In this episode of The Tech Series, Marcelo De Santis sits down with Sol Rashidi, Chief Strategy Officer of AI & Data at Cyera. Sol helped launch IBM Watson in 2011 and became the world's first Chief AI Officer in 2016.

A senior fellow at Harvard and holder of 10 patents, Sol has spent her career building and deploying AI inside major global organizations. Today, she helps companies move beyond the hype and understand what successful AI implementation actually requires. Sol explains the difference between simply using AI tools and truly doing AI.

Real transformation means breaking down jobs and workflows, then deciding what should remain human-led and what can responsibly be handled by machines. The conversation also explores why AI projects get stuck in proof-of-concept purgatory, how reduced entry-level hiring could create a future shortage of human experts, and the risk of "intellectual atrophy" as people become increasingly dependent on technology.

As companies deploy more AI agents, Sol emphasizes the need for governance, security, accountability, and oversight. She also reflects on her immigrant upbringing, her experience playing water polo and rugby, and her mission to ensure AI amplifies human potential rather than eroding it.

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Christian meditation, prayer apps, and AI in faith — discover how Hallow is transforming spirituality through technology.

In this episode of The Tech Series, host Marcelo De Santis sits down with Erich Kerekes, Co-Founder & CTO of Hallow, the world's most popular Christian prayer and meditation app with over 20 million downloads. Filmed inside the historic Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, this conversation explores the powerful intersection of faith and technology.

Erich shares the origin story of Hallow, how the app helps millions deepen their prayer life, and what it means to bring spirituality into the digital age. We also hear from Father Ton Nguyen, who explains how his parish uses Hallow to build community and bring people back to church.

📌 YouTube Chapters

00:06 – Intro at Holy Name Cathedral

01:27 – Erich's connection to the Cathedral

02:05 – What is Hallow? (Christian prayer & meditation app)

03:38 – Faith and technology: addressing skepticism

04:44 – Church reactions & guiding users back to faith

06:20 – Parish perspective: Father Ton on using Hallow

08:14 – Community challenges & shared prayer

10:04 – Hallow's Super Bowl ad with Mark Wahlberg

12:32 – AI in faith: risks, dignity & responsibility

19:03 – First American Pope from Chicago

21:02 – Partnering with parishes & building community

22:14 – Erich's leadership philosophy

23:52 – Closing reflections & key takeaways

Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMDcYEORFIw&list=PLLPeKqJDqDIb0r2iW7rut_ZofGlV_uOBL&index=6

Check out full conversation with Thoughtworks' Mike Mason on our channel executive house: https://youtu.be/bQsQnu29BbU?si=asDpreBToxpD77Vv 

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