Lenovo arrived at CES 2026 with ambition that went far beyond a keynote.
In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Milo Speranzo, CMO for Lenovo North America, to break down what it took to deliver Lenovo’s sold-out Sphere showcase, the product story behind AI PCs, servers, wearables, and Motorola, and why edge computing AI privacy now shapes a new hardware refresh cycle.
Milo also explains why Lenovo chose the Sphere, how a company-wide effort brought 14,000 people together, and what Lenovo wants customers to understand about the next era of AI.
The conversation also explores the Lenovo FIFA World Cup partnership, FootballAI analytics, and Milo’s leadership mantra for 2026: learn, iterate, and be a goldfish.
From edge computing AI privacy and permission-based trust to an end-to-end portfolio that spans phones, PCs, servers, and wearables, Milo lays out how Lenovo is positioning itself for the AI PC refresh cycle already taking shape.
Milo’s career began in command and control roles with the US Air Force, followed by leadership positions at Dell Technologies. Today, Milo brings that mix of operational discipline, sales perspective, and creative conviction to Lenovo’s brand and go-to-market strategy across high-growth categories, helping define the direction of the Lenovo AI ecosystem.
Key Takeaways:
[01:39] Why Lenovo Took CES to the Sphere — Milo explains the conviction behind hosting a major Lenovo moment at the Sphere during Lenovo CES 2026 Sphere. After a successful pivot toward commercial and B2B audiences the year before, Lenovo saw demand from small and medium businesses and global accounts alike. That momentum led the team to embed its North America showcase into CES itself. The result was a sold-out venue and clear validation that the audience showed up for Lenovo’s technology story.
[06:21] The End-to-End Lenovo Ecosystem and the AI Agent Vision — Milo outlines Lenovo’s core announcements, from late-stage wearables concepts to ThinkSystem servers for AI inferencing and the new Lenovo Qira intelligent agent, designed to orchestrate tools across devices. He ties it all back to portfolio depth. Phones, wearables, PCs, servers, and storage sit within one Lenovo ecosystem, allowing Lenovo to build toward a personal AI twin that supports daily work, creativity, and productivity across contexts.
[09:31] Edge AI Turns Privacy Into a Purchase Driver — Privacy moves from a side concern to a buying requirement. Milo describes the potential of AI that runs at the edge on the consumer PC, even without an internet connection, as a direct response to customer demand. This shift toward edge computing AI privacy delivers speed, control, and confidence in how data is handled. It also enables real-world use, from flights with unstable Wi-Fi to environments where connectivity cannot be assumed.
[12:15] Why the AI PC Refresh Cycle Has Already Started — The pandemic created a massive hardware wave that is now aging out. Milo sees a new AI PC refresh cycle emerging as older devices struggle to run modern AI tools efficiently. Highly technical teams lead the shift, including engineers, architects, and advanced creators whose workflows demand AI-ready machines. From there, adoption spreads outward, positioning the AI PC as the anchor of the next enterprise and consumer upgrade cycle.
