Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we work, live, and lead. But what does that mean for Australian businesses? The AI Australia Podcast, hosted by Emma Bromet and Kathryn Collier, is your essential guide to understanding the AI revolution and its impact on Australian businesses. We cut through the jargon to bring you practical discussions and expert interviews on how AI is affecting everything from enterprise strategy to daily life, with a focus on ethical and responsible AI, diversity and inclusion, and AI-at-scale. The AI Australia Podcast is proudly hosted by Mantel, a next-gen consultancy that blends brilliant thinkers with expert engineers, transforming businesses through data, digital, cyber security, and cloud expertise.
As part of our Aussie Start-Up Series we talk to Jo Thomas, founder of Enrola an AI sales agent platform helping B2C sales teams convert more leads into customers. Jo and her co-founder have built an AI sales agent that her own customers now refer to by name, and love. In this episode, she breaks down the maths behind why a $80,000-a-year employee might only be delivering $15,000 of real value, why AI works best as an amplifier for humans rather than a replacement, and where she draws a hard line: no AI should be helping someone choose their health insurance or their degree. A clear-eyed look at where automation earns its place, and where it doesn't.
Everyone's convinced AI is coming for engineering jobs. Tom Goerke, National President of Engineers Australia, thinks that fear is almost exactly backwards, and he's got 19th-century coal miners to prove it. In this episode, Tom unpacks Jevons' paradox: the counterintuitive economic pattern where making something more efficient doesn't reduce demand for it, it explodes it. He walks through what that means for software engineers right now (spoiler: more code is being written than ever, and more bugs with it), why "coders are the typists of the '70s," and why the real crisis isn't job losses, it's a widening skills gap between engineers who've mastered AI and everyone else. We also cover the one stat that stopped us in our tracks: 66% of engineers have had zero formal AI training from their employer.
Lee Hickin has spent 30 years at the frontier of technology, from IBM and AWS to serving as CTO of Microsoft Australia. Now, as Executive Director of the National AI Centre, he's asking a confronting question of every boardroom in Australia: when the risk and the opportunity depends on AI, who in the room is actually the expert? In this episode, Lee breaks down why AI governance is failing in most organisations, what boards and executives must do differently right now, and why he believes Australia's greatest risk isn't moving too fast, it's not moving with enough confidence. Lee's view is that many Australian boards are fundamentally unprepared for the AI decisions landing on their desks, that technology literacy must become a first-class citizen in board composition, and that the greatest failure isn't having an AI incident, it's not knowing how to respond when you do. We also discussed that we might be underestimating Australia's sovereign AI, with Australia's AI-start up community showing true innovation and not just building more AI product bolt-ons. This is a conversation about courage, governance, and what it means to lead in an age defined by a technology that changes everything.
Before ChatGPT changed everything, Arvind Jain was already four years deep into solving a problem every knowledge worker knows but no one had fixed: why is it so impossible to find anything at work? In this episode, the CEO of Glean, the enterprise AI platform used by some of the world's most iconic companies, takes us inside the founding story that started not in a garage, but in the wreckage of hypergrowth. When his previous company grew from 500 to 2,000 people in a single year, things started to break. Software releases stalled, teams lost each other, and the lowest-scoring question in their employee survey? Do I have the information I need to do my job? That moment of failure became a billion-dollar idea. Arvind opens up about his time in the early days of Google, co-founding Rubrik, and then walking away from success, again to build something that didn't exist yet. This one is for anyone who's ever wasted an afternoon searching for a file that should have taken 30 seconds to find.
Why are the world's most powerful executives "resting and vesting" in the corner instead of innovating? Dom Price joins the podcast to discuss the psychological warfare happening inside modern boardrooms. He breaks down his "Minus 1, 0, plus 1" framework, a strategic ladder for moving from fixing broken processes to discovering "net new" value that didn't exist two years ago. From the importance of human-in-the-loop coaching to the surprising power of storytelling in a digital age, Dom shares how to build a psychologically safe environment where experimentation is rewarded and AI becomes an amplifier for human genius, not a replacement for it. Dom is a work futurist, formerly Atlassian's in-house team doctor, where he helped scale one of Australia's great tech success stories from 600 people to over 16,000. He's a director of Deloitte alumni, a TED speaker, a keynote provocateur who's taken his ideas across 53 countries and someone who genuinely believes that AI isn't our biggest challenge right now, people are. Dom is now a leader at Be Luminous , who are helping organisations spark movements, accelerate impact and unlock the full potential of their people.
What if the knowledge locked inside the heads of the world's most elite scientists could be downloaded into a "nervous system" for everyone? Craig Rayner spent decades watching life-saving drugs fail simply because the right person wasn't in the room. Now, he's built a Peer Review Agent that mimics a full development committee with 95% accuracy. We discuss the white-knuckle ride of leaving a high-flying corporate career to democratize medicine, the "Kodak moments" facing the industry, and why he believes it is now "unethical" not to use AI to save lives. Oktopi's purpose is to democratise world-class drug development expertise: embedding it within human-guided, AI-enabled workflows and amplifying innovation through a connected global community.
Can AI truly understand the nuances of a busy commercial kitchen or a retail floor? Ciaran and Deepesh from Deputy join the podcast to discuss the journey of launching Deputy AI , an agentic framework designed specifically for the mobile-first, fast-paced world of frontline work . We delve into the Deputy's unique approach to early testing with customers, the challenges of driving AI literacy amongst non-desk workers, and why the next frontier of workforce management might be entirely voice-activated . Plus, hear about their personal "life-hack" AI agents: from managing global friend groups to optimising solar energy at home .
In the world of FinTech, there are those who talk about AI, and those who ship it. Tracy Moore, GM of AI and Data at MYOB, is firmly in the latter camp. In this episode, Tracy reveals how one of Australia's leading tech innovators is leveraging the latest in generative tech to solve the most enduring challenges for small businesses: time and cash flow. We explore the "AI Sandwich" —a framework for understanding that while the "filling" (the LLM) is exciting, the "bread" (data foundations and UX) is what actually determines success. Tracy shares a masterclass in building a culture of " AI as a team sport," where cross-functional ambition meets practical execution. From managing parallel streams of "no-regrets" features to exploring the exciting white space of autonomous agents, this conversation is a roadmap for any leader looking to turn complex tech into beautiful, human-centric products. Tracy shares her personal experience of "Vibe Coding" as a modern love language, and why the secret to high-performing AI teams might actually just be... more cake. Key Takeaways: The 20/80 Rule: Why successful AI products are 20% technology and 80% organisational mindset. Building Beautiful UX: Moving beyond the chatbox to create intuitive, invisible AI experiences. The Power of Ambition: How MYOB's executive team set the tone for ambitious AI goals. Practical Guardrails: The importance of "Steel Threads" and rolling out agents gradually to ensure mission-critical accuracy.
We change things up in today's episode and grill two Mantel Leaders, Samuel Irvine Casey and Vihan Patel, who have been in the trenches over the past 12 months building AI and Agentic Solutions. They help us unpack 2025 and predict what 2026 will bring including: The ROI Reality Check: As the hype of 2025 settles, 2026 is framed as the year of accountability, where organisations must prove the economic value of their AI deployments. The Token Economy: we deep dive into the sustainability of AI costs, questioning whether Silicon Valley will continue to subsidise token prices or if costs will spike as models move into high-scale production. Knowledge Collapse & Ethics: We explore the risks of "AI feeding on AI," the potential loss of critical thinking as we increasingly rely on AI generated knowledge, and the importance of new Australian legislation regarding AI traceability. The AGI Debate: we question how imminent "Artificial General Intelligence," including how current progress is driven more by clever engineering and high token usage than a fundamental breakthrough in machine consciousness. If you want to hear more about Samuel's lessons learnt from building Agentic Systems take a look at his blog from 2025: https://mantelgroup.com.au/taking-agents-to-production-our-agentic-ai-approach/
Forget building dashboards! The CEO of ThoughtSpot reveals how conversational AI is killing traditional business intelligence and putting a personal, 24/7 data analyst on every employee's desktop. Are you ready to fire your dashboard and start talking to your data and can you trust the answer when you do? In this episode, we talk to Ketan Karkhanis the CEO of Thoughtspot, a former Salesforce and Cisco executive, who explains that "AI is the new BI," arguing that businesses should stop building dashboards and start having conversations with their data. He introduces ThoughtSpot's AI agent, which acts as a personal analyst that provides actionable insights (what, why, and what to do next), with a new "A-Team" of specialised BI agents coming soon. To address trust issues, we explore who you can use deterministic analytics and transparency to combat AI hallucinations and secure enterprise adoption. Ultimately, Keten stresses that successful AI integration—like automating data modeling or transforming his own staff meetings—must be tied to clear corporate ROI and a culture that empowers change across the organization. Read Mantel's recent take on Natural Lanugage insight tools: https://mantelgroup.com.au/dashboards-natual-language-insights/
Discover how Swimming Australia is diving deep into data and AI to secure Olympic gold! Today we chat to Jess Coronas, Head of Performance Insights at Swimming Australia , and discuss the digital transformation journey of Swimming Australia. From the initial ideation and data driven insights to the development of the groundbreaking Training Insights platform , powered by cutting edge computer vision techniques. Learn why human-in-the-loop AI is crucial for coach buy-in, how data creates a competitive edge, and the future vision for scaling analytics from the 50m sprint to the 1500m race. It's a masterclass in applying design thinking and marginal gains to a high-stakes, world-class sporting environment. Learn more about Mantel and AWS partnering to support Swimming Australia and their Training Insights platform:
What does factory floorplan design during the Industrial Revolution have to do with re-imagining user experiences in the ages of AI? In today's episode, we chat to Dr. Haijun Xia , an assistant professor at UC San Diego and Director of the Foundation Interface Lab, discussing the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) . Dr. Xia, whose work focuses on developing foundational interfaces for the future information environment, explains HCI in simple terms and outlines the criteria for a good user experience, emphasising the need for interfaces that leverage and amplify human cognitive abilities while introducing new capabilities smoothly. We discuss the shift from "one-size-fits-all" interfaces to adaptive and personalised experiences driven by AI and how large language models, allow users to interact at a higher level, simply stating their problem instead of manually performing low-level system manipulations. The conversation delves into the future of product design, including the prospect of personal AI agents that interact with software via APIs on the user's behalf, creating a "digital version of ourselves" and influencing how new products must be designed for both humans and agents. To find out more about Mantel's partnership with Dr Haijun Xia and download our recent white paper: https://mantelgroup.com.au/mantel-partners-with-ux-leader-and-expert-dr-haijun-xia-to-advance-next-generation-ai-experiences/ Want more detail on Mantel's Exec AI Literacy , visit our website: https://mantelgroup.com.au/ai-executive-literacy-program/
Join us for a conversation with Sharryn Napier , Vice President for APAC at GitHub , as she discusses leading the company's strategic direction and business growth across the region. Sharryn talks to GitHub's evolution from a code storage platform to the world's leading platform for building software with AI , now supporting over 150 million developers. The episode explores the democratising power of AI in software development, through tools like GitHub Copilot, which lowers the barrier to entry (even for non-coders) and addresses challenges like the language barrier in coding for non-native English speakers. We discuss how enterprise customers, like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) , are leveraging AI coding agents to manage and refactor significant legacy tech debt , seeing projects completed in a fraction of the time. She highlights that the "risk of not moving fast enough" with AI is now a greater concern than the risk of adoption. The discussion also delves into regional challenges, particularly Australia's flatlining productivity and the tech skills gap . Sharon advocates for AI as a mechanism to work "smarter" and compete globally. She also addresses the future of the developer role, viewing AI as a tool for augmentation, not replacement , that handles tedious tasks, increasing developer happiness, creativity, and shifting the role toward that of an orchestrator .
In this episode, we talk with David Hyman, CEO and co-founder of Lendi Group, the company behind Australia's leading digital mortgage brand, Lendi, and the iconic Aussie franchise. David shares his journey from founding Lendi in 2013 with a vision for digital-first mortgages, to the acquisition of Aussie Home Loans, and the launch of the company's "find, buy, and own" property ecosystem. We chat to David about Lendi Group's bold move to become an "AI-native" business by 2026. David explains that this isn't just about using AI tools, but about fundamentally redesigning the business to be built on an agentic-first model, which he likens to moving from human motion to "agentic motion." He discusses the challenges of this transformation, particularly the people side of change, highlighting the need for C-suite leadership and radical transparency. David also provides key insights for business leaders, emphasising that you can't have a separate AI and business strategy—they must be one and the same. He shares his thoughts on the future of AI-native businesses, the potential risks of this approach, and personal use of AI tools, including an AI-powered life coach and a health diagnostic tool.
In this episode of the AI Australia podcast, hosts Kat and Emma speak with David Brudenell, Executive Director of Decidr, an Australian AI software company. David, a veteran of the tech and venture capital sectors, shares his journey into AI, beginning with a "human-in-the-loop" product he co-founded in 2012. The conversation covers the state of AI today, with David likening the current landscape to the "Palm Pilot era" —a time of remarkable technology being used in the wrong way. He explains that businesses are trying to fit probabilistic AI tools into deterministic, human-centric workflows, leading to inefficiencies. David also discusses his recent research on AI readiness in Australia, revealing that while 83% of businesses see AI as important, less than half are actively implementing it . He attributes this to factors like analysis paralysis and concerns about costs and the rapid pace of model updates. He also advises leaders to treat their AI strategies like "ice cream in the sun," as they will quickly become outdated.
In a world where nearly half of Australians have adopted generative AI, traditional marketing is being reshaped. This episode features Celia Harding, an expert in Language Engine Optimisation (LEO), who explains why brands must adapt their strategies to be visible in AI-generated answers. We discuss the differences between LEO and SEO, how various AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT have unique "personalities" that influence their search results, and why third-party endorsements are more crucial than ever. We also explore the coming wave of "agentic commerce," where AI will make purchases on our behalf, and what brands need to do now to prepare. If you're interested in finding out more on LEO or LEOPRD.... Download LEOPRD's Reputation to Revenue Report , your roadmap to mastering brand visibility in the age of AI. Connect with Celia Harding on Linkedin . Click here to find out more on Mantel and our Executive AI literacy program
In this episode, we chat with Professor Wil van der Aalst, the "Godfather of Process Mining ." He's the brains behind a multi-billion dollar industry that started 25 years ago in his quest to understand what organisations are actually doing, not just what they think they're doing. Wil dives into why he believes companies need to use process mining to get their houses in order before throwing AI at their problems. Using real-world examples—from streamlining a sales process to solving flight delays at an airport—he shows how this tech uncovers hidden inefficiencies and bottlenecks. He also shares his thoughts on why Australia is slower at adopting process mining, even with great research happening in local universities. A key takeaway? Transparency is crucial, but it requires top-down support to overcome resistance to change.
In this episode, May Lam, Chief Information Officer at Australian Payments Plus, shares her incredible journey from a software engineer tackling Y2K bugs to a leading voice in payments and AI. Drawing on her extensive experience across banking, FinTech, and the public sector, May unpacks the transformative power of AI in the financial industry. She outlines three key pillars of opportunity: the "internet of me" for hyper-personalisation, the "economy of we" for shared growth, and the "power of now" for instant, trustworthy services. May also discusses the crucial need for robust AI guardrails , emphasising the importance of data governance, holistic ethical frameworks, and a national strategy to navigate the risks. She provides insights on how AI is projected to impact the Australian economy, predicting a significant shift in the job market by 2030. Highlighting the importance of fostering critical thinking and self-confidence in the next generation, she offers a compelling vision for how we can use AI as a companion and a tool to enhance human capabilities, rather than replace them.
Highlights from Databricks Data and AI Summit 2025 In this special episode of the AI Australia podcast, Kathryn Collier and Emma Bromet report live from the Databricks Data and AI Summit 2025 in San Francisco. The summit which attracts 22,000 attendees to the city and 65,000 in total making it one of the largest Data and AI conferences globally. The pervasive theme this year was "Data Intelligence" which can be distilled to the democratisation of data and AI – a clear strategic move to bridge the gap between business needs and the complex reality of end-to-end development of AI solutions. We cover off highlights and insights from all the key accouncements including Databricks Free Edition, Lake Base, Databricks Apps, and Agent Bricks, all focused on democratizing data and AI. Featuring interviews with Simon Johnson, AI Director for APAC at Databricks , and David Schneeberger, Principal Engineer at Mantel who provide in-depth perspectives on these innovations and their implications for the future of Data and AI.
How AI is Reshaping Customer Expectations & Driving Business Value with Sandy Iyer (General Manager, Data Science at Sportsbet) Join your hosts Emma Bromet and Kathryn Collier as they chat with Sandy Iyer, a leading data and analytics executive, currently General Manager of Data Science at Sportsbet. With a career spanning energy retail, financial services, and wagering, Sandy brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. In this insightful episode, Sandy discusses: The Evolving Customer Landscape: How AI has profoundly shifted customer expectations, moving beyond just quality to demand instant gratification, personalised experiences, and ethical brand practices. Practical AI for Business Value: Discover compelling examples of AI in action, from L'Oréal's virtual makeup try-ons to advanced sports analytics. Measuring AI's Impact: Sandy shares a unique five-dimensional framework for evaluating the effectiveness of AI and machine learning models, ensuring they deliver real business value and are trustworthy. Cutting Through the Hype: Learn best practices for businesses to maximise AI ROI, including the importance of an "AI-enabled business strategy" over a standalone "AI strategy," and how to move effectively from Proof of Concept (POC) to Proof of Value (POV) and production. Building Customer-Facing AI: Sandy offers critical advice for developing successful AI products, emphasising the importance of product-market fit, ROI pragmatism, and continuous experimentation. Tune in to gain valuable insights from one of Australia's top analytics leaders and understand how to navigate the rapidly evolving AI revolution.
