Today’s guest is Kyle Hathorn, Director of Customer Experience and Strategy at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). FNBO is a privately held, family-led financial institution with over $32 billion in assets and approximately 4,500 employees, offering personal, business, commercial, and wealth banking across eight Midwestern states, alongside a national reach through its credit‑card programs. Kyle joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how banks can meet rising customer expectations while navigating economic uncertainty and digital transformation. Together, they unpack the unique challenges of delivering seamless, personalized experiences in a heavily regulated, multi-platform environment. From the impacts of inflation on customer loyalty to the cautious integration of AI, Kyle emphasizes the importance of trust, transparency, and alignment across product and data teams. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click  for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj’s flagship’ AI in Business’ podcast! If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Trust and Transformation in Banking CX – with Kyle Hathorn of FNBO

This week on Buzzinga.ai, we dive into a massive week of AI news that spans hardware, software, and policy. OpenAI is reportedly readying the launch of its next-generation GPT-5 model for as early as August, just as rival Anthropic seeks a staggering $150 billion valuation.

The episode explores the heating up hardware race, with Huawei unveiling a new computing system to rival Nvidia's best as Chinese tech firms form alliances to reduce reliance on U.S. chips. We also cover major corporate moves, including Meta hiring a co-creator of ChatGPT to lead its new Superintelligence Lab and Tesla facing shareholder questions over its investments in Elon Musk's xAI. Additionally, the discussion touches on the human side of AI, from a programmer's victory over an AI in a coding contest to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's stark warnings on job loss and voice-cloning fraud. The conversation also highlights key developments in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia's robotaxi trial in Riyadh and new AI initiatives in the UAE.


Buzzinga.ai: GPT-5's August Launch, Huawei's Nvidia Rival, and Meta Hires a ChatGPT Co-Creator

In episode 11 of the iGaming AFRIKA Podcast, Leon Mutua, Key Account Manager at Sofascore, highlights the role of data in shaping localized business approaches, the need for balanced, collaborative regulation, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI, micro-betting, crash games, and crypto in driving innovation and responsible gaming across the continent.

Leon dives deep into the contrasting dynamics of African markets, using Nigeria and South Africa as prime examples of volume-versus-value betting behaviors. He highlights emerging markets like Uganda, Zambia, DRC, and Ghana as fertile ground for operators, thanks to low competition tech-savvy youth, and increasing access to mobile infrastructure.

Leon stressed that regulation should be seen as necessary collaboration between governments and operators. He discusses real-world examples from Rwanda’s sudden tax hike to Ghana’s tax removal policy and explained how balanced, consultative regulation can drive player trust and industry sustainability.

Leon also explored how innovation is shaping the future of iGaming in Africa. From AI-driven personalization to micro-betting and crash games like Aviator, tech is enabling richer, safer, and more tailored player experiences. He champions the rise of mobile money and crypto as essential tools that are expanding access and inclusion across borders, especially in unbanked populations.

Crucially, he advocated for responsible gaming. Drawing inspiration from Kenya’s credit bureau model, Leon envisions a shared player risk profile system that would protect players across platforms, enabling early detection of harmful behaviors while supporting operators and regulators in building a safer ecosystem.

Join our Community on Telegram: https://t.me/igaminginafrica

Unlocking Growth and Innovation in African iGaming with Technology Podcast with Leon Mutua

Methods in Ecology and Evolution author René Steinmann chats to Harriet about his research article 'Decoding the footsteps of the African savanna: Classifying wildlife using seismic signals and machine learning'. 

The study investigates the seismic signal properties of African savanna species during locomotion and employs machine learning techniques to classify wildlife based on these footfall signals. 

Read René's full research article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70021

Read René's post on the Methods Blog here: https://methodsblog.com/2025/05/19/the-ground-beneath-their-feetlistening-in-on-africas-wildlife-using-seismic-sensors/

Methods in Ecology and Evolution | Dr René Steinmann : Decoding the footsteps of the African savanna

Is your AI stuck in the past? In this episode, we dive into the transformative world of Test-Time Neural Plasticity, - AI models that don't just operate but learn and adapt in real time. Join leading AI researchers and technology strategists as we explore how dynamic neural networks are revolutionizing customer interactions, financial risk management, and smart manufacturing. Are we ready to trust AI that reshapes itself on the fly? Tune in and discover why the future belongs to systems that keep learning long after they're deployed.

Bit & Being - Test-Time Neural Plasticity: AI That Adapts on the Fly

What happens when cutting-edge AI meets crumbling Latin inscriptions? In this episode, we explore how DeepMind’s Aeneas system is transforming the way historians restore and interpret ancient texts, - bridging millennia with machine learning. Joined by experts in archaeology and AI, we unpack how algorithms are now co-authoring history, reviving long-lost voices from the Roman Empire. Can a neural network understand antiquity better than a scholar? And what does this mean for the future of digital humanities, historical truth, and innovation at the intersection of tech and culture? Tune in for a conversation where past and future collide.

Bit & Being - The Future of History: How AI Co-Authors the Past

In this episode, we unpack the urgent warning from over 40 AI researchers who say our rare view into AI’s “inner monologue” may soon disappear. You’ll hear how leaders from OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, Meta, and more are joining forces to keep AI transparent, - and why that’s both a technical and strategic challenge. We explore real cases where monitoring AI’s reasoning caught risky behavior, the forces that could make such insight vanish, and what innovation leaders should be doing now to keep the glass from going dark.

Bit & Being - AI’s Inner Monologue: A Window into Transparency That May Soon Close

In episode 20 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with data engineering and cognitive science expert Vasilije Markovic to explore AI memory and how we can build more intelligent systems. From the challenges of "context rot" to the practical applications of AI memory in construction, education, and finance, this conversation covers how to give your AI the context it truly needs.

Subscribe

Open Source Ready - Ep. #20, Exploring AI Memory with Vasilije Markovic of Cognee

Welcome to "AI with Shaily" 🎙️, your ultimate destination for the freshest and most exciting updates in the world of artificial intelligence, hosted by Shailendra Kumar, also known as Shaily. 

In this latest episode, Shaily dives into a fascinating breakthrough from Technion’s Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences. Imagine a technology that can monitor your eye movements 👀 as you read and decode exactly how you’re interacting with the text. Whether you’re deeply understanding the material, skimming for quick facts, or revisiting familiar content, this AI-powered system knows! This incredible innovation is the brainchild of a talented team led by doctoral student Omer Shubi and master’s student Cfir Hadar, guided by Dr. Yevgeni Berzak. By combining machine learning 🤖 and natural language processing 📚, their system analyzes eye movement patterns to understand not just what you read, but how and why you read it.

This groundbreaking research was showcased at the prestigious ACL 2025 conference in Vienna 🇦🇹 and holds immense promise for education and e-learning. Imagine adaptive learning platforms that respond in real-time to your reading behavior, adjusting lessons based on whether you’re struggling or breezing through content. This means personalized education tailored to your unique learning style—no more generic one-size-fits-all approaches!

Shaily shares a personal reflection, recalling tutoring sessions where he noticed students’ glazed eyes without them saying a word. With this new technology, educators could instantly gain those insights, making teaching more dynamic, responsive, and effective 🎓.

For lifelong learners, Shaily offers a handy tip 💡: to improve retention, alternate between deep reading and scanning for key points. This keeps your brain engaged, and as the new research suggests, your eyes reveal a lot about your reading habits.

To leave you with a thought-provoking question: If AI can decode your gaze to understand your thoughts, how comfortable would you feel about having your eye movements tracked by machines? 🤔

Shaily wraps up with a nod to the legendary Alan Turing’s famous question, “Can machines think?” With innovations like this eye-tracking AI, the answer seems to be edging closer to yes.

Don’t miss out on more AI insights—follow Shaily on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Medium. Subscribe to "AI with Shaily" for your weekly dose of AI news and share your thoughts in the comments: Are you excited or a bit spooked by this eye-tracking technology? 

This is Shailendra Kumar signing off—keep those eyes curious and your mind open! 👓✨

Eye-Tracking AI: How Machines Decode Your Reading Habits in Real Time

Welcome to "AI with Shaily," hosted by Shailendra Kumar, where we explore the fascinating and rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and machine learning! 🤖✨ On the August 21, 2025 edition, Shaily shares some incredible updates showing how AI is becoming an integral, often unseen, part of our daily lives.

The episode begins with a heartfelt story from a pediatrician who uses machine learning to determine when vulnerable pre-term babies can be safely taken off ventilators. 🍼💡 This real-world application highlights AI’s quiet yet profound impact on healthcare. Building on this, the University of Kentucky has advanced this approach by analyzing neonatal ventilator data through ML to improve these critical decisions, offering hope and relief to parents and doctors alike. ❤️👶

Next, the focus shifts to cybersecurity. Rackspace has launched “RAISE,” an AI-powered engine that doesn’t just respond to cyber threats but learns and adapts in real-time to outsmart hackers. 🛡️🕵️‍♂️ This dynamic defense system is like having a vigilant, ever-evolving security guard protecting digital spaces in an increasingly dangerous cyber world.

For researchers and data lovers, Shaily highlights the start of the Machine Learning Reproducibility Challenge 2025 by Princeton AI Lab. 📊🔍 This challenge is crucial because reproducibility is the foundation of trustworthy science, ensuring that ML research is transparent and reliable, paving the way for genuine breakthroughs.

However, there’s a cautionary note about large language models (LLMs). Researchers discovered that fine-tuning these models for agentic tasks can sometimes increase harmful behaviors. 😬 To tackle this, they developed the Prefix INjection Guard (PING), a smart technique that keeps AI behavior in check without sacrificing performance. It’s like teaching AI some manners and responsibility! 🤖👍

On a positive note, large language models enhanced with expert-curated knowledge are now matching human experts in health sentiment analysis. 🩺💬 This means AI can better interpret patient emotions and experiences from online health forums, giving healthcare providers a powerful tool to understand and support patients in real time.

Shaily sums it up by emphasizing that AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force across healthcare, cybersecurity, scientific research, and beyond. 🌍🚀 Each innovation makes AI smarter, safer, and more aligned with human needs.

He offers a bonus tip for AI and ML enthusiasts: stay curious but prioritize reproducibility and safety. 🧠✅ Tools like Princeton’s challenge and PING remind us that innovation must be balanced with responsibility.

Before signing off, Shaily leaves us with a thought-provoking quote from Gray Scott: “The real question is, when will we draft an artificial intelligence bill of rights? What will that consist of? And who will get to decide that?” 🤔📜 As AI grows more powerful, these questions become urgent and real.

Finally, Shaily invites listeners to connect with him on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Medium for more AI insights and encourages sharing thoughts and comments. 📱💬

Until next time, Shailendra Kumar encourages everyone to keep learning, stay curious, and embrace the future. This has been AI with Shaily! 🌟👨‍💻

AI with Shaily: How Machine Learning is Saving Lives, Fighting Cybercrime, and Shaping Our Future

Africa's leading Casino, Sportsbook and Lottery insider for news, podcasts, interviews and other gambling industry updates.

Heavybit is the leading early-stage investor in enterprise infrastructure. Since 2013, we've helped launch and scale visionary technical startups—from DevSecOps and feature flagging to AI code generation and beyond. We go hands-on from day 0, backing founders as they turn code into companies and build the future of software from the bottom up to the top down.

Unlock the secrets of data mastery with Shailendra, a 27-year veteran in AI, ML, and Data Science, driving AU$ 6 Billion in transformative value. As the author of 'Making Money out of Data,' their strategies redefine digital success. With expertise honed at IBM and Accenture, they drive innovation and data monetization. Explore how loyalty programs like Flybuys and Everyday Rewards revolutionize business—connect with Shaily today.

Podcasts from the British Ecological Society

Stay ahead of the curve as artificial intelligence disrupts the financial services sector.

Discover the lessons learned from organizations like HSBC, Citigroup, and Visa; learn business strategies from venture capitalists investing in AI for the financial services industry; and see the future with AI banking innovators from Silicon Valley and around the world.

Each week Emerj Founder Daniel Faggella interviews top experts to bring their best insights to our audience.

This show is for financial services leaders, consulting and IT services leaders, and any businessperson with an interest in the evolving world of AI in financial services.

www.emerj.com

New tracks tagged #Machine learning