The International Risk Podcast Episode 403: Can You Trust AI, With Herbert Roitblat
Before you let ChatGPT or Claude influence your next business decision, ask yourself: are you trusting the evidence or how convincing the answer sounds?
Dominic Bowen joins AI researcher Herbert Roitblat, author of Algorithms Are Not Enough, to examine what business leaders should demand from artificial intelligence, and where human judgment remains essential.
Drawing on his experience as a senior management consultant, Dominic explains why telling a client “I’m not confident yet” can be more valuable than delivering a polished answer. Together, they explore how to challenge AI outputs, identify useful applications and measure whether the technology is actually improving your business.
In this conversation:
• Why confident AI answers still need scrutiny
• What leaders should automate—and where people add value
• How to distinguish AI adoption from meaningful business improvement
• Why critical thinking and systems thinking matter
• How to stay professionally valuable as AI changes work
• The privacy and infrastructure risks behind the technology
What would you never delegate to AI and why? Tell us in the comments.
CHAPTERS
00:00 AI strategy and the leadership challenge
01:08 Are we overestimating AI?
02:15 Dominic challenges the token-guesser argument
03:52 What should an AI-first business automate?
05:54 Where human judgment adds value
08:18 Building a business around better information
10:43 Trust, evidence and reliable outputs
12:37 Confidence is not critical thinking
15:01 Knowledge work and defending your value
18:48 Designing useful AI workflows
20:10 What separates AI value from wasted spending?
22:45 Learning and systems thinking
24:53 Privacy, infrastructure and international risk
27:00 Closing reflections
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The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.
Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.
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