AI Governance Podcast

This episode of Enzai's AI Governance Podcast features Nell Watson.Nell is a machine intelligence researcher, engineer, philosopher, and author of Taming the Machine: Ethically Harness the Power of AI. She leads several prominent efforts in the responsible AI space, chairs IEEE’s ECPAIS Transparency Experts Focus Group and has previously advised Apple.

In an episode recorded at Enzai’s office in Belfast, Nell joined Var Shankar to discuss:

- how scaffolding will incrementally help today’s foundational AI models improve significantly

- why agentic AI will require new ways of thinking about AI governance

- how AI labs should think about instilling morals into foundational models

- the implications of personal AI assistants becoming ubiquitous and understanding us intimately; and

- why organizations and policymakers should prepare for rapid change. 

This episode of Enzai's AI Governance Podcast features Scott Cooper. Nobody understands the international standardization space better than Scott. An advocate for consumer protection, Scott’s was previously VP for Policy at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Scott also worked with lawmakers, companies and civil society – including advising the US House of Representatives and the CEO of Hewlett-Packard on consumer protection, governance, and standardization issues. Scott joined Enzai’s Var Shankar to discuss:

- how international standardization can help with many of the challenges that AI governance faces today, from benchmarking to upskilling;

- the origin of American standardization efforts during the 1840s, in the context of steam engine and ship safety;

- how the creation of land grant colleges during the American Civil War helped rapidly train a generation of engineers;

- how the assurance regime for toy safety – which brought together Chinese manufacturers, American retailers, and ISO-accredited testing, inspection and auditing companies – was eventually incorporated into hard law; and

- the implications of AI being accessible via natural language, in any language.

This episode of Enzai's AI Governance Podcast features Ashley Casovan. As Managing Director of IAPP’s AI Governance Center, Ashley helps industry leaders, policymakers and professionals better understand AI regulations and risks. Ashley joined the podcast with Enzai's Var Shankar to discuss:

- how public sector responsible AI efforts have progressed globally since Ashley led the drafting of Canada’s Directive on Automated Decision-making in 2021;

- the importance of connecting, educating and certifying AI governance practitioners, including through IAPP’s AI Governance Professional (AIGP) certification;

- IAPP’s initiatives in AI, privacy and cybersecurity – and why cross-functional leadership is important in AI governance;

- how policymakers have adopted varying approaches to AI governance in different jurisdictions; and

- the important role that civil society is playing in the AI community.

This episode of Enzai's AI Governance Podcast features Abhinav Raghunathan. Abhinav is an AI scientist and Founder of the Ethical AI Database, a resource that maps and analyzes the landscape of responsible AI organizations. Abhinav joined the podcast with Enzai's Var Shankar to discuss:

- use cases in which organizations have successfully incorporated Generative AI into their workflows;

- trends in AI governance programs and training efforts;

- why Abhinav founded the Ethical AI Database;

- some of the trends covered in the Ethical AI Database report for 1H 2024; and

- the potential for new initiatives in the responsible AI space.

This episode of Enzai's AI Governance Podcast features Carlos Ignacio Gutierrez. Carlos is a global expert on AI soft law and has published a global database of over 600 AI soft law programs. Carlos joined the podcast with Enzai's Var Shankar to discuss: - how should organizations using Generative AI comply with with regulatory requirements; - what major AI risks should policymakers be focused on; - how hard law and soft law work together in AI governance; - what promising governance models from other fields can we adapt for the AI field; and - how business leaders and entrepreneurs should approach AI governance.

Dr. Cari Miller is the Founder of the Center for Inclusive Change and the AI Procurement Lab, Vice Chair of the IEEE P3119 Working Group, and a globally recognized expert in AI procurement. In this episode of the AI Governance Podcast, Cari joins Enzai's Var Shankar to discuss the many ways in which AI can enter an organization, the RMF PAIS framework for AI procurement, how organizations should approach upskilling to better harness AI’s potential productivity gains, and how agentic systems will change the future of work.

Kai Zenner is the Head of Office & Digital Policy Advisor to MEP Axel Voss in the European Parliament. In this episode of the AI Governance Podcast, Kai joins Enzai's Var Shankar to discuss the EU AI Act, organizational roles including deployer and provider, regulator expectations, AI standards and lessons for policymakers in the US and UK.