Today’s guest is Ben Webster, VP of AI Solutions at NLP Logix. NLP Logix is a fast-growing AI services firm based in Florida that serves both the public and private sectors. Ben returns to the program to explore the complexities of de-identifying patient data for AI-driven healthcare applications. Hospital chains are increasingly leveraging first-party data assets to ensure compliance while maintaining the analytical power needed for AI models. However, achieving proper de-identification is often costly, time-intensive, and difficult to scale across multiple use cases. This episode is sponsored by NLP Logix. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Nishtha Jain, Head of Innovation and Digital Technology at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Nistha returns to the program to discuss the transformative impact of AI across the pharmaceutical value chain. She and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello explore how AI is improving drug development efficiency, addressing data challenges, and overcoming regulatory hurdles. She highlights key breakthroughs like Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold and AI-assisted clinical trial optimization, emphasizing the potential for faster, more cost-effective drug development. The discussion also covers the challenges of AI adoption, including data accessibility, regulatory compliance, and ethical considerations like bias in AI models. If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today’s guest is Nick Lewis, Managing Director for the High Risk Client Unit at Standard Chartered Bank. Nick joins today’s show to discuss the shifting landscape of fraud prevention and AML compliance in financial services. As governments increasingly shift regulatory responsibilities onto the private sector, banks find themselves at the forefront of both enforcement and risk management. Lewis highlights how sanctions regimes have evolved, pushing financial institutions to shoulder greater due diligence responsibilities with fewer resources. His conversation with Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello also explores the broader implications of this public-private realignment, including the increasing reliance on AI-driven detection methods and the complexities of prioritizing financial crime risks. Lewis underscores the growing role of banks in addressing crimes such as human trafficking, despite the lack of formal mandates, and how AI could enhance collaboration with law enforcement to identify and mitigate emerging threats. If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today’s guest is Mike Matta, Co-founder and CEO of Solink. Solink is a cloud video security and analytics platform that works with your existing cameras, access controls, and operational technologies like POS and labor management, helping you modernize and improve security and operations without costly upgrades. Mike joins today’s show to discuss how AI-driven video data is helping retailers mitigate risk, improve loss prevention strategies, and drive operational efficiencies. Today’s episode is part of a special series on driving video security in retail through data sponsored by Solink. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Ylan Kazi, Chief Data and AI Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Ylan returns to the show to discuss the latest developments in AI adoption within healthcare. The conversation explores key obstacles, including cultural resistance, the need for an AI Hippocratic Oath, and the risks of holding AI to unrealistic standards. Ylan also examines how agentic AI—capable of operating across systems to accomplish complex tasks—is reshaping healthcare operations. From optimizing administrative processes to rethinking claims management, AI has the potential to drive efficiency while maintaining human oversight where it matters most. This episode is sponsored by Searce. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Tomer Poran, Chief Evangelist and VP of Strategy at ActiveFence. ActiveFence is a leader in providing AI safety and security solutions that mitigate the risk of advanced GenAI systems, helping platforms detect and prevent harmful content, malicious activity, and emerging threats online. Tomer joins today’s podcast to explore the critical role of red teaming and security. He breaks down the challenges enterprises face in deploying AI responsibly, the evolving nature of adversarial risks, and why organizations must adopt a proactive approach to testing AI systems. This episode is sponsored by ActiveFence. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Robert Rose, Senior Director of North America Customer Support at Adobe. Robert joins our conversation today to discuss the evolution of AI in customer interactions and the challenges organizations face when scaling these solutions across diverse customer bases. He shares insights on how AI-driven bots have progressed from basic transactional tools to more sophisticated systems capable of detecting customer emotions and improving responses over time. If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today’s guest is Panos Karelis, Director of Customer Experience and Insights at Intelligencia AI. Intelligencia AI is a life sciences technology company that uses proprietary data, biomedical expertise, and AI-driven algorithms to assess the probability of technical and regulatory success for drug candidates, helping pharmaceutical companies make informed decisions on which drugs to advance or discontinue. Panos joins us on today’s show to explore the key challenges and opportunities in AI adoption for drug development. He discusses the “black box” problem in AI and the importance of transparency and explainability in building trust. Panos also highlights the role of high-quality, harmonized data in generating accurate AI-driven insights and the mindset shift required for organizations to integrate AI-assisted decision-making successfully. Additionally, he explains how AI can optimize clinical trial design, enhance portfolio management, and improve business development and licensing decisions. This episode is sponsored by Intelligencia AI. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Mark McLaughlin, Director of Insurance in IBM’s Global Industries Unit. Mark joins the podcast to discuss the biggest challenges insurers face today and how AI is transforming workflows, risk management, and customer experience. Later, he and Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello explore why insurers are embracing a mix of on-premise and cloud-based strategies, managing multiple AI models to optimize business processes while maintaining security and cost efficiency. If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today’s guests are Chris Busch, Founder and CEO of MSTRO, and Yancey Sanford, Founder and Chief of Information and Research at MSTRO. MSTRO develops an advanced AI platform that combines data and creativity to optimize human performance. While AI reasoning models promise efficiency, are they the right approach for businesses? In this episode, Chris and Yancey join us to challenge the prevailing wisdom behind AI-driven automation. Throughout our conversation, they argue that enterprises may be too quick to offload decision-making to AI when human intelligence remains the most adaptable and irreplaceable asset. This episode is sponsored by MSTRO. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.