Cambridge Executive Business Insights

Rethinking banking with AI: building an AI fluent culture Oscar Barlow

In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Oscar Barlow, Head of AI Advocacy at Starling Bank, about how one of the UK’s leading digital banks is embedding AI across its organisation and customer experience. Oscar shares how Starling’s agile, technology-first culture has enabled rapid AI adoption, from AI champions and internal enablement programmes to customer-facing tools like spending intelligence and AI-powered scam detection. The conversation explores regulation, trust, AI fluency, agentic AI, and what the future of banking could look like as humans and AI increasingly work side by side. A fascinating discussion on innovation, culture, and the next era of financial services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

From Frugal Innovation to Machine Consciousness

In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Dr. Daniel Hulme, CEO of Satalia and Chief AI Officer at WPP, about the future of artificial intelligence, from real-world business applications to the possibility of machine consciousness. They explore how AI is transforming industries like marketing, why constraints can drive innovation, and what leaders need to do to stay ahead, while also tackling bigger questions around ethics, superintelligence, and what an AI-driven future means for humanity.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How AI is Reshaping Influence, Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Decision-Making at Board Level

In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Nick Ford Young, co-CEO of Boldspace, about how AI is transforming marketing and communications. They explore “agentic” workflows, the balance between automation and human creativity, and why judgment remains essential in an AI-powered world. Nick shares how Boldstream integrates data, strategy and real-time insights to reshape decision-making and learning. The conversation also tackles risks, such as bias and over-reliance, and what the future holds for agencies, brands and talent. A thoughtful look at how AI can augment, not replace, human ingenuity in modern business.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Technology, Impact, and Global Equity

This episode features Anusha Dandapani, Chief of Data and AI at the UNICC AI Hub (United Nations International Computing Centre), exploring how the UN is building scalable, responsible AI across its global system. She shares insights on creating shared AI infrastructure, overcoming fragmented systems, and shifting from experimentation to institutional adoption. The conversation highlights “frugal AI” - focusing on social impact over cost alone - and reveals surprising cost drivers like governance, data preparation, and workforce upskilling. Anusha also discusses balancing innovation with trust, embedding responsible AI practices, and preparing organisations for emerging agentic systems, offering practical lessons for leaders aiming to build purposeful, efficient AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Case For Frugal AI in a World of Giant Models

In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Firas Ben Hassan, Head of Agentic AI Solutions Hub at Allianz Technology. Firas shares his journey from fraud detection data scientist to leading Allianz’s agentic AI initiatives, including AllianzGPT. He explains the concept of frugal AI - using simpler, more efficient, and more explainable models instead of defaulting to the largest systems. The conversation explores responsible, human-centred AI in financial services, regulatory guardrails, levels of AI autonomy, and how organisations can balance innovation, efficiency, and trust in an era of rapidly advancing AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]