Technology

The In-Between Tech and Trust Podcast

How do we build, break, and rebuild trust in a world shaped by technologies? The In-Between Tech & Trust is a weekly conversation about the human side of tech. Host Eva Simone Lihotzky, founder of raidiant (responsible AI advisory), talks with guests from business, politics, neuroscience, and tech about what they have learned about trust, and what they would pass on to you. Eva was formerly co-founder and MD of the Serviceplan AI Lab, holds the Global Moral Chair at the Value AI Institute and co-authored “10 Moral Questions: How to Design Tech & AI Responsibly”.

Latest Episodes:

Why Security Intelligence Fails Before the Attack - Assaf Kipnis (EP 23) Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Most security failures are organisational: This episode is about the gap between threat intelligence that exists and the human systems that never act on it, and what that costs the organisations that keep losing to attacks they already understood.

Assaf Kipnis has spent over a decade inside the threat intelligence and trust and safety functions of some of the world's largest platforms. In this conversation, he maps a structural failure that runs across the industry: the team that identifies threats and the team that deploys detection operate in parallel, with no reliable mechanism to connect them. Intelligence gets produced, reports get written, and the knowledge sits unused while the same attacks return. Assaf describes what it actually took to stop a sophisticated actor group ahead of the 2020 US elections - a rare case where structure and resources aligned - and explains why that outcome is the exception rather than the rule. He also walks through the design decisions behind Catalyst Labs, the company he is now building to close the gap, and why he made provenance non-negotiable even at the cost of speed.

🎙 Key themes discussed

Why security teams are structurally rewarded for fighting fires rather than preventing them
The organisational gap between threat intelligence and detection - and why it persists even in well-resourced teams
What data provenance means in practice, and why it matters more than speed when using AI in security
How attackers learn your defences faster than you can adapt - and what the military analogy reveals
Why trust online currently feels, in Assaf's words, like a pipe dream

👤 About the guest

Assaf Kipnis is the founder of Catalyst Labs, with over 12 years working across threat intelligence, information security, and trust and safety at LinkedIn, Google, Meta, and ElevenLabs. He brings the perspective of someone who has spent his career making threats legible to organisations - and watching those organisations lack the structure to act on what they could now see.

🕐 Chapter markers

[00:18] Why the industry keeps fighting the same fires

[08:04] What it actually took to stop an actor group - the 2020 elections case

[12:36] How AI is widening an asymmetry that already existed

[15:31] Catalyst Labs: the provenance problem and why speed comes second

[20:35] What to build first if you're starting a threat intelligence team

🔗 Links

Assaf Kipnis https://www.linkedin.com/in/assafkipnis/

KTLYST Labs https://www.ktlystlabs.com

Background information on MGM / FBI reports: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/fbi-struggled-disrupt-dangerous-casino-hacking-gang-cyber-responders-say-2023-11-14/

Related episode: organisational trust and AI implementation with Simon Berkler https://open.spotify.com/episode/6y8PMaVUnZVAR1hOAR15DN

Related episode: accountability and invisible infrastructure with Sergiu Petean https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KcsZBDgFzkSuwQVihjNR5

AI as a Mirror: How Your Organization's Trust Culture Impacts AI Implementation (EP22) Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

🎙️ Simon Berkler, Co-Founder of The Dive

🎧 About this episode

This episode of The In-Between Tech & Trust Podcast asks a question every leader is quietly facing: what does AI actually do to the trust inside your organization — and what does your trust culture do to AI? Simon Berkler, organizational development expert and co-founder of The Dive, argues that technology doesn't change organizations. It reveals them. The conversation is for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone navigating organizational transformation in the age of AI.

🧭 Episode overview

Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Simon Berkler about why trust is not a soft skill but the structural condition that makes organizations work — and why that matters more than ever in the context of AI adoption. Drawing on systems theory, regenerative organizational design, and 20+ years of hands-on OD practice, Simon reframes the tech-and-trust debate: the question is not which AI tools to adopt, but what kind of organization you already are. Because AI, he argues, will act as a mirror — amplifying what's already alive, for better or worse.

They explore how to lead through in-between moments when old logic is crumbling and new logic hasn't formed yet, why collective intuition may be the most underused organizational resource, and what it would mean to design governance structures built for uncertainty rather than against it.

🧩 Key themes discussed

Why trust reduces social complexity — and what that means practically for organizational transformation
AI as a mirror of organizational culture: how existing trust levels determine whether AI becomes augmentation or surveillance
The difference between trust and probability — and why AI runs on the latter, not the former
Leading through in-between spaces: how to change the rules while still playing the game
Collective intuition as a strategic resource for navigating complexity, drawing on the work of organizational psychologist Peter Kruse
The Stellar Approach: a regenerative OD framework for moving organizations from conventional to net-positive ways of working
Why rhythm is the most overlooked asset in transformation
Shifting organizational governance from optimizing for certainty to optimizing for uncertainty
What "safe enough to try" looks like as a leadership stance in AI adoption

📥 References & further reading

The Dive — Simon's organizational development consultancy: thedive.com
Simon Berkler's personal site & writing: simon-berkler.de
The Stellar Approach by Simon Berkler & Ella Lagé (2024): Amazon
Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power — systems theory foundation for the episode's framing of trust: Amazon
Nora Bateson & the concept of Warm Data — the distinction between warm and cold data Simon references: warmdata.life
Peter Kruse on collective intuition and complexity — the four ways of dealing with complexity Simon draws on: artsnext.ch summary

Navigating the AI Slop: How Editorial Judgment Is Changing (EP 21) Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

🎙️ Dr. Paul Elvers, Head of AI at Funke Mediengruppe

💬 Summary

This week's episode of the in-between tech & trust podcast examines how AI is being used inside one of the largest media organizations in Germany, with a focus on trust, transparency, and day to day editorial practice - steered by Dr. Paul Elvers, Head of AI at Funke Medienhaus and podcast host Eva Simone Lihotzky. The conversation is for media specialists, editors, product leaders, and anyone working close to news production and consumption. The episode dives deep into the choices directly affecting credibility, audience trust, and the role journalism plays in a democratic society.

🎧 Episode overview

In a detailed discussion, Dr. Paul Elvers walks through how AI actually shows up in newsroom workflows, separating real operational value from common misconceptions. Rather than debating whether AI should exist in journalism, the episode stays grounded in how it is governed, where human responsibility remains essential, and why naïve adoption is a bigger risk than cautious experimentation. The conversation also explores how audiences judge credibility in an environment flooded with synthetic content, and what media organizations can realistically do to maintain trust while adapting to new tools and distribution pressures.

🔍 Key themes discussed

Why trust in AI comes from understanding systems and accountability, not blind confidence
The difference between deliberate AI integration and careless, volume driven adoption
How “AI slop” reflects a growing difficulty in judging what is trustworthy, not just content quality
Using AI to automate necessary but unpopular newsroom tasks while keeping humans at the start and end
The role of recognizable brands and journalists in sustaining audience trust
What transparency about AI use looks like in real editorial workflows
Why AI governance in media is iterative, shared, and never fully settled

Trust, Creativity, and What We Risk When Adopting AI (EP 20) Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

🎙️ Iwona Fluda, expert for creativity & ethics

🧭 Opening

This week's episode of the in-between tech & trust podcast examines how AI is reshaping creativity, trust, and responsibility in everyday work. If you work in creative fields, technology, or organizational leadership who are dealing with AI as a practical reality rather than an abstract future, then this podcast is for you.

🗣️ Episode overview

Eva Simone Lihotzky is joined by creativity and ethics expert Iwona Fluda, founder of the Ministry for Creativity, Head of AI and Content Growth at Deamleaps and ambassador for the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Together, they unpack why trust in technology is eroding, how AI tools affect human thinking when cognition is outsourced, and why creativity cannot be reduced to speed or output. The discussion moves between individual responsibility, organizational shortcuts, and the ethical gaps that appear when inclusivity and long term design are treated as secondary concerns.

🧩 Key themes discussed

Cognitive engagement and AI
How relying on AI without active thinking weakens human cognition, drawing on research associated with the MIT Media Lab.
Creativity under pressure
Creativity as a historically essential survival skill, and why it remains structurally undervalued despite being central to innovation.
AI as tool and disruptor
The dual role of AI as a powerful collaborator for some and a driver of job loss for others, especially in creative and marketing work.
Trust in technology and platforms
Why skepticism, not trust, defines today’s relationship with technology and institutions, including content ecosystems like LinkedIn.
Radical inclusivity by design
The limits of add-on ethics programs and the need to build inclusivity into systems from the very beginning.
Efficiency versus responsibility
Organizational choices that favor short term gains over long term impact, even when frameworks like the EU AI Act already exist.
Societal and existential risk
Concerns about large scale job displacement and long term societal disruption, including references to thinkers such as Roman Jampolsky.

Foresight, Tech and Trust: How to Plan Ahead When The Future Stops Behaving Linearly (EP 19) Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

🎙️Prof. Dr. Heiko von der Gracht, Professor at the University of Krems

Opening

Episode 19 of the in-between tech & trust podcast explores how organizations can make better decisions under uncertainty through foresight and scenario planning. In conversation with Heiko von der Gracht, professor at the University for Continuing Education Krems and long-standing practitioner of foresight practices, the discussion looks at how trust, technology, and perception shape what leaders think is possible. It is especially relevant for people working with strategy, innovation, or long-term planning in fast-moving environments.

🧭 Episode overview

The conversation examines foresight not as prediction, but as a practical discipline for stress-testing assumptions and improving choices when the future is unclear. Drawing on decades of research and applied work, Heiko reflects on why uncertainty feels overwhelming today, how media and digital systems influence our perception of risk, and why traditional planning often breaks down under rapid change.

The episode also looks at how trust is being reshaped by scalable, anonymous technologies, and what this means for organizations trying to act responsibly and coherently over time.

🔍 Key themes discussed

Why foresight is about decision quality, not forecasting outcomes
The difference between actual uncertainty and how uncertain the world feels
How complexity and speed interact to undermine linear planning
Trust in digital environments shaped by anonymity, scale, and weak accountability
Knowledge overload, misinformation, and the loss of shared reality
Scenario planning as a strategic conversation rather than an analytical exercise
Empirical evidence that sustained foresight investment improves performance

The discussion also draws on Heiko’s involvement in global foresight and governance contexts, including work connected to the World Economic Forum and UNESCO, grounding the conversation in both research and lived practice.

Parenting, Tech & Transformation in Times of Synthesized Knowledge (EP 18) Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

🎙️Grisha Pavlotsky, Chief Transformation Officer at Miro

Opening paragraph
This episode shares a conversation between Grisha Pavlotsky, CTO of Miro, and Eva Simone Lihotzky. It examines trust as a practical design problem in teams, AI systems, and everyday decision-making. The conversation is for leaders, builders, and parents trying to make sense of how judgment, accountability, and authority shift when AI becomes part of how work and learning happen. It focuses on what needs to be made explicit - intent, guardrails, and decision logic - rather than assumed.

Episode overview
Grisha draws on his work leading transformation at Miro and his experience raising four children to explore how trust holds - or breaks - when information is abundant and increasingly synthesized. The discussion moves between organizations and families, treating them as parallel systems facing the same challenge: people are no longer short on answers, but on the ability to judge, contextualize, and disagree productively. Along the way, the episode questions current education models, critiques optional AI adoption, and argues that trust depends less on confidence and more on transparency about how decisions are made and who remains accountable.

Key themes discussed

Trust as alignment on intent plus visibility into decision frameworks, not just emotional safety
How AI amplifies confidence without guaranteeing expertise, complicating collaboration
Why probabilistic systems require clear guardrails, not vague goals
The shift from producing synthesis to judging and challenging synthesized viewpoints
Education moving from teaching facts to navigating competing narratives
Identity and ego as the real blockers in large-scale transformation
Leadership responsibility in making AI adoption mandatory rather than optional
Parenting and organizational leadership as the same sense-making problem at different scales

A recurring reference is the idea - attributed to Satya Nadella - that trust is built through consistency over time, and what that consistency demands in an AI-mediated world.

WEF26: The Politics of Tech, AI Agent Systems & Models, Adoption Challenges and Tech Sovereignty (EP 17) Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Opening

This solo episode of The In-Between Tech & Trust Podcast reflects on conversations from Davos and what they reveal about where tech, politics, and trust are heading into 2026. It’s for leaders, operators, and policy-adjacent roles who are trying to make sense of AI adoption beyond tooling. The focus is on what actually changes inside organizations, institutions, and collaborations when AI becomes infrastructure.

🎧 Episode overview

Eva Simone Lihotzky unpacks four threads that kept resurfacing across discussions with tech, political, and business leaders: agentic AI systems, the politics of technology, sovereignty, and the future of collaboration and trust. Rather than reporting speeches, the episode explores tensions beneath the surface - why organizations feel urgency but struggle to act, how AI exposes institutional weaknesses instead of fixing them, and why governance, infrastructure, and responsibility are now inseparable.

The episode moves between business realities and geopolitical dynamics, asking what it really means to design AI-driven organizations, who shapes the rules when tech and politics are interwoven, and how dependence on a small set of platforms reshapes power, accountability, and autonomy.

🔍 Key themes discussed

Agentic AI systems and why they force a rethink of organizational design
AI adoption as a platform shift, not a tool rollout
The gap between AI urgency and practical implementation inside companies
World models vs. specialized models and why both matter
Interoperability as an unsolved infrastructure problem
Tech as both upstream and downstream of politics
Sovereignty across compute, infrastructure, data, operations, and talent
Europe’s position in an AI-driven power landscape
Why collaboration now depends on explicit commitments, not assumptions
How trust becomes harder - and more necessary - as systems scale

The Widening AI Value Gap: What Scaling AI Really Demands (EP 16) Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

🎙️ with Dr. Marc Roman Franke, Partner & Associate Director AI and digital transformation at BCG

💬 Opening

Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Marc Roman Franke, Partner & Associate Director AI and digital transformation at BCG, about how trust is built - or lost - during AI transformation inside large organizations. The conversation is for leaders, product owners, and transformation teams trying to move beyond pilots and into real operating change. It focuses on why execution, governance, and organizational choices determine whether AI creates value or stalls.

🎤 Episode overview

Drawing on large-scale research and implementation experience, the episode examines why only a small share of companies see meaningful returns from AI. Franke argues that the main constraints are not models or tools, but leadership alignment, operating models, and how trust is earned through delivery. The discussion moves from the limits of “AI-ready” programs to what it means to become “AI-first,” including the rise of agentic AI, unmanaged security risks, and why postponing Responsible AI eventually blocks scale.

🎯 Key themes discussed

Trust as a practical outcome of reliable execution and visible value, not long-term promises
Why most AI value depends on people, organization, and leadership rather than algorithms
What separates the small minority of companies that capture real AI value from the rest
The difference between experimenting with AI and redesigning the business around it
How agentic AI changes accountability, decision rights, and human–AI collaboration
Governance as an enabler of adoption and safety, not a compliance afterthought
Security and third-party risks that grow as AI scales
When Responsible AI can be delayed—and why it becomes a blocker later

🤝🏻 Referenced during the conversation:

BCG, MIT, SAP S/4HANA, GDPR, and Steve Jobs.

Trust as an Operating Metric in AI Companions (EP 15) Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

🎙️Lior Oren, Chief Technology Officer at Replika

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

Tech & Trust in 2025: The Good, The Bad and The Big Bets for 2026 - EP14 Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

🎙️ 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