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Technology innovator Akshay Chopra joins the Futurists to discuss his new book: “After Us: A Tale of Life Beyond Superintelligent AI.”  In this work of speculative fiction, Chopra posits scenarios of a world dominated by a benevolent superintelligence.  Topics include: the challenge of envisioning a positive outcome in a world organized by AI; the perils of AI-induced delusions;  AI as an evolution of mankind, not a substitute for humanity;  the Dataism philosophy and the Panspermia hypothesis; the appeal and relevance of magical realism;  how AI denialism is a form of grief processing as we mourn the loss of our status as a species;  the struggle to think exponentially instead of linearly;  the threats that Akshay thinks we should be concerned about. 

http://mybook.to/afterus/opt/1

What if someone told you you’ve been underpaid by more than two million dollars across your career?

In this episode, Jason Henrichs speaks with fintech entrepreneur Tom Sosnoff. You may know Tom from founding thinkorswim and tastytrade, two billion-dollar exits that transformed retail investing. His newest venture, Lossdog, launching this month, focuses onsalary transparency.

Traditional compensation platforms rely on legacy salary benchmarks and anonymous, unverified self-reports that create wide ranges. Lossdog’s approach to compensation data is one that uses AI and verified data sources to deliver personalized valuations rather than vague, crowdsourced ranges. Think of it as whole-person valuation meets Machine Learning — a worth engine combined with AI onboarding surfacing overlooked value in resumes, including skills, certifications, pivots, and even career gaps.

It’s all about fair value and knowing your worth! Lossdog aims to give individuals institutional-grade tools to negotiate salary on equal footing with employers by generating accurate compensation valuations.

Listen, share, and subscribe for more weekly fintech insights from Breaking Banks.

Fintech in 2025: an end of year review, and a look forward to 2026.

Detailed Summary:

In this episode of the Finovate podcast, Greg is joined by Steven Ramirez of Beyond the Arc to reflect on the key trends and developments that shaped the FinTech landscape in 2025 while offering predictions for 2026. The conversation explores the evolving dynamics of fintech partnerships, the challenges posed by compliance and governance issues, and the erosion of consumer trust in the industry. From there, they talk about the impact of regulatory shifts, the growing complexity of state-level oversight, and the need for financial institutions to prioritize customer-centric solutions over self-serving strategies. Steven emphasizes the importance of addressing consumer needs, particularly in a volatile economic environment marked by inflation, unemployment, and a challenging job market.

The discussion also delves into the exciting advancements in FinTech, particularly in commercial banking and payments. Steven highlights the rise of instant payments, driven by initiatives like FedNow, and the growing adoption of embedded payments, which are transforming both consumer-facing and back-office workflows. These “boring” but impactful innovations are enabling businesses to operate more efficiently and productively, signaling a shift in focus from consumer-centric fintech to B2B applications. The two also touch on the increasing involvement of credit unions and community banks in adopting these technologies, reflecting a broader market confidence in their reliability and utility.

Looking ahead to 2026, the conversation turns to the transformative potential of AI in the financial sector. Steven predicts a shift from experimentation to real-world deployment of AI solutions, particularly by larger banks, while smaller institutions also find ways to participate. However, he foresees a growing consumer demand for authenticity and human interaction as AI becomes more pervasive. The episode concludes with a call for financial institutions to embrace true personalization, leveraging AI not just to anticipate customer needs but to proactively support them with tailored solutions. This, Steven argues, will be key to building trust and fostering meaningful relationships with the next generation of banking customers amidst a generational wealth transfer.

More info:

Beyond the Arc: https://beyondthearc.com/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-arc-inc-/

Steven Ramirez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramirezsj/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

#Finovate #BeyondtheArc #Banking #CreditUnions #banks #yearinreview #digitalbanking #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #regulators #security #ai #personalization #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization #innovation #startup

This week, The Futurists offers a human interest story from Brett’s conference travels. Listen as Brett connects with Arwa Damon, former CNN reporter based in Istanbul, and current President and Founder of INARA, an NGO working in Palestine.
INARA, International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, is a humanitarian organization providing rapid response and treatment to refugee children, its mission to ensure every child has the agency to create a dignified life.
Arwa provides a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discusses how it impacts the basic needs and access to financial services for people living there.

This week, Breaking Banks offers a human interest story from Brett’s conference travels. Listen as Brett connects with Arwa Damon, former CNN reporter based in Istanbul, and current President and Founder of INARA, an NGO working in Palestine.
INARA, International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, is a humanitarian organization providing rapid response and treatment to refugee children, its mission to ensure every child has the agency to create a dignified life.
Arwa provides a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discusses how it impacts the basic needs and access to financial services for people living there.

Fintech, innovation, and the credit union landscape – a conversation with the Chairman of the NCUA.

Detailed Summary:

In this episode, Kyle Hauptman, Chairman of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), shares his insights on the evolving credit union landscape and the role of regulators in fostering innovation. Kyle reflects on his career journey from Wall Street bond trading to financial policy, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring credit unions remain competitive in a rapidly changing financial ecosystem. He highlights the importance of balancing innovation with safety and soundness, drawing lessons from past industry failures to stress the risks of inaction and the need for credit unions to adapt to new technologies.

Kyle delves into the unique collaborative nature of credit unions, which often share innovations and best practices with one another, fostering a network effect that drives progress. He discusses the challenges innovators face when engaging with regulators, emphasizing the need for clear communication and guidance to avoid unnecessary roadblocks. Through anecdotes, such as the unintended consequences of a regulator’s offhand comment about Bitcoin being “risky,” Kyle illustrates the significant impact regulatory language and actions can have on innovation and decision-making within the financial sector.

The conversation also explores the NCUA’s approach to digital assets and blockchain technology, with Kyle expressing pride in the agency’s positive guidance during his tenure. He underscores the importance of early, broad, and positive regulatory principles, drawing inspiration from the Clinton-Gore administration’s approach to the early internet. For fintech innovators looking to support credit unions, Kyle offers advice on engaging productively with regulators and navigating the unique dynamics of the credit union space. This episode provides valuable lessons for both innovators and regulators on fostering a forward-thinking, collaborative financial ecosystem.

More info:

NCUA: https://ncua.gov/

Kyle Hauptman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-hauptman-180191/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

#Finovate #NCUA #CreditUnions #CU #digitalbanking #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #regulators #security #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization #innovation #startup

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews Aiden McCullen to explore his book UNDISRIPTABLE, a book that brings order to the chaos we are experiencing in personal and corporate lofe to the acceleration of the innovation life cycle. While we cannot see into the future, there are repeatable patterns we can understand learning from homo sapiens to CEOs, from hunters to the jelly fish as a way to master the infinite loop of reinvention. Aiden demystifies the principles of change through a blend of analogies, innovation frameworks and the challenges we face whenever we lead change at a personal or organizational level.

LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanmccullen/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-innovation-show/

INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/the_innovation_show/

TWITTER
https://x.com/AidanMcCullen
https://x.com/TheInnoShow

Industry strategist John Sviokla is the co-founder of GAI Insights and an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School. He tells the Futurists about the real challenges and opportunities in the process of reorganizing businesses around unlimited intelligence.  Topics include: The existential threat to the big strategic advisory firms. Why talking to machines is such a significant change.  The remarkably rapid rise of machine IQ and the power of emergent capabilities.  John’s forecast for the evolution of new AI models. How proprietary data, especially intent, will fuel the transition from search engines to answer engines.  The logic behind the partnership between Walmart and OpenAI.  What happens to a company’s organization when you can buy expertise on demand.  How every human worker will become a platoon of experts.  The two populations in most organizations that use AI. The net present value of AI projects.  GAI Insight’s four-step process for fostering new corporate capabilities based on AI. 

In this episode of Breaking Banks, hosts Jason Henrichs, Brett King and JP Nicols delve into the transformative impact of AI and technology on the banking industry, and share insights on what institutions must do to not only survive, but thrive as AI rewrites playbooks.

The conversation covers the role of stablecoins, agentic AI, the future of smart contracts, smarter digital infrastructure, and how accelerated innovation cycles are reshaping the global financial system.

They explore the structural changes they see coming and the potential of AI in automating cross-border transactions and business banking platforms, while discussing challenges and opportunities for larger and smaller banks in adapting to new systems of trade.

How best for bankers to get ready for this transition?

All banks, regardless of size, need to get their data house in order, ensuring better access to their data and data capabilities, and need to assess their cultural agility. The banking industry is entering a new era where data fluency, cultural adaptability and use of available AI tools and AI-driven automation will define the competitive frontier and spark innovation. As the hosts remind us, “Adapt or be left behind.”

Listen now to hear how leaders across banking and fintech can navigate the shift and prepare for what comes next.

This episode of Breaking Banks Africa features Anie Akpe, founder of LumoHubs.com and African Women in Technology (AWIT). The conversation explores how Lumo Hubs is shaping the future of work in Africa by partnering with universities to equip students and communities with hands-on digital, vocational, and AI-driven skills. Anie highlights the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and building solutions locally – especially as AI accelerates global change. She also discusses the challenges faced by women in tech, ongoing funding gaps, and the crucial role of community-driven support in times of shrinking foreign aid. The episode emphasizes collaboration across African regions, the power of technology to bridge language and geographic barriers, and the need to invest in rural inclusion. Anie shares how AWIT has empowered women for a decade and outlines LumoHubs’ vision to nurture future innovators across the continent.

Connect with Anie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anie-akpe-abb48312/