The Irish Tech News Podcast

NTT DATA, a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services, opened its new Dublin office earlier in the week and I attended the opening. Whilst I was there I interviewed Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Marianne Checkley, CEO Kinia and Professor Dan Kilper, Director CONNECT Centre Trinity College Dublin. 
I spoke to Minister Burke about NTT DATA being good for the Irish economy. I then spoke to Marianne Checkley about the excellent stem work Kinia is doing and how NTT DATA is helping them. Lastly I spoke to professor Dan Kilper about the great work the Connect Centre in Trinity College Dublin is doing with NTT DATA.

Since 2023, illicit financial activity has surged by $1.3 trillion, reaching an estimated $4.4 trillion globally. The reason isn't a mystery: bad actors have AI now too.
In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theodora Lau sits down with Tyler Allen, CEO of Unit21, to unpack what's happening on the front lines of AI-powered fraud. Tyler was Unit21's founding software engineer and he is now leading the company through a moment he calls "have your cake and eat it too": AI is finally cheaper than the human labor it could replace, and unlike humans, it doesn't get alert fatigue.
The conversation goes deeper on:
• The fundamental asymmetry between attackers and defenders — and why AI made it worse
• Why majority of AI pilots fail (hint: it's almost never the technology) 
• Why AI makes sense for financial crime prevention and detection 
• What he asks potential buyers, from ownership and goals, to risk tolerance and more 
• What every FI should be demanding from their AI vendors
A conversation about the new physics of fraud — and the human consequences of getting it wrong. 

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

📍Hot take:   ”It's a have your cake and eat it too moment … it feels good to be in a space where you do have societal impact.”

Keywords: AI, AI Agents, Fintech, Fraud, Risk Management

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and Intro
00:26 Robots to AI Fraud
01:31 AI Fuels Crime Surge
05:19 Alert Fatigue and Checks
07:26 Who Adopts AI Fastest
09:30 First Questions for Buyers
16:18 Vendor Evaluation Checklist
22:25 Pilot to Production Lessons
27:26 Tyler’s Career Origin Story
31:36 Books, Podcasts, and Learning

More about our guest 
🌐Tyler Allen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylertallen/ 

More about our host and One Vision Podcast 
🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 
🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 
🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 
🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

In partnership with Heineken Ireland, AssistiV, wants to bring life changing technology to the hospitality sector that will support growth in the trade by helping fill job vacancies and foster inclusivity. To find out more about this I spoke to 
Barbara Anne Richardson, Sustainability and Public Affairs Manager at Heineken Ireland and Alan Craughwell, AssistiV Ireland CEO. Barbara and Alan talk about their backgrounds, what AssistiV does, Heineken’s partnership with AssistiV, Heineken’s  and AssistiV’s rollout across the company and more. 
More about AssistiV :
AssistiV is an assistive technology platform that supports people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and learning disabilities to complete workplace tasks independently through step-by-step guidance.
It offers personalised prompts, routine reminders, and guidance whether preparing breakfast, packing a bag, or catching the bus.  By removing barriers to employment like numeracy and literacy challenges, AssistiV levels the playing field and makes it easier for people with disabilities to work. To date, AssistiV is already supporting people with intellectual disabilities in hospitality and in other sectors - with aim to support 1,000 jobs within 5 years.

After more than a decade of crossing paths at conferences and following each other’s work, Theodora Lau finally gets the opportunity to host Sarah Biller, Co-Founder & Member Board of Directors of Fintech Sandbox, and Bank Director and Investor of Thread Bank, on the One Vision Podcast. 
In this episode, Sarah talks about building innovation ecosystems beyond traditional hubs, including her work in West Virginia and the influence of leaders like Brad Smith and John Chambers. Sarah describes what she looks for in founders. It’s about digging deep, listening closely, and finding solutions that truly matter. 
The conversation turns to AI’s rapid adoption in financial services, the shift to agentic AI, risks of replacing human judgment in regulated credit decisions, and the need to prioritize understanding and human-centered outcomes over speed and efficiency. The real constraint on a better financial future isn't AI, it's data, and whoever controls access to it controls the upper hand. 
And the episode closes on something both Sarah and Theo keep returning to in their work: the fragility of the household balance sheet, the millions of Americans who are one flat tire away from financial distress, and the choice in front of an AI-enabled industry — to widen that gap, or close it.
If AI is the most transformative technology any of us will see in our lifetimes., whose financial future are we actually building?
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

📍Hot take: “ The next generation of financial services, if it is to correctly harness the power of AI to get there, it's not speed that matters, but understanding. And AI has to understand like you and I do as humans.” 

Keywords: AI, Fintech, Open Banking, Data, Future Of Work, Podcast 

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:42 Building Ecosystems in Appalachia
07:00 Traits of Great Founders
12:04 Data Access and Open Banking
17:22 AI Hype vs Human Impact
18:40 Agentic AI and Relationship Banking
29:42 Friction Matters in Money
33:45 Midyear Surprises and What’s Next
39:30 Closing Thanks and Farewell

More about our guest 
🌐Sarah Biller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbiller/ 
More about our host and One Vision Podcast 
🌐Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 
🌐Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book): https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 
🌐Unconventional Ventures (company): https://www.unconventionalventures.com/ 
🌐Listen to all One Vision Podcast episodes by visiting: https://shows.acast.com/one-vision

Magnet+, the leading independent provider of enterprise connectivity, cloud-based voice solutions and managed services, is seeing a significant increase in the uptake of Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) by businesses nationwide at the moment. Magnet+, part of Speed Fibre Group, serves over 7,000 customers across Ireland and Europe, including 70% of the world’s leading tech companies located in Ireland.
The increase in DIA uptake (1G and up) is due to the fact that more and more organisations across Ireland are accelerating investment in cloud-based systems and platforms, real time data and collab tools, AI, cybersecurity and multi-site / hybrid working environments. 
To find out more about DIA and its uptake I spoke to Patrick Masterson, MD of Magnet+. Patrick talks to me about his background, what Magnet+ does, DIA, digital transformation and more.
More about Patrick Masterson, MD of Magnet Plus:
Patrick Masterson was appointed MD of Magnet Plus three years ago. With over 20 years of experience across a variety of areas including commercial, sales and marketing, Patrick’s reputation for driving commercial activities and improving overall business performance is a key asset to Magnet Plus.
Prior to joining Magnet Plus, he held several Commercial Director and Chief Commercial Officer roles in leading Irish companies across the Retail, Healthcare and Technology sectors. He also has an MBA with Henley Business School in the U.K.