The ID Talk Podcast

Ajay Amlani, the new President and CEO of Aware, joins ID Talk to share his bold vision for the future of biometrics and digital identity. In a wide-ranging conversation with hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis, Amlani draws on his extensive background – from shaping U.S. homeland security policy to launching innovation units in Silicon Valley – to discuss the transformative role biometrics can play in the age of AI and rising digital threats.

He explains why Aware’s deep technology roots and scientific expertise position it to lead the next era of identity infrastructure, and how the company is embracing new opportunities in both the public and private sectors. From government modernization to biometric trust at scale, this is a must-listen episode with one of the industry’s most experienced and forward-thinking leaders.

In this episode of ID Talk, we sit down with Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz, to explore how metasurface optics are reshaping the future of facial recognition and mobile sensing. Rob walks us through the groundbreaking technology behind metasurfaces—flat, nanostructured lenses that replace traditional optical stacks—and how Metalenz’s latest product, Polar ID, leverages polarization imaging to deliver secure, spoof-resistant face authentication in mobile form factors.
We discuss the origins of the technology, its real-world deployment through a major partnership with STMicroelectronics, and its exciting potential for applications beyond biometrics—including healthcare, environmental sensing, and more.
Show Notes:

• Learn more about Polar ID from Metalenz

 → metalenz.com/polareyes-polarization-imaging-system/polar-id

• Watch the Polar ID demo video on YouTube

 → youtu.be/4gjZFulO0jk

• Check out our coverage of Metalenz and Polar ID

 → https://idtechwire.com/metalenz-face-unlock-system-captures-polarization-signature/

Friend of the pod Danielle VanZandt returns to share her key takeaways and expert insights from this year's RSA Conference. As the Research Manager & Program Director for Frost & Sullivan's Commercial and Public Security unit, Danielle brings her usual wealth of expertise to the conversation. It's especially helpful in this case as we onboard the latest member of the ID Tech team, Dave Barclay, who joins the discussion to ask the essential questions that non-experts might be wondering.

In this episode of ID Talk, Alex Perala sits down with Alexandre Kech, CEO of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), to explore how GLEIF is bringing digital identity to the enterprise itself. They discuss the origins of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), its global adoption, and the foundation’s latest innovation – the Verifiable LEI (VLEI) – designed to give companies and their authorized representatives cryptographically verifiable credentials. 

From financial markets to Web3 to AI agents, this conversation dives into the future of organizational identity and digital trust.

In this episode of ID Talk, IDnow’s Director of Research, Montaser Awal, reveals how AI is reshaping the fight against digital fraud and deepfake threats. He discusses IDnow’s role in Europe's groundbreaking Achilles Project, emphasizing transparency, fairness, and trust in artificial intelligence. Montaser also shares valuable insights into the importance of data quality, privacy, and bias mitigation in AI-driven identity verification. Tune in to hear how IDnow is building ethical AI that genuinely protects our digital identities.

In the wake of LexisNexis Risk Solutions' recent acquisition of IDVerse, Kimberly Sutherland, Global Head of Fraud and Identity, joins the ID Talk podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of digital fraud and identity security. 

Sutherland shares her insights on the growing sophistication of fraud threats powered by AI, the strategic thinking behind LexisNexis Risk Solutions' series of identity-focused acquisitions, and how businesses can effectively balance security with user convenience. She also highlights the importance of regulatory frameworks and collaborative intelligence in the fight against increasingly organized and global fraud networks.

This week, ID Talk welcomes Colm Gannon, CEO of ICMEC Australia, for a discussion about the intersection of technology, privacy, and child protection. Gannon discusses how ICMEC collaborates with law enforcement, regulators, and tech companies to combat child exploitation, the challenges of balancing privacy rights with victim protection, and the role of technologies like facial recognition and AI in investigations.

The conversation covers regulatory developments, including the EU’s AI Act, and explores how law enforcement can adopt innovative tools responsibly while ensuring proper oversight and governance.

For more information on ICMEC and how you can help, visit https://www.icmec.org.au/

In this episode of ID Talk, co-hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Cyrus Hodes, an AI governance expert affiliated with the OECD and co-founder of The Future Society. Cyrus shares insights into the urgent need for global AI safety measures, the rise of deepfakes, and the challenges of governing rapidly evolving AI technologies. He discusses his work leading the OECD’s AI safety initiatives, the importance of decentralized governance, and his new venture leveraging blockchain for AI model evaluations. Tune in for an in-depth exploration of how generative AI impacts identity security, the global regulatory landscape, and why collaboration between global superpowers is essential to address AI's growing risks.

In this episode of ID Talk, hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), to discuss the latest trends in mobile identity, authentication, and consumer trust. Dario shares insights from MEF’s meticulous reports revealing why trust in mobile services remains low, how SMS authentication is declining, and why emerging markets are leading the charge in digital identity adoption. The conversation also explores the role of AI in fraud and security, the rise of passkeys and biometrics, and how businesses can navigate evolving authentication challenges. Tune in for a fascinating discussion on the future of mobile identity and how MEF is working to facilitate serious discussion of these issues among all of the mobile ecosystem's stakeholders.

In this episode of ID Talk, hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis are joined by industry analysts Danielle VanZandt (Frost & Sullivan) and Alan Goode (Goode Intelligence) for an in-depth discussion on the biggest digital identity and biometrics trends shaping 2025.

The conversation covers key developments in the European Union’s Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI), the UK’s newly announced digital ID program, and the growing role of biometrics in retail and travel. The guests also discuss the rise of age verification laws, the impact of deepfake fraud, and the challenges of AI-driven identity threats. Plus, a bit of lighthearted speculation on how many times the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will be delayed this year.

Tune in for expert insights on what’s ahead for identity, security, and biometrics in 2025.