A conversation on how emotionally intimate AI systems are built, monitored, and held together under real-world constraints.

🎧 Opening

This episode explores how trust is built, measured, and sometimes strained in AI systems designed for emotionally intimate conversations. It’s a technical and ethical discussion for people working on conversational AI, product infrastructure, and safety in systems that users form real attachments to. The focus stays on operational reality - what engineers actually face when AI moves from tools to companions.

🔍 Episode overview

Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Lior Oren about what it means to run AI companions at scale, where user trust is not an abstract principle but a daily KPI. Drawing on his experience as CTO of Replika and prior work on integrity teams at Meta, Lior explains how unpredictability, observability, and emotional reliance shape engineering decisions.

The conversation examines tensions between flexibility and stability, innovation and guardrails, and regulation and lived product reality. Rather than future speculation, it stays grounded in how teams design memory, user control, and safety systems when conversations themselves are the product.

🧩 Key themes discussed

• Trust treated as a measurable success metric, not a philosophical goal

• Why observability is essential in statistical, non-deterministic AI systems

• Guardrails as part of core infrastructure, similar to security or reliability

• Emotional attachment influencing uptime, priorities, and team culture

• User agency through transparency, memory control, and conversational steering

• The risk of breaking “tone” and continuity when models change

• Limits of regulation and the trade-offs inherent in statistical safety systems

🎙️ with Trusha Rolvering - Director Transformation @adidas

🎙️ with Carina Hauswald - Managing Partner @GlobeOne

🎙️ with Kathrin Steinbichler - Director Narrative Consulting

🎙️ with Mirja Schwartz - Head of Business Development @showz

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, host Eva Simone Lihotzky engages in a thought-provoking discussion with four women leaders about the intersection of technology and trust as they look ahead to 2026. The conversation recaps personal and organizational trust in technology, the challenges of AI adoption, and the balance between efficiency and human connection. Each guest shares insights on how to navigate the complexities of technology in their respective fields, culminating in predictions for the future of AI and its impact on trust in 2026.

🔑 Takeaways

The intersection of tech and trust is crucial for transformation.

Trust is a significant barrier to changing human behaviors.

AI can enhance efficiency but requires a shift in mindset.

Organizations need to create space for exploration and experimentation with AI.

Transparency in using AI builds trust with clients and teams.

The speed of technological change can overwhelm organizations.

AI should complement human skills rather than replace them.

Future conversations will focus on new business models and possibilities.

Reflection and pause are essential in the fast-paced tech landscape.

Empowering individuals to explore technology fosters trust and innovation.

🎙️ Sound bites

"It's about trust to communicate yourself."

"AI frees up lots of space and time mentally."

"We need moments to reflect and pause."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Intersection of Tech and Trust

05:18 Exploring Personal and Organizational Trust in Technology

13:45 Navigating Expectations vs. Reality in AI Adoption

21:09 The Future of AI: Efficiency vs. Human Connection

34:23 Betting on the Future: Predictions for 2026

40:44 Reflections and Closing Thoughts

🔭 Keywords

tech, trust, AI, transformation, organizational change, human behavior, efficiency, communication, strategy, future predictions

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust

More about Trusha Rolvering: https://tinyurl.com/2pj5k69w

More about Kathrin Steinbichler: https://tinyurl.com/2rv2hpef

More about Carina Hauswald: https://tinyurl.com/4twrc37h

More about Mirja Schwartz: https://tinyurl.com/mr26cv3p

🎙️ with Gifty Enright - author, speaker and expert on women's leadership

Summary

In this episode of The In-Between Trust Podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky sits down with Gifty Enright - author, speaker, and women’s leadership expert - to unpack a tension many of us feel but rarely articulate:

In a hyper-visible world, we are more “searched” than ever, and yet we feel less seen.

Gifty exposes the invisible emotional infrastructure that holds workplaces together - the labor of noticing, soothing, anticipating, and absorbing complexity - work disproportionately done by women and almost never acknowledged as expertise.

Together, Eva and Gifty explore why trust is less about performance and more about relational safety, how leaders can cultivate embodied awareness in an age of tech, and why empathy can’t be automated — even by the most advanced AI.

The conversation moves from gendered trust patterns to the redesign of leadership for the AI era, offering a grounded reminder: Your body knows the truth long before your mind catches up. If you lead teams, build tech, or are navigating emotional load at work, this episode will challenge how you think about trust, resilience, and the limits of technology.

Takeaways

• Trust is shifting from task-based to relational — people follow leaders who create emotional safety.

• Technology blurs boundaries and accelerates burnout unless paired with embodied leadership.

• Emotional labor — often carried by women — is a hidden operating system of organizations.

• AI can pattern-match, but it cannot feel; empathy remains a human capability.

• Leaders must regulate their internal systems to earn trust externally.

• Women are socialized to earn trust; men are often socialized to assume it.

• Stillness is not a luxury — it’s a leadership technology.

• Trust grows in the pause; speed erodes nuance.

• Tech should augment humanity, not override it.

  
  

Soundbites

• “Tech can predict patterns, but it can’t feel your pain.”

• “Women aren’t trusted by default — they’re conditioned to earn it.”

• “Stillness is a leadership tool, not a luxury.”

• “The pause is where trust breathes.”

Chapters

00:00 — What Trust Really Means in Today’s Workplace
02:06 — Tech Acceleration & the Cost to Human Wellbeing
04:28 — The Hidden Burden: Emotional Labor in Organizations
07:50 — Why AI Can’t Replace Empathy
12:17 — Embodied Intelligence: Leading from the Body, Not Just the Mind
15:59 — Self-Trust vs. System Trust
18:55 — Gendered Dynamics of Trust and Power
22:02 — Rethinking Leadership for the AI Age
24:07 — Human Evolution, Work, and What Comes Next

Keywords

trust, emotional labor, leadership, AI limits, embodied intelligence, workplace wellbeing, gender dynamics, empathy, psychological safety, organizational culture, women in leadership

🎙️ With Prof. Dr. Tina Weisser – Professor at Hochschule München (University of Applied Sciences Munich)

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Prof. Dr. Tina Weisser about trust, systems thinking, and AI. Drawing on her path across service design, entrepreneurship, transformation consulting, and academia, Tina explores why “trust reduces complexity” and how that insight reshapes human–technology interaction - from multi-agent systems to the day-to-day realities of teams. The conversation moves from black-box AI to leadership futuring, psychological safety, and the practical redesign of processes so that humans stay in the driver’s seat.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust reduces complexity and enables decisions under uncertainty

• AI’s “black-box” behavior demands experience, verification, and critical thinking

• Multi-agent systems shift from personal to team and workflow productivity

• Don’t “plug & play” AI - redesign processes with a systems lens

• Keep humans in the driver’s seat: transparency, orientation, competence

• Build psychological safety to experiment, fail, and learn

• Treat AI change as an adaptive challenge (not just a technical one)

• Bridge IT, HR, and leadership - it cannot be top-down or bottom-up alone

• Create time for deep strategic thinking (“leadership futuring”)

• Invest in training & enablement, not only tools

🎙️ Sound Bites

“Trust reduces complexity.”
“We need to stay in the driver’s seat - even with agents in the background.”
“It’s not a plug-and-play solution; redesign the system.”
“Build trust through experience - and keep your critical thinking.”
“Make space for deep thinking, not just meetings.”

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Curiosity, boundary-spanning, and systems thinking
03:14 Trust as a way to reduce complexity (Luhmann)
06:47 AI as a black box: probability over truth
10:19 Learning from early multi-agent experiments
12:27 From personal productivity to team workflows
14:49 Redesigning processes (not just “adding AI”)
16:26 Leading uncertainty: safety, training, enablement
18:17 Adaptive vs. technical problems (Heifetz)
22:38 Bridging culture and tech; capabilities leaders need
24:59 Haltung, self-regulation, and authenticity in leadership
27:02 Iteration over perfection; shorter planning cycles
30:24 “Stop the noise—start working”: a pragmatic toolbox
32:59 Leadership futuring: time for strategy, signals, foresight
36:36 In-between moments & reflections

🔭 Keywords

trust, systems thinking, leadership, AI, human–AI interaction, multi-agent systems, service design, process redesign, psychological safety, adaptive leadership, experimentation, foresight, leadership futuring

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust
More about Hochschule München (HM): [insert link]
More about Prof. Dr. Tina Weisser: [insert link]

🎙️ With Roger Spitz – Foresight Strategist, Techistentialist & President of the Disruptive Futures Institute

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Roger Spitz, a global foresight strategist and founder of the Disruptive Futures Institute. Together, they explore the deep relationship between trust, agency, and technology, and why decision-making in complex systems requires more than control.

Roger introduces the concept of techistentialism - a lens through which to understand how humans and algorithms now share the terrain of choice, risk, and consequence. This conversation invites us to rethink the foundations of leadership, the illusion of predictability, and the necessity of awareness, resilience, and anticipatory thinking in an era shaped by disruption.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust is a fundamental need, not a luxury

• Agency is the basis for ethical and effective decisions

• Technology and human decision-making are inseparable

• Awareness of complexity changes how we lead and respond

• Anticipatory thinking is essential for navigating uncertainty

• Control is incompatible with complex systems

• Antifragility allows organizations to benefit from shocks

• Agility enables more resilient leadership and communication

• AI can enhance trust — if used in the right contexts

• Delegating decisions to machines can erode human capacity

🎙️ Sound Bites

"Control is incompatible with complex systems."
"Antifragility means benefiting from shocks."
"Foresight is a form of intelligence."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Trust and Agency
02:17 The Role of Trust in Decision Making
04:41 Understanding Technology and Trust
08:03 Incorporating Techistentialism in Business
11:24 Awareness, Agency, and Anticipation
17:14 Navigating Control in Complex Systems
23:00 Agility in Communication and Leadership
28:56 The Impact of Technology on Systems
33:49 AI’s Role in Strengthening Trust
39:42 In-Between Moments and Conclusion

🔭 Keywords

trust, agency, technology, decision making, tech essentialism, complexity, AI, leadership, communication, resilience

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust

More about the disruptive futures institute:

https://www.disruptivefutures.org/

🎙️ With Monika Jiang – Researcher, Writer & Community Curator

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with researcher and community curator Monika Jiang about the layered relationship between oneliness, trust, and technology. Together, they explore how artificial intimacy, digital environments, and emotional proximity are reshaping the way we connect — with each other and with ourselves.

Monika shares her thinking on the historical roots of oneliness, the limitations of digital intimacy, and what it takes to design communities that truly foster belonging. This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and rebuild the emotional fabric that trust depends on — across human and digital space.

🔑 Takeaways

• Oneliness is a historical concept of interconnectedness

• Loneliness and trust are deeply entangled

• Technology can create artificial intimacy — not always connection

• Trust is built through presence, difference, and shared space

• Human relationships require emotional complexity, not convenience

• Communities thrive when they embrace tension and paradox

• Leaders must create space for difficult emotions

• Digital intimacy is real, but different — and needs design

• Consistency builds trust in community, not grand gestures

• Trust is a practice of faith, not a checklist

🎙️ Sound Bites

"Trust is a tricky thing."
"Oneliness feels like a living motion."
"Community needs embracing differences."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Exploring Oneliness and Trust
05:03 The Impact of Technology on Connection
09:55 Digital vs. Human Connection
14:54 Designing Intimate Communities
19:41 The Role of Leaders in Fostering Trust
24:36 Navigating Truth in Relationships
29:26 The Future of Trust and Community

🔭 Keywords

oneliness, trust, community, technology, connection, loneliness, digital intimacy, leadership, emotional fabric, AI

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust

More about the oneliness project: https://www.monikajiang.org

More about Monika Jiang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-jiang/

More about The House of Beautiful Business: https://houseofbeautifulbusiness.com

🎙️ With Andrea Schlüter – Head of Strategy, Operations and Partnerships

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Andrea Schlüter about the evolving relationship between trust and technology, with a special focus on AI systems, certification, and governance. They explore how trust is designed into systems, how regulation can become a foundation for innovation, and the challenges of aligning technical complexity with cultural context. Andrea shares insights from her work at the TÜV AI Lab, where building frameworks for trustworthiness in AI is more than compliance—it’s about shaping the future of safe, transparent, and ethical technology.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust is about consistency between claims and outcomes
• AI requires verifiable trust, not just promises
• Certification provides measurable trust and a market advantage
• Regulation can enable innovation by reducing fear and ambiguity
• Cultural dimensions shape how we interpret and build trust in tech
• A common language is crucial for aligning diverse stakeholders
• Europe has an opportunity to lead in trustworthy AI frameworks
• Transparency and ethics must be embedded by design
• Governance is a cultural task as much as a technical one
• Building trust in AI is an ongoing, collective responsibility

🎙️ Sound Bites

"Trust is a lot about consistency."

"Trustworthiness by design is key."

"We need a common language among experts."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Understanding Trust in Technology

03:09 The Role of AI in Trustworthiness

06:10 Building Trust through Certification

08:59 Navigating the AI Ecosystem

12:05 The Challenge of Trust in AI Systems

14:48 Cultural Aspects of Trust in AI

17:41 Establishing a Common Language for AI

20:44 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives

23:58 Practical Benefits of AI Taxonomy

26:41 Reflections on Trust and Innovation

🔭 Keywords

trust, technology, AI, certification, trustworthiness, TÜV, AI Act, innovation, ethics, culture

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust

More about TÜV AI Lab: https://www.tuev-lab.ai

More about Andrea Schlüter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-schlueter/

with Dr. Simon Walter - investor, strategist and advisor at the intersection of startups, brand, and innovation.

📝 Summary

In this episode of The In-Between Trust Podcast, Eva Lihotzky is joined by investor and strategist Dr. Simon Walter to explore how trust operates at the core of early-stage investing, brand building, and technology adoption. Together, they reflect on what it takes to back founders when data is scarce, why integrity outlasts business plans, and how transparency, truth, and consistency shape credible brands. The conversation spans everything from free trials and first impressions to AI adoption and perception gaps across generations. At its heart lies the insight that trust is what bridges fast-moving realities and the long-term belief in progress.

🎧 Takeaways

• Trust is the most valuable currency in times of uncertainty

• Founders' integrity often matters more than any pitch deck

• Experience shapes gut instinct — but can also reinforce bias

• Branding is ultimately about building long-term trust

• Transparency in failure can strengthen brand relationships

• Startups build trust through free trials and early credibility

• Strong brands are perceived as safer, even without proof

• Generational loyalty varies — but shared values matter more

• Trust connects the gap between fast-moving reality and slower truths

• "Trust is a personal thing."

• "Transparency strengthens trust."

• "Perception is reality."

⏱ Chapters

00:00 – The Value of Trust in Uncertain Times
04:59 – Investing in Startups: Trust and Integrity
09:57 – Branding: Building Trust Through Transparency and Consistency
14:51 – Establishing Trust in New Technologies and Startups
19:31 – Generational Perspectives on Trust and Loyalty
24:48 – Truth vs. Reality: The Role of Perception in Trust
29:18 – Navigating Brand Communication in Times of Doubt

🔗 Links

Strategist's Notes // Dr. Simon Walter on Substack: https://drsimonwalter.substack.com

in-between trust on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inbetween_trust/

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky explores innovation sovereignty with the generative AI and cloud expert Sergiu Petean. Their conversation moves through topics about bravery in decision-making, technological sovereignty, and the potential of open-source solutions to drive European collaboration. Together, the speakers reflect on how trust underpins innovation, leadership, and value creation — and why we must treat technology not as a commodity, but as a shared, strategic asset. This episode is a call to act with urgency, integrity, and clarity in shaping the digital and political systems of tomorrow.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust is the foundation of quality in relationships

• Building a culture of trust requires hard conversations

• Bravery enables authentic decisions and personal growth

• Sovereignty is key to innovation and digital self-determination

• Open source can foster collaboration and shared progress in Europe

• Regulation helps shape ethical tech innovation

• Trust is essential for European collaboration

• Technology can be connective — or divisive

• Leaders need technological literacy for future decisions

• Europe must act now on digital sovereignty

🎙️ Sound Bites

"Trust for me is the foundation of quality."
"We need to be more courageous."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 The Foundation of Trust
05:11 Understanding Sovereignty
09:13 Cultural Sovereignty and Innovation
11:06 The Role of Regulation in Sovereignty
13:09 Building Trust in Europe
15:10 Technology as a Connector or Divider
17:37 The Power of Open Source
19:27 Creating Communities in Open Source
22:42 Leadership for the Future
26:27 The Value of Technology in Organizations
29:39 In-Between Moments and Reflections

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust
More about [Guest Name or Organization]: [insert link]

🔭 Keywords

trust, bravery, sovereignty, innovation, open source, regulation, technology, collaboration, leadership, value creation

🎙️ With Josef Lentsch – Political Entrepreneur, CEO of the Political Tech Summit, author & Managing Partner at the Innovation in Politics Institute

Summary

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with political entrepreneur Josef Lentsch about the transformation of democracy through innovation, leadership, and trust. From co-founding the NEOS party in Austria to building the Political Tech Summit, Josef shares his perspective on political entrepreneurship as a practice of systemic change. Together, they explore the erosion and rebuilding of trust in political systems, the role of AI in democratic communication, and how technology can support—not replace—citizen engagement. The conversation highlights how leadership, transparency, and adaptability are key to restoring trust across systems and borders.

🔑 Takeaways

• Political entrepreneurship is about building systems that scale trust.

• Trust reduces friction — in both governance and society.

• Authentic leadership is core to meaningful political transformation.

• Technology can support, but not substitute, democratic dialogue.

• Political startups create new paths for citizen participation.

• Rebuilding trust requires both structural reform and cultural change.

• Cross-border collaboration is key to political innovation in Europe.

• AI must be governed with integrity to support political legitimacy.

🎙️ Sound bites

“Trust makes democracy efficient — and possible.”
“We need to build better models.”
“Political tech is not a silver bullet, but it’s part of the solution.”

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 The Concept of Political Entrepreneurship
04:25 The Importance of Trust in Democracy
10:17 Building Trust Through Political Startups
16:05 Leadership and Trust in Politics
22:32 The Role of AI in Political Communication
25:36 Navigating the Intersection of Tech and Politics
30:38 Hope Amidst Challenges in Democracy
36:40 In-Between Moments and Reflections

💻 Links

in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust
More about Josef Lentsch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlentsch/

More about Innovation in politics: https://innovationinpolitics.eu

More about the Political Tech Summit: https://www.politicaltech.eu

More about Josef Lentsch's book:

https://www.amazon.de/Political-Entrepreneurship-Successful-Centrist-Start-ups/dp/3030028607

🔭 Keywords

political entrepreneurship, trust in democracy, political startups, civic engagement, digital democracy, AI in politics, leadership and trust, political innovation, democratic systems, political tech