Artificial Intelligence in Industry with Daniel Faggella

Today's guest is Chris Tapley, Vice President and Head of Financial Services Consulting for North America at EPAM Systems. EPAM is a global digital engineering company that provides software development and consulting services across industries, including financial services, healthcare, and media. With deep experience guiding AI adoption in regulated industries, Chris joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show today to unpack the foundational challenges facing financial institutions as they move from experimentation to production. He explores the technical and organizational barriers that often stall AI projects, from legacy systems and cloud limitations to gaps in data strategy and executive alignment. Chris shares lessons from EPAM's recent market research on AI maturity in financial services — including how long it typically takes to establish enterprise-ready AI governance and why business leaders must prioritize infrastructure, collaboration, and oversight well before model deployment. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by EPAM. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Shreyas Becker, Head of AI & Data Products, Manufacturing & Supply at Sanofi. Shreyas joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to discuss the practical application of AI in life sciences, focusing on tools that are already improving supply chain resilience and manufacturing efficiency. He explains how AI helps navigate geopolitical disruptions, optimize production workflows, and ensure the reliable delivery of critical medications. The conversation also covers the evolution of AI systems developed during the pandemic and their role in shaping future innovations. For pharma and life sciences professionals, Shreyas provides valuable insights into where AI is delivering impact today and the continuing importance of human expertise in these processes. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Arkestro. Learn more about Arkestro's upcoming Advisory Council event here. Find out more about sponsored content and how to engage with the Emerj audience at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Daniel Ferrante, AI Leader in R&D and Data Strategy at Deloitte. Daniel joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today's show to delve into the intersection of AI, data strategy, and research and development across industries such as agriculture, life sciences, and materials science. Ferrante breaks down the core challenges organizations face in harnessing data to unlock AI's potential and drive efficiencies in R&D processes. Ferrante also emphasizes the importance of contextualizing data through a multimodal framework — Deloitte's Atlas — to bridge gaps between disparate datasets and ontologies. He outlines how AI models, including large language models (LLMs), can be leveraged to label and map complex data landscapes. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Greg Cucino, Managing Director at RoundTable Strategy Advisors. RoundTable is a leading firm specializing in CFO and NetSuite services that help businesses boost financial management and operational efficiency. Greg joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the podcast to share his perspective on how AI is redefining the CFO role. As AI automates manual finance and accounting workflows, executives are shifting focus from historical data to forward-looking strategy. Greg also explores emerging AI technologies, including agentic AI, and how they're set to transform financial operations and M&A activity across industries. If you want to understand the practical applications of AI in finance and what CFOs and business leaders can expect next, this episode is packed with insights. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by RoundTable Strategy Advisors. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Sidharth Ojha, Head of Process Optimization in Data and AI at AXA XL, a global commercial insurance and reinsurance company and subsidiary of AXA. Sidharth joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI is being applied across commercial insurance workflows with real, measurable impact. He explains how machine learning is enhancing underwriting efficiency, portfolio decision-making, and risk assessment. The conversation also covers key enablers for scaling AI, including data quality, governance, and change management. For insurance professionals and data leaders, Sidharth offers practical insights on where AI is driving results today and what it takes to implement it responsibly. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! 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!

As the financial industry moves deeper into the generative AI era, compliance teams are navigating the tension between modernization and risk oversight. In this episode, Kandie Ibaka, Vice President and Sanctions Control Officer at Citi, returns to the ‘AI in Business' podcast to discuss the real-world challenges of balancing legacy tech stacks with emerging technologies across global compliance operations. Throughout the episode, Kandie and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello explore how institutions can approach AI adoption without losing sight of regulatory expectations or institutional memory. Moving away from chatbot disappointments to meaningful orchestration across systems, she offers firsthand insight into what it takes to move beyond scattered tools and build a connected, risk-aware compliance infrastructure. This episode is sponsored by Searce. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast!

In this episode of the ‘AI in Business' podcast, Nathaniel Bell, Data Management Director at Wells Fargo, returns to discuss the evolving role of AI in risk management, compliance, and enterprise automation in banking. Host and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello and Nathaniel explore how financial institutions can balance innovation with caution as deterministic, generative, and agentic AI technologies move from experimentation to production. He goes on to outline how simple automation and deterministic models are already creating meaningful efficiencies in audit workflows and compliance reporting—areas where rules-based logic remains dominant. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Automation Anywhere. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Kandie Ibaka, Vice President and Sanctions Control Officer for International Investigations and Emerging Sanctions in Advisory Controls and Executions at Citi. Kanide joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how compliance leaders are navigating today's rapidly shifting regulatory landscape. With global sanctions evolving at an unprecedented pace, Kandie shares how financial institutions are moving beyond basic monitoring to real-time risk interpretation, operational alignment, and strategic response. This episode is sponsored by MindBridge. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast!

In this episode of the ‘AI in Business' podcast, Deep Srivastav, Chief AI Officer at Franklin Templeton, shares a candid view into the evolving role of AI in wealth and asset management — and how enterprises can move beyond isolated use cases to reshape core business capabilities. Deep unpacks the unique challenges financial firms face when implementing AI, from managing high-stakes accuracy and regulatory demands to harmonizing siloed data systems and building long-term ROI. He outlines Franklin Templeton's own approach to building a successful AI roadmap, highlighting how cross-functional collaboration and a focus on transforming full business processes — rather than piecemeal experimentation — have proven key to sustained impact. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by FE fundinfo. FE fundinfo is a leading financial data company connecting the investment industry in the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific through a single integrated platform. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

In this episode of the ‘AI in Business' podcast, Scott Bradley, VP of AI and Innovation at Novartis, returns to discuss how AI is reshaping decision-making at the earliest stages of drug development—and what that means for the future of pharma investment strategy. Host Matthew DeMello and Scott explore how the pharmaceutical industry is transitioning from intuition-led portfolio choices to data-driven precision. They discuss the growing influence of AI in identifying viable drug candidates, designing complex proteins, and even solving long-standing manufacturing challenges. Scott also highlights the impact of AI on shifting portfolio dynamics—enabling pharma companies to target smaller, more specific patient populations and scale up development across a wider range of therapies. With AI now central to everything from molecule discovery to commercialization, the conversation offers a window into how life sciences organizations must adapt both structurally and strategically to stay competitive. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Intelligencia AI. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

In this episode, Mathew Paruthickal — Global Head of Data Architecture, Utilization, and AI Engineering at Sanofi — joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how AI is reshaping clinical trial operations at scale. He shares how Sanofi is leveraging advanced data strategies to address longstanding bottlenecks in trial design, safety signal detection, and site performance prediction. Mathew outlines the architectural and operational shifts required to move from isolated AI pilots to enterprise-wide transformation. From document intelligence to real-time data orchestration, he details how Sanofi is building integrated, compliant systems that support faster, more informed decision-making across teams and therapeutic areas. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Medable. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Oleg Savin, Enterprise Architect and MES Expert at Unilever. Oleg is a frequent guest speaker at manufacturing conferences worldwide, including this year's Smart Manufacturing Excellence Summit in Munich. He returns to the program today to discuss use cases in why neurobiological and cybernetic AI capabilities for manufacturers and why it's imperative for industrial leaders to understand the difference. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! 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 Shawn Rosemarin, Vice-President of R&D in Customer Engineering at Pure Storage, a leader in cloud-based infrastructure and storage-as-a-service solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. Shawn joins the podcast to explore the critical role of storage efficiency in scaling AI. As businesses accelerate AI adoption, modern, power-efficient infrastructure becomes essential. Shawn discusses the challenges posed by legacy systems, highlighting how outdated storage technologies consume excessive power and limit scalability. He explains how transitioning to advanced flash storage reduces energy consumption and allows enterprises to scale AI applications more effectively. If you're looking to future-proof your infrastructure and optimize storage for AI growth, this episode provides key insights on building a sustainable, scalable foundation. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Pure Storage. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Nathaniel Bell, Director of Data Management at Wells Fargo. Nate joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello on the show today to discuss the practical application of AI within internal audit workflows, focusing on tools that are already delivering results. He explains how deterministic models are transforming information gathering, testing internal controls, and identifying risks earlier in the process. The conversation also covers the transition from manual audits to continuous auditing, emphasizing the importance of foundational capabilities like data quality and system integration. For audit and compliance leaders, Nathaniel provides valuable insights into where AI is driving impact today and the ongoing role of human oversight in these processes. This episode is sponsored by MindBridge. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Troy Felix, RVP of Sales Engineering at BigPanda. BigPanda is a leading AIOps platform that helps enterprises prevent and resolve IT incidents faster through automation and real-time insights. Troy joins us to explore how automation and real-time data are transforming IT operations. He explains how organizations are using AIOps to reduce alert noise, speed up root cause analysis, and bridge communication gaps between IT, engineering, and SRE teams. Troy also discusses how industries like financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, and managed service providers are evolving from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven operations, despite challenges like high alert volumes and fragmented toolsets. We also dive into the stages of AI adoption in IT operations, including key obstacles such as siloed tools, resistance to change, and the need for better observability data. Troy offers a practical view on how AI is improving efficiency, service resilience, and team collaboration. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by BigPanda. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Matt DeLauro, President at SEON Technologies. SEON is a global provider of fraud prevention solutions, leveraging advanced AI and machine learning to help businesses identify and mitigate fraud throughout the customer journey. Matt joins us on today's show to discuss how SEON is tackling the challenges of modern fraud prevention in an increasingly digital world. Matt shares insights on the limitations of legacy systems and the complexities of data aggregation as fraud threats grow more sophisticated. He explains how “fraud as a service” is making cutting-edge fraud prevention tools more accessible to businesses of all sizes. Matt also discusses the importance of “shifting left” in fraud detection, balancing customer experience with security, and how dynamic friction strategies play a pivotal role in preventing fraud without disrupting user experience. Finally, we explore the role of dynamic arguments in mitigating chargebacks and the differing fraud prevention strategies between retail and financial services. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by SEON. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Patricio La Rosa, Head of End-to-End Decision Science at Seed Production Innovation in Bayer Crop Science. With over 20 years of experience developing AI and data science solutions across healthcare and agriculture, Patricio joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to explore how machine learning can drive better outcomes across the drug development lifecycle, from research design to clinical deployment. Patricio discusses how AI is optimizing early trial planning, improving participant engagement, and supporting ethical, human-centered decisions at scale. Drawing lessons from both agriculture and life sciences, he emphasizes the importance of connecting technical models with real-world workflows. The conversation also delves into key barriers to AI adoption in clinical settings, including behavioral friction, model transparency, and challenges in orchestrating decision-making across global teams. Patricio offers a grounded perspective on what it takes to move from experimentation to enterprise impact in AI-driven R&D. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Akhil Khunger, VP in Quantitative Analytics at Barclays. Akhil returns to the program to discuss the evolving role of customer-facing AI in financial services and how financial institutions are embedding safety and security measures directly into client-facing systems. He delves into the risks financial services face, such as prompt injection and model jailbreaking, and how firms are balancing user experience with necessary guardrails. Later, he and Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello explore the challenges of building transparent, trustworthy, and resilient AI systems for the next generation of financial services, especially in light of growing regulatory expectations. This episode is sponsored by ActiveFence. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Brice Challamel, Head of AI products and Innovation at Moderna. With experience working across five continents, he brings a global perspective to driving AI adoption, innovation management, and measurable results in life sciences. Brice joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to explore how Moderna is embedding AI into both its tools and corporate culture to scale collaboration, accelerate product development, and improve regulatory outcomes. He breaks down how AI is augmenting human creativity, enhancing team decision-making, and supporting patient engagement efforts, while keeping human insight at the center of AI strategy. Brice also shares lessons from other industries to shed light on what's ahead for AI in regulated sectors like life sciences, where the technology has the potential to improve operational efficiency, vaccine adoption, and broader public health outcomes. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by MSTRO. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

As enterprises double down on generative AI initiatives, the intersection of data security, privacy, and unstructured data is quickly becoming mission-critical. In this episode, Dimitri Sirota, Co-founder and CEO of BigID, joins the podcast to explore how AI transformation is reshaping enterprise data governance, security, and compliance—and why understanding your “crown jewel” data is essential to building trustworthy AI systems. Dimitri outlines the three major forces driving today's enterprise data challenges: accelerated cloud migration, a rising tide of global data privacy regulations, and the explosion of generative AI tools that rely on sensitive, unstructured data. He explains how enterprises can gain visibility into their AI programs and the data fueling them, mitigate shadow AI risks, and prepare for the next wave of agentic systems by adopting zero-trust models and real-time monitoring strategies. This episode is sponsored by BigID. Learn how BigID helps enterprises govern AI, mitigate data risk, and stay compliant here.

Today's guest is Damion Nero, Head of Data Science at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. With over 15 years of experience applying AI, machine learning, and real-world data to drug development and precision medicine, Damion joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to explore the evolving role of AI in drug development and supply chain management. He breaks down how AI is currently streamlining administrative and regulatory tasks, improving efficiency across clinical trials, and saving valuable time for healthcare professionals. Damion also discusses why broader, transformative supply chain efficiencies are still on the horizon, as AI continues to evolve and scale in the pharmaceutical industry. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Marie Flanagan, Director of Product Management in Digital Projects and Solutions at IQVIA, who joins us to explore the overlooked intersection of AI and safety workflows in life sciences. As the industry experiences an explosion in the volume and diversity of data—from social media and call centers to audio and video files—Marie outlines the mounting challenges for pharmacovigilance and the opportunities AI is unlocking for healthcare and life sciences leaders. Marie discusses how advancements in voice-to-text transcription and automation are helping safety teams manage massive datasets, pinpoint potential risks, and reallocate human resources toward high-value activities like signaling and benefit-risk management. She also shares insights into where human expertise remains essential, particularly in interpreting complex clinical contexts that AI alone cannot fully capture. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship ‘AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Akhil Khunger, VP of Quantitative Analytics at Barclays. Akhil joins us to explore how financial institutions are modernizing stress testing, risk modeling, and strategic planning through AI. Throughout the episode, Akhil discusses the evolving architecture of financial models — specifically how modular, decoupled processes can speed up regulatory compliance and empower faster decision-making. He outlines how AI-powered code generation and user-friendly APIs are enabling more targeted scenario analysis without compromising performance across large, complex portfolios. Later, we highlight how global teams are leveraging AI to reduce dependency on legacy tech stacks and streamline business planning across jurisdictions. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Automation Anywhere. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Raheel Retiwalla, Chief Strategy Officer at Productive Edge — a digital transformation consultancy focused on healthcare. Productive Edge works with payers, providers, and health tech firms to leverage AI, data, and modern platforms to streamline operations, cut costs, and improve outcomes. With two decades of experience in digital transformation and AI strategy across regulated industries, Raheel joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello on the show today to explore the emerging role of agentic AI in enterprise healthcare. He unpacks what agentic AI is, how it differs from traditional models, and why it's set to change how healthcare leaders think about workflows, orchestration, and automation. This episode is sponsored by Productive Edge. Learn how brands work with Emerj and explore media options at emerj.com/ad1.

On today's episode, we're joined by Shub Agarwal, author of Successful AI Product Creation: A 9-Step Framework available from Wiley and a professor of the University of Southern California teaching AI and Generative AI product management to graduate students. He is also Senior Vice President of Product Management for AI and Generative AI at U.S. Bank. Shub joins Emerj's Managing Editor Matthew DeMello on the show today to offer his perspective on what responsible AI adoption truly looks like in a regulated environment - and why method matters more than models. With over 15 years of experience bringing enterprise-grade AI products to life, he explains why “AI is the new UX” - and what that means for the future of digital interaction in banking and beyond. He also dives into the nuances of responsible AI adoption - not as a buzzword but as a framework rooted in decades of data governance and enterprise rigor. The opinions that Shub expresses in today's show are his own and do not reflect that of U.S. Bank, the University of Southern California, or their respective leadership. This episode is sponsored by Searce. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

In this episode of the AI in Business Podcast, Brett Kiley, Executive Director of Customer Experience and Client Solutions at CVS Health, joins us for a compelling discussion on the evolving landscape of customer interactions. With over two decades of experience, Brett shares how CVS navigates the challenges of personalization, efficiency, and seamless service across their retail, pharmacy, and health services divisions. To access Emerj's frameworks for AI readiness, ROI, and strategy, visit Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1. 

Today's guest is Michael Berger, Head of Insure AI at Munich Re. Michael returns to the Emerj podcast platform to discuss the impact of legislation such as the EU AI Act on the insurance industry and broader AI adoption. Our conversation covers how regulatory approaches differ between the United States and the European Union, highlighting the risk-based framework of the EU AI Act and the litigation-driven environment in the U.S. Michael explores key legal precedents, including AI liability cases, and what they signal for business leaders implementing AI-driven solutions. 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 Steffen Hoffmann, Managing Director of Bosch UK. Steffen joins the podcast to discuss how Bosch is leveraging AI across industries, from precision agriculture to HR automation and manufacturing quality control. Throughout our conversation, Hoffmann gives a revealing insight into how Bosch's AI-driven black grass detection system is helping farmers reduce chemical use and lower costs by precisely targeting affected areas. He also explores Bosch's history of deploying AI-driven solutions, from early automotive transmission control systems to smart home appliances that adapt to user behaviors. In manufacturing, Bosch is leveraging AI to enhance quality control, with AI-powered inspection systems identifying defects and optimizing production 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 guest is Paul Ronan, Chief Technology Officer at FE fundinfo. FE fundinfo is a leading financial data company connecting the investment industry in the UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific through a single integrated platform. With over 30 years of expertise, FE fundinfo empowers asset and wealth managers to streamline operations, improve client outcomes, and make confident, data-driven decisions. In this episode, Paul joins us to discuss how industry leaders are adopting AI to enhance efficiency, improve client personalization, and redefine operational models. While some firms embrace AI as a strategic imperative, others remain cautious due to concerns over data quality and regulatory uncertainty. The conversation explores the shift toward outcome-driven AI programs and the strategies firms need to navigate the evolving investment industry landscape. This episode is sponsored by FE fundinfo. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. 

Today's guest is Dan Elton, a Staff Scientist at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dan returns to the program to explore how AI is advancing genetic research, from protein engineering to gene editing and risk prediction. One of the most significant breakthroughs in this space is AlphaFold, DeepMind's AI model that predicts protein structures with unprecedented accuracy. While it does not analyze genetic sequences directly, its ability to model protein folding is transforming drug development and protein engineering. Dan also discusses the potential for AI to improve polygenic risk prediction, where machine learning models are being applied to assess disease risk based on genetic markers. 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 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 technology company specializing in trust and safety solutions, 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 in AI safety 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.

Today's guest is Liran Belenzon, Co-founder and CEO of BenchSci. BenchSci is a global leader in AI solutions for preclinical R&D that helps decipher complex biomedical research using proprietary technology. Liran joins us to discuss how AI is transforming disease biology research, streamlining scientific workflows, and enabling better decision-making in pharmaceutical R&D. Liran shares insights into the biggest challenges facing drug discovery today, including the complexity of disease biology and the critical role AI plays in unraveling it. He breaks down how AI-driven knowledge graphs, ontological models, and multimodal AI systems are improving both the speed and quality of scientific research. This episode is sponsored by BenchSci. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Oleg Savin, Enterprise Architect and MES Expert at Unilever. Oleg is a frequent guest speaker at manufacturing conferences worldwide, including this year's Smart Manufacturing Excellence Summit in Munich. He joins us for the first of two episodes on the program today to explain why neurobiological and cybernetic AI capabilities have distinct advantages in manufacturing use cases and why it's imperative for industrial leaders to understand the difference. 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 Ken Mertzel, Global Industry Leader in Financial Services at Automation Anywhere. Automation Anywhere is a global software company that develops various automation software for major industries. Before joining Automation Anywhere six years ago, Ken spent his career in the financial sector, including 15 years at Bank of America. There, he served as CFO of the insurance division and held various leadership roles in finance, risk management, and consumer operations, ultimately leading financial operations for the bank. Before that, he was part of Accenture's Financial Services Strategy practice, advising clients on industry-leading financial strategies. Ken joins us on this week's program to explore the evolution of automation in heavily regulated industries. He explains why traditional RPA has only been able to automate a fraction of tasks and how AI is unlocking new opportunities. Ken also breaks down how agentic automation is transforming key financial processes, from AML investigations to fraud detection and underwriting. By combining AI with automation, organizations can extract valuable insights, streamline decision-making, and create more interactive, human-in-the-loop systems. This episode is sponsored by Automation Anywhere. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Roenen Ben-Ami, Co-founder and Chief Risk Officer of Justt. Justt is an AI-driven tech company whose platform helps retail leaders and merchants reduce loss from chargebacks with automation and friendly fraud prevention. Roenen joins us on today's podcast to break down the complexities of chargebacks and how AI-driven automation can help merchants recover lost funds at scale. Together with Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello, Roenen helps explain the "guilty until proven innocent" nature of chargebacks, the rise of friendly fraud, and why merchants often leave money on the table due to inefficiencies in the dispute process. He details how Justt's proprietary approach—leveraging data enrichment, dynamic arguments, and automation—creates tailored chargeback responses that maximize win rates while reducing manual effort. This episode is sponsored by Justt. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare and Life Sciences at NVIDIA. Kimberly joins us to discuss how AI is reshaping the healthcare landscape. As generative AI adoption accelerates, Kimberly shares her insights on the major challenges the healthcare industry faces, particularly in terms of technology infrastructure. Together, we explore the critical need for hybrid strategies that blend on-premise and cloud computing, enabling real-time data processing for medical imaging, clinical operations, and more. Kimberly emphasizes the importance of developing infrastructure capable of supporting these advanced AI applications to improve patient care and operational efficiency. To discover more AI use cases, best practice guides, white papers, frameworks, and more, join Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today's guests are two senior executives from Sanofi's manufacturing division, Head of Data & AI for Manufacturing & Supply Chain Kartik Pant and Head of AI & Data Products, Manufacturing & Supply Shreyas Becker, respectively. Together they return to the podcast to cover the challenges and opportunities in adopting data infrastructure and AI solutions in life sciences manufacturing. Throughout the episode they emphasize the need for a unified data architecture, starting small, and articulating a problem-driven approach to technology adoption. Kartik and Shreyas also discuss the importance of understanding specific use cases and leveraging data to identify areas for optimizing processes. If you're interested in unlocking our AI best practice guides, frameworks for AI ROI, and specific resources for AI consultants, visit emerj.com/p1.  

Today's guest is Paul Cuglietta, Head of Contact and Claims at Simplyhealth. Simplyhealth is a health insurance provider based in the UK whose history goes back to the late 1800s. Paul joins today's discussion to unpack the challenges organizations face when driving digital transformation. With nearly two years of AI integration experience, Paul provides unique insights from his time at Simplyhealth into overcoming internal and external hurdles in their transformation journey. This episode is sponsored by Hyperscience. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Yonas Yohannes, CTO of FinTech and FIS at Oracle. An accomplished executive and author, Yonas joins us on today's podcast to explain the evolving role of endpoint storage for driving new AI capabilities at the edge. He breaks down AI's true value beyond the marketing hype,  and its broader impact on infrastructure across industries, with a special focus on financial services. Throughout the episode, Yonas addresses the real challenges businesses face in adopting AI while ensuring transparency and avoiding regulatory risk. To access Emerj's frameworks for AI readiness, ROI, and strategy, visit Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today's guest is Duncan Cass-Beggs, Executive Director of the Global AI Risks Initiative at the Center for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). He joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to explore the pressing challenges and opportunities surrounding Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) governance on a global scale. This is a special episode in our AI futures series that ties right into our overlapping series on AGI governance on the Trajectory podcast, where we've had luminaries like Eliezer Yudkowsky, Connor Leahy, and other globally recognized AGI governance thinkers. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you're interested in these topics, make sure to dive deeper into where AI is affecting the bigger picture by visiting emergj.com/tj2.

Today's guests are Vrinda Khurjekar and Paul Pallath, VP of North Americas and Applied AI Lead, respectively, at Searce. Searce is a cloud computing solutions and technology services provider globally that specializes in Cloud, AI, and Analytics. Vrinda and Paul join us today to explore how regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare are navigating the complexities of AI adoption. 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 Michelle Longmire, Co-founder and CEO of Medable. Medable is a platform technology company that accelerates drug development by improving evidence generation in clinical trials. Michelle joins us on the show today to explore how AI is transforming the clinical trial experience for patients, sites, and sponsors from start to finish. Michelle also offers valuable advice on adopting a portfolio-level digital strategy and managing the organizational change required to embrace AI innovation in clinical research. This episode is sponsored by Medable. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.