customers, regulators and societies. 

Ultimately, as AI moves from agents to autonomy, the next competitive advantage may not just belong to those with the best models, but those who build the most trusted, best connected and well governed systems around them. 
 

Nova Future Summit exists to find answers 

All this sets the context for Nova Future Summit—and, for Chand, the need for the summit is clear.  

“Tech and telecoms are now so strategic to each other, yet there are few closed-door, CXO-level spaces where both can discuss what happens next. Nova Future Summit is built to fill that gap.”  

Crucially, the agenda looks across the entire AI stack—data, data centers, communications, chips, applications, and beyond to finance, resources and policy. 

“That is the power of the format—it reflects the reality of the market,” says Chand. To scale AI in the best possible shape for business and society, it will require new partnerships between those building the models, those financing the infrastructure, those operating the networks, those governing the systems, and those deploying intelligence into the real economy.  

“The benefit is not simply access to a room of senior leaders—it is access to the right room, at the right moment, with the right mix of people.” 

Chand is relentlessly optimistic about the future of AI. “We’re just scratching the surface. Will devices change again? What will the next great communications interface be? Which AI-native companies will become category leaders?”  

But to answer those questions, he understands there are bigger ones first. “AI will not be defined by one company or model,” he predicts. “Its success will come from the systems that connect them—and from the leaders willing to build those systems together. These are the kinds of conversations that Nova Future Summit is designed to explore.”