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

with Julia Löffler – Scientist in Molecular Medicine, Neuroscience & Science Communication at the Charité in Berlin

Summary
In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Julia Löffler about the biological, neurological, and relational foundations of trust — and why trust is as much a somatic experience as it is a cognitive one. They explore Julia’s journey from molecular medicine into neuroscience and science communication, the role of empathy in scientific work, and how biology and technology move on fundamentally different timelines. The conversation dives into the chemistry of trust, the tension between innovation speed and human adaptation, and the importance of translating science into language people can understand and act on. Julia shares why dynamic relationships, transparency, and adaptive learning are key to building trust in both medicine and technology.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust is the essential currency in science and medicine.

• Biology and neurochemistry — from oxytocin to cortisol — shape trust.

• Communication is a core skill in translating science into action.

• Technology must adapt to the natural pace of biology.

• Trust is dynamic and built over time through relationships.

• Advancing knowledge does not guarantee immediate understanding.

• Digital and physical systems must both account for human trust needs.

• Adaptive learning is essential for responding to uncertainty.

🎙️ Sound bites

“Trust is built on dynamic relationships.”
“Biology runs on its own time.”
“Advancing knowledge does not always mean immediate understanding.”

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Biology, Neuroscience & Trust
03:12 Julia’s Journey from Molecular Medicine to Communication
06:24 The Neurochemistry of Trust
09:15 Bridging Gaps Between Science, Patients & the Public
13:02 Technology vs. Biological Timelines
16:38 Trust as an Adaptive, Dynamic Process
20:05 The Role of Empathy in Scientific Work
23:27 Translating Complexity into Accessible Language
27:41 Future of Trust in Science and Technology
30:15 In-Between Moments and Reflections

💻 Links
in-between trust on Instagram: @inbetween_trust
More about Julia Löffler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-loeffler/

🔭 Keywords
trust in science, neuroscience, molecular medicine, science communication, neurochemistry of trust, oxytocin, cortisol, adaptive learning, empathy in science, bridging disciplines, technology and biology, trust in medicine

with Karel J. Golta - Founder & Managing Director, INDEED Innovation

Summary

In this episode of the In-Between Podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky engages in a deep conversation with Karel J. Golta about the intersection of circular innovation, humane design, and trust. They explore Karel's journey into circular innovation, the importance of empathy in design, and how trust is a crucial element in creating sustainable systems. The discussion also delves into the shift from linear to circular systems, the need for long-term thinking, and the role of collaboration in fostering trust within communities. Karel emphasizes the importance of designing for continuity and ambiguity, and how these principles can lead to a more regenerative future. The conversation concludes with reflections on the value of trust in design and the courage required to innovate responsibly.

🔑 Takeaways

Karel's journey into design began in childhood with Lego.

Humane innovation prioritizes people, planet, and purpose equally.

Trust is built through the intent behind design.

Design communicates values without explicit words.

Circular systems require transparency and accountability.

Shifting to circular models demands a moral responsibility.

Designers should view users as co-creators, not targets.

Design for continuity rather than just beginnings.

Trust comes from consistency, clarity, and care.

Value in a regenerative model is about enabling rather than taking.

🎙️ Sound bites

"Trust is built or broken by intent."

"Design communicates values without words."

"Designers shape the way people see things."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Circular Innovation and Trust

02:45 The Concept of Humane Innovation

05:50 Trust in Design and Circular Systems

08:51 Shifting from Linear to Circular Systems

12:02 Designing for Ambiguity and Continuity

14:25 Building Trust in Collaborative Systems

17:31 The Regenerative Future and Value Creation

20:27 Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

23:25 The Role of Trust in Community Building

26:42 In-Between Moments and Personal Reflections

💻 Links

in-between trust on instagram: @inbetween_trust

https://www.instagram.com/inbetween_trust/

More about Karel J. Golta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karelgolta/

More about indeed innovation: https://www.indeed-innovation.com

🔭 Keywords

circular innovation, humane innovation, trust in design, sustainable systems, regenerative future, collaboration, community building, design for continuity, value creation, systems thinking

with Paula Cipierre, Responsible AI Expert & Strategist

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Paula Cipierre, one of the leading responsible AI strategists with a profound background in law, policy, and tech, about what it means to translate legal and ethical principles into organizational practice - and how trust must be built not just through systems, but through culture, clarity, and human connection.

Together, they explore:

• Why trust needs control, not just promises

• How to create a culture of compliance that doesn’t collapse into checkboxes

• The tension between data governance and intelligent systems

• What it takes to operationalize values across teams, languages, and sectors

• Why interdisciplinary thinking and empathy are foundational leadership skills in the age of AI

With insight from law, humanities, and hands-on tech policy work, Paula brings a rare perspective to ethical AI - one rooted in systems and storytelling.

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust in AI depends on both transparency and institutional reliability

• Compliance isn’t the goal - culture is

• Regulation can enable innovation if done with clarity

• Data governance and bias mitigation start long before AI

• AI literacy is critical to confident, responsible use

• Responsibility requires interdisciplinary skill and local ownership

• Leadership means acting with explainability, not just authority

• People follow people - trust starts with example

🎙️ Quote Highlights

“Trust is good, but control is better.”
“We need a much more integrated approach.”
“Lead by example; people follow people.”

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – From Humanities to Ethical AI
03:06 – Trust in Technology: The Role of Control
06:03 – Translating Ethics into Practice
09:01 – Compliance vs. Responsibility
11:45 – Cross-Sector Collaboration
14:39 – Regulation as a Tool for Innovation
17:43 – Data Governance in AI
20:42 – AI Literacy and Employee Empowerment
23:29 – Future Skills in AI Governance
26:48 – Sustainability and System Awareness
29:30 – Leading by Example

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-kift/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-between-trust-podcast/

“Slow trust builds faster futures.”

with Stefan Schoepfel, Founder of the Value AI Institute

In this episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Stefan Schoepfel, founder of the Value AI Institute, about how we lead—and trust—in an era shaped by intelligent systems. They explore what it means to embed ethical principles, emotional intelligence, and leadership clarity into AI development and deployment.

Stefan shares why trust must take a much larger space in the conversation, how unlearning linear thinking unlocks innovation, and how responsibility must move beyond compliance toward genuine accountability. From governance to culture, this episode is a call to stay human—and stay in the driver’s seat.

___

🔑 Takeaways

• Trust is foundational for user acceptance and systemic success.

• Ethical principles must guide both design and deployment.

• AI leadership requires emotional intelligence and clear oversight.

• Organizations must embed ethics into processes—not just policies.

• Responsible tech can support sustainability and the societal good.

• Unlearning linear thinking is key to adapting and leading.

• Ongoing trust-building requires visibility and cultural buy-in.

• AI systems must always include human-in-the-loop safeguards.

• Compliance should enable—not hinder—innovation.

• Don’t let tech steer blindly—stay in control.

__

🎙️ Sound Bites

“Trust needs to take a much larger space.”
“AI must comply with ethical principles.”
“Stay in the driver's seat with technology.”
“Unlearning is as vital as innovation.”
“Leadership in AI means embracing ambiguity.”

____

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Trust and AI
02:21 – The Value AI Institute: Mission and Goals
05:28 – The Importance of Trust in AI
09:46 – Ethical Principles and Responsible AI Design
11:20 – Implementing Ethical AI in Organizations
14:06 – The Role of Leadership in AI Systems
16:20 – Building Trust in Teams and Systems
18:07 – Navigating Leadership Challenges with AI
19:24 – The Impact of AI on Ethical Usage
22:50 – AI for Societal Good and Sustainability
25:45 – Unlearning Linear Thinking in AI
28:19 – Embracing Ambiguity in AI Leadership
29:33 – Key Takeaways on Technology and Trust

___

🧩 Keywords

AI, trust, ethical AI, Value AI Institute, leadership, responsible tech, societal good, emotional intelligence, organizational culture, ambiguity, unlearning, governance

‚Truth by code is a strong asset‘ -

with Anna Spitznagel, CEO of trail.ai

In the first episode of the in-between trust podcast, Eva Simone Lihotzky speaks with Anna Spitznagel—co-founder and CEO of trail.ai—about building trust at the heart of AI governance. Anna shares her journey designing a “co-pilot” for responsible AI systems, and explores how transparency, organizational culture, and technical rigor intersect in shaping trustworthy innovation.

Together, they dive into what it means to build “truth by code,” how compliance can enable—not hinder—progress, and why literacy, leadership, and lived experience are essential in navigating the AI era. Anna also opens questions about the future of trust across ecosystems—from upstream model providers to everyday users.

⸻

🔑 Takeaways

• ​ Trust is the starting point for meaningful AI adoption.
• ​ Transparency and quality must be designed into both code and culture.
• ​ Responsible leadership requires communication, clarity, and tolerance for mistakes.
• ​ Literacy in AI is not optional—it’s foundational to ethical use.
• ​ Governance can be a growth engine, not just a constraint.
• ​ The best AI use cases start with real problems, not hype.
• ​ 80% of AI projects don’t reach production—trust structures can change that.
• ​ Trust builds through use, experience, and critical questioning.
• ​ Future trust will require cooperation across the AI supply chain.

⸻

🎙️ Sound Bites

“Trust is my personal highest value.”

“Truth by code is a strong asset.”

“Literacy is key to understanding AI.”

“Governance is not a blocker—it’s an enabler of scale.”

⸻

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to AI Governance and Trust

01:38 – Defining Trust in AI

04:27 – Building Trust in Organizations

10:13 – The Role of Leadership in AI

12:51 – Designing for Transparency

18:58 – Navigating Use Cases & Compliance

23:14 – The Future of Trust in AI

30:45 – Unanswered Questions That Remain

⸻

🧩 Keywords

AI governance, trust, transparency, leadership, compliance, data privacy, organizational culture, literacy, AI use cases, critical reasoning, automation, future of AI

🎙️ with Magnus Strobel, Co-Founder and CEO of Nexus Politics

Trust in politics has been eroding across Western democracies for over a decade, and Magnus Strobel thinks the failure is in how democracy works, in the process that has stopped feeling participatory. His company, Nexus Politics, is a for-profit platform built to map the distance between what citizens actually think and what politicians actually do - and to make that distance impossible to ignore.

🔍 Episode overview

This is a conversation about whether transparency can rebuild participation once the machinery of democracy has stopped feeling participatory. It is also about a quieter problem: how a founder building a trust instrument decides whether anyone actually trusts it.

Magnus Strobel and his team create an architecture for a digital democracy platform: how citizen opinion gets routed to the right political actors, how the system maps public sentiment in real time, and where accountability is supposed to live. The harder questions arrive underneath: Why build this as for-profit rather than not-for-profit, and why that choice is the one that makes political neutrality credible. What politicians say they want from such a tool, and why their enthusiasm might mean less compared to how they use it specifically. It is a founder's conversation that keeps circling back to a single uncertainty: you can build the mechanism for trust, but you cannot yet prove the trust is there.

⚖️ Key themes

• Why the crisis is in how democracy functions, not in democracy itself - and what that distinction changes
• How a for-profit structure becomes the argument for political neutrality
• Mapping the gap between what voters think and what politicians do
• What politicians actually want from civic tech, and why positive feedback is the hardest signal to trust
• Tech as a tool that can repair democratic trust or deepen the damage, depending on who uses it and how

🤝 About the guest

Magnus Strobel is co-founder of Nexus Politics, a digital democracy platform built to rebuild participation and accountability in representative democracies. His background is in behavioral economics, which surfaces throughout the conversation in his attention to the gap between what a system is designed to do and what people actually do with it. He builds from Munich, embedded in the local startup ecosystem, with a stated ambition modelled partly on Taiwan's experience of using participation tools to lift satisfaction with democracy.

🌍 Chapter markers

• [00:09] What comes to mind when a democracy founder thinks about trust
• [02:59] Opening the fragmented machinery of politics - participation, transparency, accountability
• [05:59] Why for-profit is the route to credible neutrality
• [16:08] The hardest part is always reality - and what politicians really want
• [22:49] Can tech rebuild democratic trust, or does it cut both ways
• [35:48] In-between moments: trust, division, and where a founder sits right now

⛓️‍💥 Links

• Nexus Politics:  www.nexuspolitics.org
• Magnus Strobel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/strobelmagnus/
• Audrey Tang / Taiwan digital democracy: https://www.demnext.org/people/audrey-tang
• Rebuild conference, Copenhagen: https://www.rebuild.net
• Related episode - Rebuilding Trust: Tech, Politics and Entrepreneurial Leadership (EP 06)

Europe and China are on different AI paths at different speeds. Vincent Xiang has spent years inside that corridor: He has been working as a translator between Chinese AI founders and European investors and corporates, and this conversation dives into his experiences, conversations, and operations on the ground and in-between.

🧭 Episode overview

European executives are excited about Chinese AI momentum. But they're also stuck before they act. Chinese founders interpret some of Europe's regulations as inefficiency. Both sides are operating with simplified labels that are accurate enough to feel right and wrong enough to produce bad decisions. Vincent walks through what he actually sees on the ground - why trust in China gets delegated to systems rather than built between strangers, why "AI superpower" and "surveillance dystopia" both miss the territory, why fragmentation is now treated as permanent reality by founders, and what European companies serious about engaging China should do before they book a single meeting.

🔍 Key themes discussed

• The different first questions Europe and China ask about new technology, and what each one produces downstream
• Trust as delegated infrastructure - the Alipay escrow story and why people trust the system rather than the strangers in it
• Why both Western labels for Chinese AI are wrong in the same direction, and what gets missed when leaders operate with them
• The three-layer coordination of government, platforms, and institutions in China, and what its absence looks like in Europe
• Fragmentation as the new permanent reality, and why compliance has to be built in as a product feature from day one

👤 About the guest

Vincent Xiang is the founder of China AI Connect, a research and advisory practice helping European investors and corporates evaluate whether Chinese AI is relevant to their strategy, and helping Chinese founders understand the European market. He lived in Germany for seven years, writes the China AI Connect briefings on Chinese AI and deep-tech policy and players, and organises executive trips that bring European leaders to meet founders and operators on the ground. His vantage point is one of the few that sits genuinely between the two systems.

⏱️ Chapter markers

[00:55] The first word that comes to mind: difference

[05:00] People trust the system, not the strangers in it

[12:01] Why "AI superpower" and "surveillance dystopia" both miss the territory

[19:00] Three layers of coordination: government, platforms, institutions

[22:30] Fragmentation as permanent reality, and compliance as a product feature

[35:00] The robotics inflection and what favourable policy makes possible

🔗 Links

Vincent Xiang on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yxiangeclille/

China AI Connect on Substack - https://vincentxiang.substack.com

AI 2030 / AI Plus initiative reference - https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyjh/202509/t20250924_11715960.html

Related episode - Episode on Trust as Geopolitical Requirement: Eva's WEF 2026 recap - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RKtxdJWXcQH8vnpnDtgEP?si=u_MfnmOvQ2-AXSPRONX6Gw

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

🎙️ 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.

🎙️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

🎙️ 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/

Most enterprises have the technology to run agentic AI. They do not yet have the data architecture, identity layer, or empowered workforce to actually trust it. Anthony Alcaraz argues that the bottleneck for agentic AI has shifted from building the agents to building everything around them — and that the organisations most at risk are the ones keeping a human in the loop and calling it transformation. This conversation is for leaders sitting between AI pilots that worked and production systems that have not yet arrived.

💡Episode overview

Anthony joins Eva to map what changes when AI shifts from reactive systems to agents that observe, reason, and act. The conversation moves through what enterprises miss in their own data — systems of record that capture what happened but not why — and the new attack surfaces agents introduce, including tool poisoning. Anthony names the empowerment gap inside organisations: business experts who hold the knowledge agents need, with no clear path to building anything themselves. The most provocative moment lands near the end, when Anthony argues that human-in-the-loop adoption can be a way of avoiding actual transformation rather than achieving it.

🔍 Key themes discussed

• The shift from reactive to agentic systems, and what trust has to carry now
• Why most enterprise data is missing the why behind decisions
• Tool poisoning and the new attack surface for agents
• The empowerment gap between business knowledge and technical capability
• Graph architecture as the control layer for agentic reasoning
• Why human-in-the-loop can be a refusal to transform

👤 About the guest

Anthony Alcaraz works across three vantage points that rarely sit together: he architects agentic AI systems, invests in early-stage AI startups as an angel, and is the author of Agentic Graph RAG with O'Reilly. He spends most weeks in conversation with founders attempting to enter regulated enterprises, and most evenings building software with the same tools he writes about. His perspective on this episode comes from watching the same gap repeat itself across organisations of very different sizes — the technology is ready, and most of the systems around it are not.

📍 Chapter markers

• [00:00] What changes when AI moves from reactive to agentic
• [05:42] Why agents need access — and what enterprises have not built
• [10:29] The three problems: data, governance, and the people in between
• [23:13] Graph architecture and the missing why of enterprise data
• [32:06] The empowerment gap that no one has solved yet
• [45:17] In-between: where Anthony finds himself now

🔗 Links

• Anthony Alcaraz LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-alcaraz-b80763155/
• Agentic Graph RAG (O'Reilly) — https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/agentic-graphrag/9798341623163/
• Foundation Capital context graph thesis — https://foundationcapital.com/ideas/the-case-for-context-graphs
• Related episode — Trust as an operating system in AI companions https://open.spotify.com/episode/5t4BtgevPOtMWUfB4jThWX?si=oGo2JPHNTeCTxbqkNXDJMw
• Eva Simone Lihotzky's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evalihotzky/

AI has collapsed the cost of producing political content. Verifying it is another matter, and Cohen has spent two decades watching that gap widen from inside campaigns and classrooms. He has a three-part test for practitioners navigating it — real, authentic, factual — and this conversation is about why he thinks it has to be taught before anyone reaches the job.

📻 Episode overview

Cohen runs Congress in Your Pocket, teaches digital campaign strategy at Johns Hopkins and NYU, and serves as executive director of Fight Hate, which works to reduce anti-Semitism on college campuses. From all of it, his argument is the same: the ethical line gets drawn before practitioners reach the job, or it does not get drawn at all. The conversation moves through what it cost him to hold a non-partisan position when one side of the political spectrum came after him, why he believes hyper-targeting served democracy better than broadcast advertising did, and what his students are starting to find they can no longer reliably spot in AI-generated video. Real, authentic, factual — he gives students that test before they touch the tools, because by the time they are on a campaign, the pressure to cross the line is already there.

🔍 Key themes discussed

• What changes when AI makes political content production fast and cheap
• Eighteen years of answering every user email personally — and what that reveals about civic trust
• Why he teaches the ethical line before students touch the tools
• Fight Hate and the deliberate choice to stop fighting hate online
• What happens when AI-generated video gets good enough to fool the generation that grew up spotting it

👤 About the guest

Dr. Michael Cohen lectures in political campaigning and digital strategy at Johns Hopkins University and NYU, and wrote Modern Political Campaigns: How Professionalism, Technology, and Speed Have Revolutionized Elections. He founded Congress in Your Pocket in the year of the first iPhone and has run it for eighteen years, answering every user email personally throughout. He is currently executive director of Fight Hate, working to reduce anti-Semitism on college campuses through student-led offline organising.

🕐 Chapter markers

• [00:01] The iPhone as political infrastructure
• [06:08] What eighteen years of personal emails taught him about trust
• [13:36] Why hyper-targeting may be better for democracy than broadcast advertising
• [19:31] Real, authentic, factual — the line and what it costs
• [24:35] Fight Hate: using digital tools to get people off them
• [37:35] The authenticity meter: how far AI video has pushed even digital natives

Timestamps approximate from transcript - adjust after final edit.

🔗 Links

• Dr. Michael Cohen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavidcohen/
• Congress in Your Pocket - https://www.congressinyourpocket.com
• Fight Hate website - https://fighthate.org/home/
• Modern Political Campaigns (book) - https://www.modernpoliticalcampaigns.com
• Blue Square Project by Robert Kraft - https://www.bluesquarealliance.org/bsa-blue-square-alliance-take-over-b/?nab=1
• Eva is on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evalihotzky/

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

🎙️ 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

🎙️ 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

🎙️ 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.

🎙️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. 

🎙️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.