From AI Hype to Human Centred Innovation: Design Futures with Sanjay Nand, Capgemini´s Applied Innovation Exchange

In this episode of Innovation Brief, hosts Gabriella Hernandez and Gabriela Matic sit down with Sanjay Nand, Head of Innovation & Ventures at Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchange, to explore what applied innovation really looks like when you combine design futures, artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies and deeply human, relationship‑driven work.

Sanjay explains why his team is “problem‑obsessed, not technology‑obsessed” and why real impact starts with ethnographic research, spending time on shop floors, in call centres and with frontline teams, rather than chasing the latest AI trend. He highlights that while technology is an enabler, the real breakthroughs come from understanding culture, context and the lived experience of people inside organisations.

Together, they explore:

Design futures, made real

• Moving from strategy decks to functional artefacts and vibe‑coded prototypes
• Using “day in the life” stories and tangible demos so clients say, “Don’t tell me, show me”
• How roles like design engineers are emerging as designers gain the ability to ship working code

Emerging technologies and AI, beyond the hype

• Why AI often produces average ideas in ideation tools, and why outlier, breakthrough ideas still need human curiosity and taste
• Where AI really shines: speed, synthesis, first drafts, and structuring semi‑structured, messy data
• The hard lessons of scaling AI from pilot to production in heavy, safety‑critical and highly regulated industries

Human‑centred innovation, identity and culture

• How AI can challenge the identity of seasoned experts, and how leaders might support them
• Why people are quietly asking fewer questions of colleagues and going straight to AI, and what that means for relationships, curiosity, learning and trust
• The emotional and organisational shifts many companies haven’t fully thought through: hype‑driven expectations, operational savings vs true value creation, and the risk of building tools nobody actually wants

Sanjay also shares how he leads his own team through rapid change by “learning by doing” and insisting that every engagement includes a deliberate experiment, a new tool, method or way of working tested against a real client problem. He talks openly about where he draws the line on experimentation in sensitive environments, how he chooses where to place bets in the AI and tooling stack, and why he believes the real vacuum right now is in human conversations and relationships, not in technology. Along the way, he returns to a simple idea: innovation leaders and teams need to keep “getting more dots”, new experiences, perspectives and conversations, to fuel truly original thinking.

If you’re an innovation leader trying to connect design futures, emerging technologies and human‑centred innovation, without losing sight of people, culture and reality, this episode offers candid, field‑tested guidance on what to do next.

Connect with our guest, Sanjay Nand: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaynand1/

Learn more about Capgemini´s Applied Inno

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