The Only Constant

Henry Stoneley | On why AI slop is a blessing, and the value of meaningful friction | #103

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Henry Stoneley, a health-tech commercial and communications leader with more than a decade of experience bringing technology into the NHS. Having built strategies that sold millions of pounds of health technology, served as a director at the UK’s largest health-tech agency and helped launch HLTH Europe, Henry brings a rare combination of market insight, language obsession and practical experience to a conversation about AI, communication and what it means to sound human. Main topics they discuss include: Why AI’s tendency towards the statistically likely next word makes language increasingly homogeneous How strangeness, surprise and meaningful friction make communication memorable Why companies need a small number of repeatable truths rather than endless generic marketing copy How authenticity can help people and brands stand out without sounding like every other company in the room Henry’s blend of sharp language, cultural references and commercial experience makes this a thoughtful conversation about copywriting, communication and how to remain distinctive when everyone has access to the same tools. ---- Do you want to know more about Henry Stoneley?: Former European Song Contest judge and agency owner (only one of those is true), Henry Stoneley runs Keystone, an independent advisory and communications practice, that helps healthtech companies get heard and enter the NHS. He was previously a senior team member launching HLTH Europe, now Europe's biggest healthtech event, where his remit was to build the event from zero brand recognition to the largest in a swamped sector within two years. He also co-hosts Health Service Unpicked, a podcast on NHS innovation, policy and leadership. Before that, he spent around ten years in healthcare SaaS sales and C-suite roles, was a director at a healthtech comms agency, and spent a reasonable amount of time writing a newsletter while pretending to be a Pigeon. Based in London, he credits his obsession with words and copy to being raised in a household of bookish nerds and absolute dweebs.

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Andreas Pihl | On the use of AI in healthcare and the risks of cognitive offloading | #102

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Andreas Pihl, medical doctor, author and one of Denmark’s leading voices on AI, diagnostics and digital health. Together, they explore what happens when generative AI enters the consultation room: from better-prepared patients and more accurate decision support to the risks of automation bias, deskilling and losing the human connection that healthcare depends on. Main topics they discuss include: Why AI may be unethical not to use in healthcare, while still requiring critical judgement and human accountability How chatbots can help patients prepare for consultations and support doctors with diagnosis, documentation and decision-making Why healthcare must avoid simply digitising old workflows and instead use AI to remove meaningful administrative friction How automation bias, deskilling and AI-induced psychosis challenge our understanding of expertise, empathy and responsibility Listen to the episode to hear Andreas’ perspective on how AI can help bring humanity back into healthcare - not by replacing doctors, but by giving them more time to be present with their patients. ---- Want to know more about Andreas Pihl?: Andreas Pihl is a Danish medical doctor, author, keynote speaker and one of Denmark’s leading voices on artificial intelligence, diagnostics and digital innovation in healthcare. He is the author and co-author of several books, including Kunstig intelligens i sundhed, Doktor Hansens nye praksis, A Doctor’s Bag for Tomorrow, Doktor Hansen har set sin sidste patient, Last Doctor Standing and the clinical textbook Dermato-venerologiske cases. He is also last author of the 2026 BMJ framework for risk-stratified use of large language models in clinical practice, writes the 'Stikpillen' column for medical journal Dagens Medicin, and is a sought-after speaker on healthcare technology. Andreas bridges advanced health technologies - including clinical language models, chatbots, apps and wearables - with the realities of clinical practice. Still working as a doctor, he brings an insider’s understanding of where healthcare needs to change, and focuses on making technology safe, practical and meaningful. His outlook is that technology should not replace the patient relationship, but free up time, strengthen clinical work and bring more human presence back into healthcare.

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Peter Gostev | On benchmarking the frontier, and why human accountability remains key | #101

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Peter Gostev, AI Capability Lead at Arena and creator of BullshitBench, an open-source benchmark that tests whether language models can recognise nonsensical questions rather than confidently inventing an answer. Returning as the podcast’s first solo repeat guest, Peter joins Lasse for a wide-ranging conversation on what has changed in AI, from model capabilities and coding agents to the organisational realities of accountability, governance and an overwhelming volume of AI-generated work. Main topics they discuss include: Why architecture, context and accountability become the bottleneck when AI makes execution faster How harnesses, routing and tools increasingly shape model performance beyond the raw model itself Why organisations need new ways to manage the volume of outputs, reviews and decisions created by AI What BullshitBench reveals about the gap between impressive benchmarks and trustworthy day-to-day AI use Why giving subject matter experts powerful AI tools can unlock far more innovation across the business Listen to the episode to hear Peter’s perspective on why AI’s real potential lies not in replacing accountability, but in helping more people turn their expertise and imagination into action. ---- Want to know more about Peter Gostev?: Peter Gostev is an AI Capability Lead at Arena, where he tests new models every day and explores how frontier models perform in the real world. He is also a creator of Bullshit Benchmark, which tests how likely models are to engage with nonsensical user prompts. Previously, he was Head of AI at Moonpig, a UK-based e-commerce company, where he implemented AI-based features and automations across the business. Prior to that, he was an AI Strategy Lead at NatWest Bank, where he helped the bank adopt machine learning techniques and LLMs.

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Episode 100 | Revisiting 4 years of massive AI hype, and what matters for the future

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom marks episode 100 with four returning guests: Dr. Lorien Pratt, AI pioneer and decision intelligence expert; David Pontoppidan, Head of Business AI for SAP across the Nordics & Baltics; Ewa Zborowska, Research Director at IDC and one of Europe’s leading AI analysts; and Jason Stanley, Head of Applied AI Research at ServiceNow. Together, they move beyond the hype around AGI, singularity and agents to ask what it really takes for AI to create value in the enterprise. Main topics they discuss include: Why a map can never fully represent the territory, and what that means for AI systems trying to model the real world Why adoption, organisational readiness and clear outcomes matter more than the latest model release How to build agentic systems with meaningful human agency, governance and accountability Why AI should help organisations make better decisions rather than simply automate more workflows --- My four guests for this milestone episode are: Dr. Lorien Pratt. Lorien is a renowned computer scientist, Chief Scientist and co-owner of Quantellia, and co-founder of OpenDI. She is credited with pioneering transfer learning in machine learning and co-creating the field of decision intelligence. Jason Stanley. Jason is Head of Applied AI Research at ServiceNow. His work centres on trustworthy AI and governance, informed by a background spanning sociology, technology and public policy. David Pontoppidan. David is Head of Business AI for SAP in the Nordic and Baltic region. He helps large organisations turn enterprise data and AI into practical transformation and measurable business value. Ewa Zborowska. Ewa is Research Director for AI in Europe at IDC and leads its European AI Innovations and Strategies research. She has more than two decades of experience analysing IT services, cloud and AI, with particular interest in their organisational and societal effects.

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Thomas Telving | On the dream and violence of AI, and why not everything should be automated | #99

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Thomas Telving, philosopher, author and AI ethics commentator, whose work explores what it means to remain human in a world shaped by intelligent machines. Together, they examine the dreams, benefits, violence and dangers of AI - from better healthcare and automation to the subtle ways human relationships, judgement and social connection can be displaced by technology. Main topics they discuss include: Why the real dream of AI should be to value relational and human work more highly How companion AI can blur the line between a useful tool and a meaningful relationship Where AI can create genuine benefits in areas such as healthcare, research and practical work Why power, bias, intellectual property and dependency on a few AI companies are societal risks How to decide when using AI saves time and when human effort is itself part of the value Listen to the episode to hear Thomas’ perspective on how we can embrace AI’s potential without automating away the human friction, care and connection that make life meaningful. --- Do you want to know more about Thomas Telving?: Thomas Telving is a philosopher, author and technology analyst, as well as a prominent voice in the Danish debate on artificial intelligence. He advises companies and organisations on AI, ethics and digital transformation and regularly appears as an expert on television, in podcasts and in newspapers. He has written numerous articles on technology and ethics and is the author of Killing Sophia (2022), Kære Mille – et brev om livet (2022), 10 ting du skal vide om filosofi og kunstig intelligens (2025) and Uautomatiserbar (2026). Since 2016, he has delivered more than 300 talks on artificial intelligence. Thomas holds an MA in philosophy and political science from the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Copenhagen.

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Dr. Rachel Wood | On AI, otherness, and organisational grief, and the friction that makes us human | #98

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Dr. Rachel Wood, a leading cyberpsychology researcher, licensed therapist and founder of the AI Mental Health Collective. They explore what happens when AI becomes a mirror that always accommodates us - and why human relationships, friction and otherness remain essential to our wellbeing, creativity and capacity for discernment. Main topics they discuss include: Why creating is about the human process, not just the output How AI companions and chatbots can weaken self-trust and relational skills The difference between concession and repair in human and AI relationships Why organisations need to acknowledge ambivalence and grief in their AI adoption Listen to the episode to hear Rachel’s perspective on how we can use AI without losing the friction, connection and humanity that make life meaningful. Want to know more about Dr. Rachel Wood?: Rachel Wood holds a PhD in cyberpsychology with expertise at the intersection of AI and mental health. She is passionately invested in shaping the future of connection, work, and identity, and thrives in her multifaceted roles as speaker, founder, advisor, and researcher. Dr. Wood's work has been featured in prominent publications including TIME, Business Insider, ABC, International Business Times, and CBS. She is on the American Psychological Association's AI advisory board inside the innovate APA Labs initiative. She is also an advisor to the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, as well as several startups. As the founder of the AI Mental Health Collective, Dr. Wood cultivates a cross-discipline community focused on collaboration among clinicians, builders, and researchers. Her insights are not just timely, but essential for understanding the complexities of human connection and professional identity in today's evolving AI-infused world.

Federico Casalegno | On how AI is changing design, and carving David from a rock | #97

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics, where he leads global design and innovation teams shaping human-centred experiences across products and services. Drawing on a career spanning design, technology and academia - including his previous work at MIT - Federico shares why AI should augment human purpose rather than replace it, and why the future of design is about creating meaningful relationships between people, technology and the world around them. Main topics they discuss include: Why computational design belongs within human-centred design The difference between automation, optimisation and genuine human meaning How designers can use friction to build trust, reflection and better agentic experiences Why emotional intelligence and human imagination remain essential in the age of AI Listen to the episode to hear Federico’s perspective on designing technology with purpose. What to know more about Federico?: Federico Casalegno is EVP of Design at Samsung, where he leads global design studios spanning three continents, including a significant footprint in Korea. Before moving into industry full-time, he spent two decades on the MIT faculty teaching and leading advanced innovation research. His work today sits at the intersection of computational design and artificial intelligence, exploring what he calls "co-living with AI," the question of what AI changes about how we create, work, and live, and what design contributes to making that future feel human. Federico brings a reflective, humanistic lens to conversations about technology and creativity.

Damian Kowalczyk and Emilie Lundblad | On systems before models, and the future of enterprise AI | #96

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Damian K. Kowalczyk, a PhD and Principal ML Architect at Microsoft, and Emilie Lundblad, a Microsoft MVP and AI, data and security expert. They discuss the rapidly changing AI landscape, from China’s advances and open-weight models to the importance of context, evaluation and trust. Main topics they discuss include: Why China’s AI ecosystem continues to surprise the West The economics and complexity of open-weight models Why context, prompts and evaluation matter more than model size Whether SaaS and low-code platforms are becoming obsolete Europe’s role in the global AI race Listen to the episode to hear Emilie’s and Damian’s perspectives on the future of AI, enterprise technology and digital sovereignty. --- Want to know more about Damian and Emilie?: Damian Kowalczyk: Damian Kowalczyk is a Principal AI/ML Architect at Microsoft, building systems that make advanced AI fast, reliable, and affordable at Microsoft 365 scale. His work spans models, inference engines, GPU optimization, and product architecture, delivering order-of-magnitude performance gains and turning frontier research into production-ready products. Over 15 years, his career has taken him from CERN and large-scale data platforms to hyperscale AI infrastructure, always connecting engineering decisions with customer and business outcomes. With a PhD in Data Science and an Executive MBA in Innovation, Damian brings together engineering, science, and organizational thinking. He is particularly interested in how global competition, open models, and falling AI costs are reshaping how organizations create value. His central question is not only what AI can do, but what becomes possible when intelligence becomes abundant and innovation moves across traditional boundaries. Emilie Lundblad: Emilie Lundblad van Vliet is Lead Architect for GenAI at the LEGO Group, where she work with digital product teams for one of the world's most recognized consumer brands, to build and scale generative AI across its enterprise. Her work spans agentic systems, platform architecture, security and AI governance, turning frontier models into production-ready solutions that connect engineering decisions with business and organizational outcomes. Over 15 years, her career has taken her from data analytics and machine learning at GroupM and Hempel to leading AI Centers of Excellence at Ambu, always bridging deep technical work with board-level strategy. A 5x Microsoft MVP in AI and 2x Microsoft Regional Director, she is the only woman in the Nordics to hold both titles simultaneously. She sits on the boards of Blue Logistics Group and Fortytwo Technologies, a Nordic Microsoft security partner, and serves as Chairperson of the Danish Data Science Community and member of the National Advisory Board for the Pioneer Centre for AI. With a master's degree from ITU Copenhagen and more than 50 keynotes delivered across the region, she is one of the most active voices shaping the Nordic AI agenda. Her central question is not only what generative AI can do, but what becomes possible when organizations stop treating AI as a capability and start treating it as infrastructure.

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Shannon Lucas | On discernment as delta, and agency in organisations | Episode #95

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Shannon Lucas, co-founder and co-CEO of Catalyst Constellations. Shannon has more than twenty years of experience driving innovation across Fortune 500 companies and startups, including leadership roles at Ericsson, Vodafone, and Cisco. They explore: Why AI agents do not belong in outdated organisational structures Discernment as the deeply human bridge between logic and intuition How empowerment requires clarity, competence and accountability Whether organisations need more managers, fewer managers or something entirely different Why narratives, assumptions and prophecies shape the future we think we are merely predicting AI may change how work is performed, but the deeper question is how we redesign organisations without losing human agency in the process. --- Do you want to know more about Shannon Lucas?: Shannon Lucas, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Catalyst Constellations, has over twenty years’ experience working with startups, launching her own ventures, and driving innovation into the world’s largest companies. Shannon is a best-selling co-author of Move Fast, Break Shit, Burn Out; The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well. She is a passionate thought leader about creating sustainable organizations in every sense of the word; for people, planet and profit. In her previous roles, as EVP of Emerging Business at Ericsson, Senior Innovation Architect at Cisco’s Hyperinnovation Living Lab and Director of Innovation at Vodafone Global Enterprise, Shannon empowered Fortune 500 businesses to stay agile, competitive and sustainable through the adoption of new technologies and organizational structures.

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Maria Sukhareva | On AI slop and AI experts, and the sleep of colourless green ideas | Episode #94

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Maria Sukhareva - computational linguist, Lead AI Strategist, and founder of AI Realist - who brings 15+ years in natural language processing to a refreshingly hype-free look at what large language models actually are, and aren't. With roots in computational linguistics and machine translation, Maria has been doing language modelling "since before it was cool," and she puts that depth to work as the conversation moves from the latest AI market drama into the deeper questions of language, intelligence, and truth. Main topics they discuss include: Why understanding language matters for understanding LLMs, and how the field drifted from linguistics toward pure statistics The absence of real concepts, reasoning, and truth in models that simply predict the next token AI slop, eloquence-as-intelligence, and the flood of machine-generated academic papers Why "what to do" now matters more than "how to do it" - and what this means for experts, managers, and the future of work If you've ever wondered what's actually happening behind the curtain of a language model - this conversation is for you. --- Do you want to know more about Maria Sukhareva? Maria Sukhareva is the founder of AI Realist (airealist.org), an independent publication offering vendor-neutral, anti-hype analysis of enterprise AI for a practitioner audience. Through her weekly AI Realist Radar briefings, long-form investigative writing, regular workshops, and keynote engagements, she covers the developments enterprises actually need to navigate, from model releases and pricing shifts to security incidents and governance frameworks. AI Realist has grown to over 30,000 followers on LinkedIn and hundreds of paying subscribers, with her work cited by top media outlets including Forbes and Die Welt. Alongside AI Realist, Maria serves as Principal Expert in AI and Lead AI Strategist at a DAX40 company, with over 15 years in NLP and generative AI. Her path runs from certified translator to computational linguist at Universität des Saarlandes, through leading the machine translation initiative at BMW Group, to her current role shaping enterprise AI strategy. Maria holds a background in computational linguistics, has authored more than 20 publications, and speaks four languages.

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Mahmood Aziz | On midterm sci-fi, and who is wielding the tools | Episode #93

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Mahmood Aziz, a seasoned technology and AI transformation leader with decades of international experience across consulting, software and enterprise IT. Mahmood brings a refreshingly grounded, human-centred view of what AI is really changing in the world of work - and what stubbornly stays the same. Main topics they discuss include: How AI is reshaping consultancy and why expertise, judgement and the human "spark" still matter The trap of "midterm sci-fi" thinking and projecting three-to-five-year futures we can't really see yet Why 70–85% of AI pilots never reach production, and the lessons we keep ignoring from ERP, cloud and RPA The missing operating model, and why governance, trust and accountability matter more than raw action Do you want to know more about Mahmood Aziz? Mahmood has over 30 years international experience at Board, Executive and Non-Executive positions in Consulting, NHS, Auditing, Software, Business & IT Services firms. These cover strategic & operational leadership, fund-raising, restructuring, M&A, auditing, consulting, program & project management, business process optimisation and redesign, robotic process automation, AI, data, analytics & ERP He has specific focus transforming organisations in Financial Services, Pharma & Life Sciences, Energy, Telco, Retail & Public Sector enterprises across EMEA, working with global, international brands, as well as startups and scaling companies. These are all in client facing, consulting and programme delivery roles, delivering multi-million £ benefits and growing business units consistently both in terms of revenue and people development. In these roles, he has been both leader and follower, consistently championing & delivering change, innovation & business transformation for customers, his business areas & himself. Currently Founder & Director of Mind Intelligence Limited, a boutique consulting firm focused on growing scaling organisations with services covering AI, Automation, business strategy, business model design, sales/finance/performance planning, digital transformation & operations optimisation as a Fractional CxO, Advisor, Mentor & Coach. Available for Non-executive, Board Advisory & Consulting engagements Recent notable experiences include, Non-executive Governing Board Member, Chair of Finance & Performance Committee, Advisory Board Member, CRO, COO, Board director, Strategic Global Alliances for Blue Prism (EMEA & Rest of World alliances growth), Facilitator, Keynote speaker & more. Mahmood has an MBA awarded from the University of Hull

Cristina Caffarra | On power and the digital colony, and why sovereignty is reason not sentiment | Episode #92

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Cristina Caffarra - top competition economist, UCL professor, and founder of EuroStack. After 25 years at the top of the antitrust world, she walked away to power up European tech, and she makes a sharp, unapologetic case that Europe is a "digital colony" with everything it needs to change that - if only it would stop admiring the problem and start building. Main topics they discuss include: Why big tech is pouring money into AI, and why "AI is cloud" - the same hyperscaler stack souped up Europe as a digital colony, sovereignty washing, and why the real case for European tech is growth, not values or kill-switch fears How public procurement can favour European solutions without "discriminating" - and why the mercantilism and protectionism charge is a strawman Where the money actually is and why private demand, not 15 years of regulation, is what will move the dial If Europe's place in the AI race is something you wrestle with, this conversation will both provoke and energise you. Do you want to know more about Cristina Caffarra? Dr Cristina Caffarra is a globally renowned competition expert who had a 25-year career as a leading economic consultant. She headed for 17 years (between 2006 and 2022) the Competition Team of Charles River Associates (CRA) in Europe. She then set up Keystone Europe as Managing Partner in July 2022, which she left in 2023. She co-founded the EuroStack movement in 2024 and is she is co-founder and Chair of the EuroStack Initiative Foundation e.V. EuroStack | Building Europe’s digital future, a non-profit organization to pursue European resilience and asset-building in European tech and digital. She is recognised as a thought leader in antitrust enforcement, regulation, tech policy, the interface between tech, competition, industrial policy and trade. She is sought after as a public speaker and /regularly keynotes at top events on competition, regulation, digital and industrial policy. She is also a convener with the ability to gather senior agency, policy and academic speakers for the most high-profile policy events in Europe on tech and related economic policy. She hosts and produces the Eacape Forward podcast, and her Annual Escape Forward Brussels Conference is the highest-profile event on economic and regulatory policy in Europe. She has written multiple contributions to the field of competition and regulation of digital markets, lectures in competition economics. She is an Honorary Professor at UCL, she is also Associate Fellow of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in London and Deputy Chair of the CEPR Competition Research Policy Network. She is also a 2026 Fellow at DG Grow.

Brian Evergreen | On hype and strategy, and the difference between the synthetic and relational | Episode #91

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Brian Evergreen - leading AI strategist, author of Autonomous Transformation, and founder of The Future Solving Club. Brian brings a refreshingly grounded enterprise lens to cut through the AI hype cycle and challenge the narrative that AI agents will replace white-collar workers, become our "coworkers," or magically transform organizations through prompt workshops and democratized tools. Main topics they discuss include: Why the loudest voices predicting an AI-driven jobs apocalypse all have a vested interest in that narrative The relational layer of organizations and why it can't be replaced by synthetic networks Why "ChatGPT is not your AI strategy" - and the difference between adding a new piece to the board and rewriting the whole game Future Solving as an alternative to "future-proofing" - choosing the future you want and reverse-engineering it The trap of quarter-by-quarter incrementalism and why real value creation needs a longer horizon If you've been overwhelmed by the daily "CEO said something" cycle and want a grounded, honest conversation about what AI actually means for enterprises, leadership, and life - this one is for you. Do you want to know more about Brian Evergreen? Brian Evergreen is one of the most respected voices on strategy and AI as a leading author, advisor, and speaker. He teaches leaders and organizations how to take the future into their own hands and create value with it. From small businesses to corporations like Microsoft and Mastercard, from Hollywood to NASA to Wharton, he has presented his ideas and a new system of leadership called Future Solving, which has supported over $20B of investment. He has written one book, Autonomous Transformation, and co-authored two books, Driving Sustainable Innovation and Agentic Artificial Intelligence and is quoted frequently and regularly contributes to national publications. Brian is the founder and CEO of The Future Solving Company, an advisory, training, & events company serving a global community solving for the future. He is the host of the popular podcast Future Solving, which has featured Rita McGrath, Kim Scott, Alex Osterwalder, and other top thinkers. He is also the President of The Future Solving Club, a private group of senior executives shaping the future who dialogue with world-renowned thought leaders and executives weekly and at exclusive dinners and events throughout the year. His work has been featured on Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, CIO, VentureBeat, the Next Big Idea Club, and Thinkers50. You can learn more about and connect with Brian on LinkedIn, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianevergreen

Nikki Barua | On cognitive atrophy and enterprise metabolism, and the resilience of craftsmanship | Episode #90

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Nikki Barua, serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and co-founder of FlipWork. Named Entrepreneur of the Year and one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Most Influential Women, Nikki has spent 25 years at the intersection of people, technology, and transformation. Drawing on her own journey from Mumbai to building businesses in America, she brings a rare mix of optimism, pragmatism, and cultural depth to a sprawling conversations spanning agentic AI, identity, urban conformity, and what it really takes for humans to stay relevant. Main topics they discuss include: Why agentic AI is already reshaping management, culture, and trust inside enterprises — even before scaled adoption The difference between chasing efficiency (a race to the bottom) and reallocating freed capacity into real competitive advantage Why cognitive atrophy, not AI slop, is the real danger - and why originality, depth, and craftsmanship become more valuable when average is free How "strategic metabolism" and trust, not technology, are the true bottlenecks for enterprise transformation The Darwinian shake-out ahead for C-players, B-players, and short-term-thinking executives - and why lazy layoffs destroy institutional knowledge Tune in for a wide-ranging, surprisingly personal conversation that moves from AGI ethics to hillbillies, from Manhattan's density of talent to the elephant in every boardroom. Do you want to know more about Nikke Barua: Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and globally recognized expert on transformation. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of FlipWork, the transformation partner helping organizations reinvent their culture, capabilities, and competitive edge for the AI age. For over 25 years, Nikki has worked with some of the world's most iconic brands, guiding them through digital transformation, workforce reinvention, and organizational change at scale. She knows firsthand that technology is only half the equation; the real breakthrough comes from building the people and culture ready to use it. As a tech entrepreneur who has built and scaled high-growth businesses, Nikki brings both the strategic lens of a leader and the hard-won wisdom of someone who has navigated disruption herself. Her personal journey from humble beginnings to building global companies has made her a sought-after voice on resilience, reinvention, and what it actually takes to lead through change. Her story has been featured in CNBC, Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes. Nikki has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by ACE, honored as an EY North America Entrepreneurial Winning Woman, included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Women, recognized as one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, and celebrated as a Woman of Influence by The Business Journals, and Top Entrepreneur by Comerica Bank & LA Lakers. Nikki Barua Links: Newsletter: https://www.nikkibarua.com/newsletters/reinvention-roadmap/subscribe Personal Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Company Website: https://www.flipwork.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua/ Twitter: https://x.com/NikkiBarua Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua

Dan French | On the productivity illusion, and the importance of asking why | Episode #89

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Dan French, Founder and CEO of Consider Solutions - a specialist consultancy and technology integrator serving some of the world's most recognised brands. With 25 years of experience advising on end-to-end business processes, operating models and finance transformation, Dan brings a sharp, no-nonsense perspective on what technology actually delivers - and what it doesn't. Main topics they discuss include: Why decades of technology investment have yielded surprisingly little improvement in economic productivity - and why silo efficiencies rarely make it onto the P&L The data quality blind spot holding back both classical and AI-driven technologies in finance How LLMs are making knowledge work more intense rather than less - and the real danger of abdicating critical thinking to AI Why asking "why" before reaching for any technology remains the most powerful move a CFO or finance function can make If you work in finance, technology, or anywhere near the intersection of the two, Dan French will challenge some of your assumptions - and sharpen the ones worth keeping. Do you want to know more about Dan French? Dan French is CEO at Consider Solutions, supporting global businesses with strategies, operating models and data insights to align, optimise and transform “end-to-end” business processes and create the maximum value from digitization. The core focus is delivering measurable business results in P&L, Working Capital, Balance Sheet and Risk Management impact, with a significant focus on Revenue (Customer to Cash), Spend (Demand/Source to Pay) and Financial Accounting (Record to Report) business cycles. With a background of 25 years in strategy, operations, general management, business processes, technology, performance improvement, risk management & compliance, Dan French also enjoys skiing, playing blues guitar and red wine though, for safety reasons, not all at the same time. www.consider.biz

Gry Hasselbalch | On human power and machine logic, and the sovereignty of thought | Episode #88

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Gry Hasselbalch - AI ethics researcher, digital rights advocate, and author of Human Power: Seven Traits for the Politics of the AI Machine Age. Gry has spent over two decades shaping the European conversation on digitalization, data ethics, and the politics of AI, including contributing to the EU's high-level expert group on AI and co-signing the Cannes Declaration on the sovereignty of human thought. In this wide-ranging conversation, she and Lasse explore what it really means to be human in an age that keeps trying to optimize it away. Main topics they discuss include: The age-old tension between mechanistic order and human complexity - and why the AI machine age is one of history's most aggressive bids to tip the balance Henri Bergson's distinction between intellect and intuition, and why AI captures one brilliantly while remaining fundamentally incapable of the other The homogenization of language and culture - how AI is colonizing human expression before we've even noticed what we've lost The Cannes Declaration on the sovereignty of human thought, and what it means to legally protect the mind from algorithmic manipulation EU regulation, digital sovereignty, and the geopolitical asymmetry that threatens to dismantle the very frameworks built to protect fundamental rights If you've ever felt that something quietly important is slipping away in how we think, write, and relate to each other - this conversation is for you. Do you want to know more about Gry Hasselbalch Gry Hasselbalch is a Danish author and scholar specialising in the politics and power dynamics of technology, with a focus on data, AI ethics, and the historical forces shaping technological development. Her work bridges policy, academia, and public engagement, and she is widely recognised for promoting a humanistic approach to technology. Through two decades, she has contributed to EU and global discussions on digitalisation, AI and data. She was a member of the EU's High-Level Expert Group on AI (2018-2020) which developed the EU's AI ethics guidelines that were transferred into the EU's momentous AI Act. Gry Hasselbalch holds a PhD in data/AI ethics and power and is the author of several critically acclaimed books including Human Power – Seven Traits for the Politics of the AI Machine Age (2025), Data Ethics of Power (2021), and Data Ethics – The New Competitive Advantage (2016). She has advised governments and international organisations, spoken at leading global events, and moderated high-level conferences for the European Commission and others. Her expertise is has been sought by major media, including CNN International, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Euronews, and Wired.

Mikkel Flyverbom | On the politics of the digital domain, and the challenge of aligning AI with society and business | Episode #87

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Mikkel Flyverbom, Professor of Communication and Digital Transformations, about why technology is never neutral and why the real challenge is not what technology is but what it does to us. Together, they explore how digital tools become infrastructure, how power and ideology get embedded in platforms, and why Europe now faces a defining moment for digital sovereignty. Main topics they discuss include: Why digital transformation is about alignment and misalignment rather than success or failure How AI, platforms, and social media both democratize access and create new gatekeepers Why digital infrastructure should be governed like roads, electricity, and public institutions What it takes to balance individual responsibility with political action, regulation, and European alternatives Do you want to know more about Mikkel Flyverbom? Mikkel Flyverbom is Professor of Communication and Digital Transformations at the Department of Management, Society and Communication,and the founding academic director of the BSc in Business Administration and Digital Management program, both at Copenhagen Business School.His research on digital transformations, data, tech governance and tech companies has been published in leading international journals, such as Business & Society, The Information Society, Telecommunications Policy, Organization Studies, Management Communication Quarterly, Organization, as well as a number of books. His most recent book, titled ‘The Digital Prism: Transparency and Managed Visibilities in a Datafied World’ has been published by Cambridge University Press. His research is cited widely, placing him among the top 2% of scholars worldwide according to the most recent Ioannidis/Stanford list. Mikkel Flyverbom has been a visiting professor at Stanford University, University of California, Santa Barbara, LUISS University and Rutgers University. He is a member of the Danish government’s Data Ethics Council and Expert Group, Digital Task Foce for AI and former chairman of the Expert Group on Tech Giants, and a widely used media expert on digital transformations and the tech industry.

Walter Quattrociocchi | On Fluency and Judgment in AI, and the Fragility of Human Trust | Episode #86

In this episode, Lasse Rindom speaks with Walter Quattrociocchi, complexity scientist and professor of computer science, about what really happens when language becomes automated and answers arrive without the effort of thinking. Their conversation circles around: Why large language models simulate judgment rather than possess it, and why benchmarks miss the point The concept of "Epistemia" - when fluent wording replaces verification and we feel we know without having evaluated How AI increases content production while quietly eroding trust in content itself Reliability, error, and the danger of delegating decisions to systems that cannot recognise their own mistakes Whether expertise becomes rarer - and more valuable - in a world full of convincing but ungrounded answers It is less a debate about machines becoming intelligent, and more a question of what happens to human judgment when fluency becomes cheap and cognitive labour optional. Do you want to know more about Walter Quattrociocchi? Walter Quattrociocchi is Full Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, leading the Center of Data Science and Complexity for Society (CDCS). His research interests encompass data science, network science, cognitive science, and data-driven modeling of dynamic processes in complex networks. Professor Quattrociocchi has an extensive publication record in peer-reviewed conferences and journals, including Nature and PNAS. His research on misinformation spreading has informed the Global Risk Report 2016 and 2017 of the World Economic Forum. International media have extensively covered his work, including Scientific American, New Scientist, The Economist, The Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Fortune, Poynter, and The Atlantic. In 2017, Professor Quattrociocchi coordinated the round table on Fake News and the role of Universities and Research in countering fake news, chaired by the President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, Mrs. Laura Boldrini. In 2018, he served as the scientific advisor to the Italian Communication Authority (AGCOM), and in 2020, he was a member of the Task Force to Counter Hate Speech, appointed by the Minister of Innovation. He has recently been one of the Principal Investigators of the IRIS research coalition (UK/G7) focused on combating misinformation about vaccine hesitancy and climate change. In 2023, the US State Department appointed him to the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on the topic of Data-Driven Policies. Professor Quattrociocchi is regularly invited to deliver keynote speeches and guest lectures at major academic institutions and other organizations.

Kathy Pham | On how Workday balances high stakes with rapid innovation, and the ambiguity of purpose | Episode #85

In this episode, Lasse Rindom speaks with Kathy Pham, global AI leader at Workday and long-time voice in responsible technology. The conversation moves straight past surface-level “AI is cool” talk and into agency, purpose, governance, and what actually happens when autonomous systems meet real work and real people. 4 sharp conversation topics from the episode Agency vs purpose - how giving tools more autonomy can quietly remove meaning from the very tasks we thought we were optimizing The balance between technology fading into the background and moments where its presence must be explicit. How governance can be an accelerator, and why good rules and architecture do not slow innovation but actually make teams move faster without creating tech and social debt The tension between flexible, composable systems and the need for clear structures so AI can navigate finance, HR, and planning without going off the rails This episode is less about “what AI can do” and more about what we should let it do, and what happens to human purpose when efficiency becomes the default answer. Do you want to know more about Kathy Pham? Kathy Pham is vice president of artificial intelligence at Workday. She also serves as the first Workday AI ambassador, and hosts the AI Horizons video series. A computer scientist and product leader, Kathy has experience across industry, academia, non-profits, venture capital, and government. In addition to her role at Workday, Kathy’s a senior advisor at Mozilla, where she co-founded the Mozilla Builders Incubator and Mozilla Responsible Computing, funding and enabling start-up founders and academics. And she’s on the faculty at Harvard University, where she created and teaches the Product Management and Society course and co-founded the Ethical Tech Working Group. She also serves on various technology and non-profit boards. Previously, Kathy served as the inaugural executive director of the National AI Advisory Committee, was deputy chief technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, and was a founding engineering and product member of the U.S. Digital Service at the White House, where she helped build critical digital services in government across three presidential administrations. In addition, Kathy spent over a decade building large scale systems in industry and healthcare at Google (search, health, people operations), IBM, and Harris Healthcare. She also previously served as a fellow at the MIT Media Lab and at the Harvard Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative, where she co-founded ai-in-the-loop, exploring how AI fits into the human world. Kathy completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and Supelec in Metz, France.

Phil Lee | On regulation and AI, and the challenge of balancing innovation with control | Episode #84

In this episode, Lasse Rindom speaks with Phil Lee, the Managing Director of Digiphile and a leading legal expert on data privacy, GDPR, and the evolving EU digital rulebook. It is a conversation that moves beyond the hype of the AI Act to explore the practical, often messy reality of compliance, investigating how organizations can navigate the "regulatory vicious circle" without stifling innovation. 4 sharp conversation topics from the episode: - How excessive complexity in legislation causes companies to accidentally fall out of compliance, prompting regulators to create more rules, which only deepens the problem. - Why the biggest governance headache isn't always new tools, but existing vendors quietly rolling out AI features - like a PDF reader suddenly sending data to servers in China via a software update. - The legal reality that systems cannot be held accountable, meaning that regardless of how autonomous an AI agent becomes, a human must always remain in the loop to absorb the liability. - Looking beyond personal data (GDPR) to the new Data Act, which essentially serves as competition law designed to break vendor lock-in and force cloud providers to make proprietary data portable. This conversation sets the tone and the reality for the interplay of regulation and innovation and is not to be missed by practitioners in the field of AI and data. Do you want to know more about Phil Lee? Phil is a lawyer with over 20 years' experience, specialising in data protection and artificial intelligence. His practice focuses mainly on technology, cloud and digital media companies, and he has worked in both London and California. Phil Lee runs UK challenger law firm, Digiphile, which specialises in data protection, AI, and digital regulation. Digiphile's mission is to provide its global clients across all sectors with simple, strategic and actionable legal advice. He holds CIPP/E, CIPM, AIGP and FIP status with the IAPP, and a degree in Computer Science from Cambridge University.