Hitchhiker's Guide to AI Governance
A podcast hosted by Bruce Mullan exploring AI governance, inspired by the Australian AI Governance Standard's 42 statements. Each episode features conversations with policymakers, AI vendors, researchers, ethicists, industry leaders, and civil society voices on the challenges of creating, governing, and using AI. The show aims to collect insights and cautionary tales from the front lines of AI governance around the world.
Episodes
#16 Preview: Kevin Appleby - The AI-Enabled CFO: From Crunching Numbers to Thinking Strategically
Don't panic. In our next episode, Finance consultant, coach and GrowCFO podcast host Kevin Appleby, explores how AI could reshape the role of the CFO and the finance function.In this preview, Kevin talks about the compelling AI opportunity of less time crunching numbers and more time for finding a thinking space. What it means for CFOs is better analysis of the numbers, challenging assumptions, ex
#15 Michele Barry - AI Can Do the Admin. Can It Handle the Awkward Conversation?
Don't panic. Michele Barry, a mediation expert and engagement specialist, shares her insights on early employee engagement and navigating workplace conflict that comes with AI driven change.Key topicsThe role of mediation in organizational conflictHow AI impacts workplace relationships and conflictStrategies for early intervention and conflict preventionThe importance of trust and communication in
#15 Preview: Michele Barry - AI Can Do the Admin. Can It Handle the Awkward Conversation?
Don't panic. In our next episode, Michele Barry, a mediation expert and engagement specialist, shares her insights on early employee engagement and navigating workplace conflict that comes with AI driven change.In this preview, Michele reflects on how people can respond when they fear AI or organisational change might threaten their jobs. When fear sets in, leaders need to offer more than reassura
#14 Sarah Barnbrook - Navigating AI ethics: When unsafe technology and human experience collide
Don't panic. Sarah Barnbrook, a socio technologist and CEO of Xallarap, discusses the critical issues surrounding AI ethics, and safety. She shares insights on AI risks, discusses tragic cases in unsafe technology use, the importance of proactive regulation, and her innovative assessment tool, ALT-TAB, to help organizations navigate AI deployment responsibly.Sarah is CEO and Founder of Xallarap -
Bonus: Masterclass - Trust Your Guardrails: How AI Governance Enables AI to Scale
Don't panic. What happens when an organisation spends millions switching on Microsoft Copilot for 9,000 employees without first asking what problem it is solving, what data Copilot can access, how people will use it, or what success looks like?This episode explores a real-world Copilot deployment that demonstrates how quickly an AI initiative can turn from a productivity opportunity into a privacy
#14 Preview - Sarah Barnbrook on the Chemisphere: Why We Need People, Not Just AI Platforms
Don't panic. Next week's episode is all about ethical AI with socio-technologist Sarah Barnbrook.In this clip, the conversation touched on the human implications of AI. In an increasingly digital world, Sarah argues that we’re losing something fundamental: the chemistry of face-to-face human connection. She describes the “chemisphere” as the human-to-human interaction and chemical response that ha
#13 Keturah Charlesworth - Unmasking Shadow AI: A Conversation on Its Hidden Influence
Don't Panic! Today's episode is all about AI and privacy with Keturah Charlesworth, Privacy expert.AI has emerged as a modern-day enigma. As we navigate through its complexities, a striking observation was made: many people are caught between denial and action regarding their use of AI.In this episode, Ketchura Charlesworth shares insights on AI governance, privacy laws, shadow AI, and how organis
#13 Preview - Just like CrowdStrike and Ozempic: What we don’t know about AI can hurt us
Don't Panic! Next week's episode is all about AI and privacy with Keturah Charlesworth, Privacy expert.In this clip our conversation touched on the broader implications of AI. An analogy was made to CrowdStrike, a vendor that faced a catastrophic software upgrade, bringing down 8.5 million Microsoft computers world-wide due to unforeseen vulnerabilities. Keturah likens AI to Ozempic, the miracle d
#9 Part 2 Phyllis Elin - Bringing Information Governance into the AI era
Don’t panic. In this episode, due to popular demand, Phyllis Elin returns to the pod to continue our conversation about AI and information governance.Phyllis Elin shares her extensive expertise in information governance, the impact of AI on data management, and the importance of clean, well-structured data for effective AI deployment. She discusses her recent awards, her insights on records retent
Bonus: AI Didn't Wait for IT. Neither Did I. That's why I created AI Governance Partners.
Don't panic. In this bonus episode, I reflect on my journey of over 30 years in IT, where I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of technology in businesses. Traditional technology implementations followed a structured process, but the emergence of AI has changed the game. Unlike everything before it, AI tools like ChatGPT can be accessed and used directly by employees without waiting
#12 Derek Crager - Human First AI: How to Win with AI Without Losing What Makes Us Human
Don’t panic. In this episode, I picked up Derek Crager. Derek is a visionary AI Solutions Architect & founder of Practical AI. And he's also a Hoosier (someone from Indiana US).His insights provide a refreshing perspective on how AI can complement human capabilities rather than replace them.Derek emphasizes the importance of a human-first approach to AI. He believes that AI should enhance the
#11 Ambrion AI - You can't put AI in jail. The EU AI Act activations from August 2 2026.
Don't panic. On August 2, 2026, the EU AI Act activates core transparency duties under Article 50, grants the European AI Office broad enforcement powers over general-purpose models, and adjusts previous high-risk compliance timelines.In this episode, I picked up John Webb-O'Rourke and Shane McCarthy from Ambrion AI, an Irish intelligence company purpose built for the AI era. John is a recovering
Bonus: Masterclass - How to get ahead of the AI regulation compliance curve with good AI governance.
Don't panic. This week I share what good AI governance looks like in Australia.To watch this episode as a video visit: https://youtu.be/ygSaj2_yWVg?si=4FXRLMMZqbeYd5DGEpisode Navigation0:00 When AI goes wrong, it goes badly wrong2:10 Why our Regulators are twitchy4:43 Examples of AI systems and use cases6:07 Biggest challenge when deploying AI systems7:36 Why do we need an AI Governance Standard?8
#10 Part 2 Pamela Frost - Disrupt Yourself Before the AI Does (aka reimagine your relevance)
Don’t panic. In this engaging two part episode, I picked up Career Transition expert, Pamela Frost. Pamela has thirty years of expertise across capability assessment, talent management, career transition coaching, leadership development and employee engagement. Pamela is the founder and CEO of Adapt and Thrive, a multi-tool, multi-layered AI platform enabling people to realise their potential and
#10 Part 1 Pamela Frost - Disrupt Yourself Before the AI Does (aka reimagine your relevance)
Don’t panic. In this engaging two part episode, I picked up Career Transition expert, Pamela Frost. Pamela has thirty years of expertise across capability assessment, talent management, career transition coaching, leadership development and employee engagement. Pamela is the founder and CEO of Adapt and Thrive, a multi-tool, multi-layered AI platform enabling people to realise their potential and
#9 Part 1 Phyllis Elin - Bringing Information Governance into the AI era
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up Information Governance expert, Phyllis Elin.With over three decades of senior information governance leadership, Phyllis Elin helps her global clients create, deploy, and maintain defensible and cost-saving information governance strategies.After 30 years, she's now preparing to bring Information Governance into the AI era.Key TakeawaysThe importance of rec
#8 Gerry McCusker - Never let a good AI crisis go to waste
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up Crisis Expert, Gerry McCusker.Gerry McCusker is the driving force behind The Drill, unique software for crisis simulation training.Gerry talks about:AI Risks Are Often Old Risks in New PackagingFocus on Consequences, Not the TechnologyAI Amplifies Existing Organisational WeaknessesOrganisations Need Business Continuity and Crisis Planning for AICrisis Prepa
#6 Part 2 Professor Michael Davern - An academic perspective on being human in an AI craze
Don’t panic. In this Part 2 episode I picked up Professor Michael Davern. Michael is the Professor of Accounting & Business Information Systems at the prestigious University of Melbourne. Michael has been working with AI since the 1990s and his depth of knowledge and experience in applying AI to real world problems is indeed, exceptional. Michael tells me about: AI Does Not Remove Human Respo
#7 Duncan Brett - How to avoid the AI tax
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up COO Duncan Brett. Duncan is the successful Chief Operating Officer at Decidr AI. Duncan shares his perspectives about these topics: - AI is Really About “Intelligence”, Not Just Models- Governance, Sovereignty & Trust Are Becoming Core Business Issues - Businesses Are Racing Into AI Without Foundations - Department-Led AI Could Create Chaos - Human + AI
#6 Part 1 Professor Michael Davern - An academic perspective on being human in an AI craze
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up Professor Michael Davern. Michael is the Professor of Accounting & Business Information Systems at the prestigious University of Melbourne. Michael has been working with AI since the 1990s and his depth of knowledge and experience in applying AI to real world human problems is indeed, exceptional. Michael chats about these topics:Asking the Right Questi
#5 Jacinta Whelan - AI is the opportunity of a lifetime to design the career you want
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up Jacinta Whelan. Jacinta is the eminently successful lead Partner at Watermark Search Melbourne. Jacinta specialises in placing seasoned C-Suite professionals in organisations for specific missions rather than permanent roles. Jacinta talks about AI as the opportunity of a lifetime, it all depends on how you look at it: AI adoption for older workers is prima
#4 Philip Cornish - An AI perspective from the community sector
Don’t panic. In this episode I picked up Phil Cornish. Philip, our resident human in the loop, has over twenty years of board level experience across the commercial, government and not for profit sectors with particular experience in the community sector as a Board Chair. Phil shares his AI perspectives in the context of a life well lived serving community and health organisations for his entire
#3 Neil Butler - Reinventing Change Management for the AI era
Don’t panic. Today, I speak with Neil Butler from Untypical, a boutique change management consulting practice. Neil has been delivery change for over 30 years across Australia and believes most of the way organisations do change is too process driven. We need stronger change leaders, less artefacts and a relentless focus on the outcomes we want to enable lasting change. Neil shares his philosophy
#2 Ambrion AI - AI Governance must be built in, not added on
Don’t panic. Today I speak with John Webb-O'Rourke and Shane McCarthy from Ambrion AI, an Irish intelligence company purpose built for the AI era. In this lively conversation, John and Shane share their starkly different AI Governance journeys, describe the state of AI governance transition in Ireland and the EU, share their recent AI successes along with some lamentable flaws of well-known AI t
#1 Dr Darryl Carlton - Garbage In, Gospel Out
Don’t panic. Today I speak with Dr Darryl Carlton, author of 8 books including his latest and most successful: Garbage in gospel out, the practitioners workbook for transforming AI governance. In this in-depth interview, Dr Darryl Carlton shares his 50+ years of experience in AI, discussing the evolution of AI systems, governance challenges, and practical advice for leaders navigating the AI land
