Connected with Experian

In this episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Merza speaks to Matthew Higham, Chief Digital and Technology Officer for UK and Ireland at ServiceNow, about what it takes to move AI from promising pilots to secure, scalable business transformation.
  

From agentic AI and data foundations to governance, accountability and workforce change, the conversation explores how organisations can build AI into the heart of their workflows without sacrificing trust, transparency or human oversight. Matthew explains why pilots often fail to scale, why organisations should focus on complex but low-risk processes, and how connected, well-governed data can help AI agents make better decisions.

The discussion also looks at the risks of increasingly autonomous systems, including how organisations can set guardrails around agents, policies and data access. Matthew shares why AI should not be treated simply as a cost-cutting tool, and why its greatest potential lies in creating better services, new opportunities and more human-centred outcomes.

In this episode:

• How organisations can move from AI pilots to scaled transformation
•  Why many AI pilots fail when introduced into complex, siloed businesses
•  The difference between generative AI and agentic AI
•  Why AI agents need connected, contextual and well-governed data
•  How knowledge graphs and virtual data products can support agentic AI
•  Why governance is essential for innovation to move faster
•  How guardrails can manage agent permissions, tools, policies and data access
•  The importance of transparency and accountability in automated decision-making
•  Why organisations need visibility into how AI systems reason
•  How platforms can orchestrate agents across complex workflows
•  Why businesses should look beyond AI-led cost reduction
•  How investment in people, skills and trust can support long-term AI growth
•  Why human-centred design should remain the measure of AI success
•  Practical first steps for becoming an agent-ready organisation

Memorable takeaway

As Matthew puts it, innovation can only move quickly when there is governance in place. Like a Formula One car, AI needs strong brakes as well as a powerful engine: the guardrails, data foundations and accountability that allow organisations to unlock value safely.

About the guest

Matthew Higham is the Chief Digital and Technology Officer for UK and Ireland at ServiceNow. He works with organisations across sectors to help them modernise operations, connect data and systems, and adopt emerging technology responsibly.

With a background that began in healthcare, including work as a nurse, Matthew brings a human-centred perspective to technology transformation. His work focuses on helping organisations use AI, automation and digital platforms to improve services, create growth and build trust at scale.

About the podcast

Connected with Experian explores how data, technology and intelligent decisioning are reshaping modern business. Through conversations with leaders across financial services, healthcare and beyond, the series looks at how organisations are building trust, improving outcomes and using innovation responsibly.

In this episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Mirza speaks to Sina Kahen, healthcare technology leader, author and specialist in surgical innovation, about what responsible AI looks like when the stakes are genuinely high.

From robotic surgery and physical AI in the operating theatre to preventative care, medical imaging and data quality, this conversation explores how healthcare organisations can adopt new technology without losing sight of patient safety, trust and human judgement. Sina explains how implant-agnostic robotics can give surgeons more flexibility, why accurate and representative training data is essential, and how AI could help healthcare move from reactive treatment towards more personalised and preventative care.

The discussion also looks at the ethical questions behind healthcare AI: who owns medical data, how different systems should communicate, why poor-quality data can be dangerous, and whether AI will ever be able to replace the human connection patients rely on at their most vulnerable.

In this episode:

- How physical AI and robotics are changing surgery
- Why human-guided robotic systems can improve consistency
- The importance of implant-agnostic technology in healthcare
- Where medical robotics could move beyond the operating theatre
- How AI could support more preventative and personalised care
- Why connected healthcare data matters
- The risks of biased and unrepresentative training data
- Why poor data quality can produce dangerous outcomes
- The importance of transparency, trust and data governance
- Why human oversight will remain essential in healthcare
- How organisations can approach transformation by identifying real pain points
- The three pillars of future healthcare: personalised, preventative and integrated care

Memorable takeaway

As Sina puts it, healthcare AI is not only about developing better tools. Its success depends on whether the data is accurate, representative and connected, and whether human judgement remains at the centre of patient care.

About the guest

Sina Kahen is a healthcare technology leader, author and specialist in surgical innovation. He has spent more than 15 years working to bring new medical technologies into clinical practice and has been closely involved in the development of Britain’s first implant-agnostic orthopaedic robotic system for shoulder surgery.

His work also explores the intersection of AI, healthcare, philosophy and human wellbeing, with a particular focus on how technology can support better patient outcomes without diminishing the importance of human connection.

About the podcast

Connected with Experian explores how data, technology and intelligent decisioning are reshaping modern business. Through conversations with leaders across financial services, healthcare and beyond, the series looks at how organisations are building trust, improving outcomes and using innovation responsibly.

In this episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Mirza speaks to Matthew Blakemore, CEO of AI Caramba, AI strategist, standards contributor and award-winning creator working at the intersection of technology, business transformation and the creative industries.

As organisations race to adopt AI, many are focused on the latest tools and technologies. Matthew argues that the real challenge lies elsewhere: in data foundations, governance, culture and leadership. From large language models and AI agents to enterprise transformation and AI regulation, this conversation explores what businesses need to get right if they want to move beyond experimentation and create lasting value.

The discussion also examines the human side of AI adoption, including trust, transparency and the impact AI is having on creative industries such as film and music. Matthew shares why many organisations underestimate the importance of change management, what happens when AI governance fails, and why he believes AI can become a powerful force for creativity and opportunity when used responsibly.

In this episode:

• Why successful transformation starts with foundations, not technology
• The importance of data quality, governance and AI readiness
• Why AI adoption often fails when employees are left behind
• Lessons from real-world AI failures and model drift
• How organisations can build trust through transparency
• The role of AI standards and responsible innovation
• Why AI agents represent both opportunity and risk
• How AI is changing filmmaking, music and creative production
• Whether AI can ever replicate human creativity
• What business leaders should focus on before implementing AI

Memorable takeaway

As Matthew puts it, organisations that focus on strong data foundations, governance and people will be far better positioned to benefit from AI than those chasing the latest technology without doing the groundwork first.

About the guest

Matthew Blakemore is CEO of AI Caramba, an award-winning AI strategist, standards contributor and creative technologist. He helped develop the international AI Data Lifecycle Standard and advises organisations on AI adoption, governance and transformation. Alongside his work in enterprise AI, he is also an award-winning creator whose AI-generated films have been nominated at international film festivals.

Find out more at: https://aicaramba.ai/

About the podcast

Connected with Experian explores how data, technology and intelligent decisioning are reshaping modern business. Through conversations with leaders across financial services and beyond, the series looks at how organisations are building trust, improving outcomes and using innovation responsibly.

AI is moving from supporting decisions to helping organisations take action faster, smarter and more safely.

In this episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Mirza speaks to Keith Little, President of Experian Software Solutions, about how agentic AI is reshaping lending, fraud prevention and customer decisioning.

From faster credit applications and smarter fraud detection to the future of AI-powered operating systems, Keith explains how Experian is bringing together trusted data, analytics, software and AI to help businesses make better decisions at scale. The conversation explores why trust, auditability and human oversight are essential as AI becomes more autonomous, especially in regulated industries like financial services.

The discussion also looks at the practical side of innovation: how businesses can overcome fragmented systems, improve data quality and use AI agents to reduce manual work while keeping control, security and customer outcomes front and centre.

In this episode:

How Experian is evolving from credit bureau to data technology partner
Why trusted data matters more in the age of AI
How agentic AI can support lending, fraud and decisioning
The balance between automation, regulation and human oversight
Why fragmented systems hold businesses back
How AI agents can help fraud teams work faster and more effectively
What an agentic operating system means in practice
Why the future of lending will be more personalised and connected

Memorable takeaway
As Keith puts it, the real opportunity with AI is not just speed or automation, but bringing intelligence, trusted data and strong guardrails together so businesses can make better decisions safely.

About the guest
Keith Little is President of Experian Software Solutions, leading global software and platform capabilities across Experian. His work spans analytics, fraud, credit, decisioning, AI and the technologies that help clients build smarter, safer customer experiences.

About the podcast
Connected with Experian explores how data, technology and intelligent decisioning are reshaping modern business. Through conversations with leaders across financial services and beyond, the series looks at how organisations are building trust, improving outcomes and using innovation responsibly.

In this first episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Mirza speaks to Dan Kellett, Director of Lending and Data Analytics at Carmoola, about what that shift looks like in practice.

From faster credit decisioning and smarter use of data to fairness, fraud and customer experience, this conversation explores how lenders can move from experimentation to real-world impact. Dan shares how Carmoola is using AI to make car finance faster and simpler, why strong data foundations matter more than ever, and where businesses should focus if they want to turn AI into something genuinely useful for customers.

The discussion also looks at responsible innovation: how to balance speed with trust, why human oversight still matters, and what the future of digital-first lending could look like.

In this episode:

• How AI is speeding up model development and decisioning
• Why data quality matters more than data volume
• The three key lending decisions: credit, affordability and fraud
• How customer outcomes should shape AI use cases
• The role of governance, fairness and human oversight
• Why legacy organisations can still catch up
• How AI could help create a more frictionless car-buying experience

Memorable takeaway

As Dan puts it, the organisations most likely to succeed with AI are not the ones chasing hype, but the ones focused on clear customer outcomes and strong data foundations.

About the guest

Dan Kellett is Director of Lending and Data Analytics at Carmoola, the UK digital car finance fintech focused on making car buying simpler, faster and more customer-friendly. 

Find out more at: https://www.carmoola.co.uk/

About the podcast

Connected with Experian explores how data, technology and intelligent decisioning are reshaping modern business. Through conversations with leaders across financial services and beyond, the series looks at how organisations are building trust, improving outcomes and using innovation responsibly.