The Human Risk Podcast

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets smarter and tkaes over more tasks, what happens to human dynamics like trust, transparency, leadership and empathy. How can humans and machines wowrk togehter effectively?  And how can leaders lead in this new world?

Episode Summary 
AI is often discussed as a technical challenge, but the more interesting question is how it impacts humans and how we will interface with them. As AI becomes part of the world we’re navigating, it raises deeply human questions about trust, transparency, confidence, and how we relate to systems we don’t fully understand.

On this episode, I'm joined by Professor Tina Weisser, a leading thinker on human–AI collaboration, systems thinking, and organisational behaviour under uncertainty. Together, we explore why trust isn’t something we can engineer into technology, why uncertainty isn’t a problem to be eliminated, and what AI may be revealing about human behaviour, rather than the other way around. This conversation is less about what AI can do, and more about what it does to us. 

Guest Profile
Professor Tina Weisser is a Professor at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and a member of the Munich Center for Digital Sciences and Artificial Intelligence (MUC-DAI). Her work focuses on human–AI collaboration, systems thinking, service design, and how organisations adapt under conditions of complexity and uncertainty. 

AI-Generated Timestamp Summary
00:00 – AI as a human problem, not a technical one
04:00 – Tina’s path into human–AI collaboration
12:00 – Why uncertainty is unavoidable (and necessary)
18:00 – We haven’t mastered work — and now we’re adding AI
23:00 – From tools to agents: why this feels different
29:00 – Trusting actions, not facts
35:00 – Ethics, fear, and human inconsistency
42:00 – What this means for students, skills, and learning
49:00 – “Let AI handle the data — humans handle the room”
55:00 – Being right too early doesn’t help
1:01:00 – AI as a mirror of humanity

Episode Links
Tina's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaweisser/

Tina's website - www.tinaweisser.com

Munich Center for Digital Sciences & AI (MUC-DAI) - http://mucdai.hm.edu

What lies behind Romance Fraud? Romance fraud is one of the fastest-growing forms of fraud worldwide, and one of the most emotionally devastating. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.

On this episode, I’m speaking to Becky Holmes, author of the bestselling book Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love With You. Becky didn’t become interested in romance fraud through victimhood or research. She stumbled into it during the pandemic after being approached by scammers online — and instead of ignoring them, she decided to wind them up.
 
What began as a joke — sending absurd messages, inventing ridiculous scenarios, and pushing scam scripts to breaking point — turned into something much more serious. Through humour, Becky uncovered the psychological mechanics of romance fraud: how trust is built, how isolation and gaslighting work, and why believing you’re “too smart to fall for it” is often the most dangerous belief of all.

In this conversation, we explore why laughing at scammers is not the same as blaming victims, why romance fraud closely mirrors patterns seen in abusive relationships, and why shame — not stupidity — keeps people trapped. We also talk about humour as a gateway to learning, the limits of victim-focused storytelling, and the uncomfortable truth that none of us are immune. This is a funny conversation in places. And then it isn’t. 

This is not the first time the Human Risk Podcast has explored romance fraud. On a previous episode, I spoke with Anna Rowe, a victim of romance fraud, about the profound emotional and psychological impact of being deceived by someone you believed you loved.

In this episode, we discuss:
Why romance fraud is a psychological scam, not a technical one
How humour can expose manipulation without mocking victims
The striking parallels between romance fraud and abusive relationships
Isolation, gaslighting, and shame as tools of control
Why “it would never happen to me” is such a dangerous belief
The role of AI, deepfakes, and evolving scam tactics
Why fraud literacy matters — and why people don’t seek it out until it’s too late
The emotional cost of online exposure and harassment
What institutions, platforms, and society still get wrong about fraud

Guest Profile
Becky Holmes is an author, speaker, and writer specialising in fraud, online manipulation, and digital harm. Her first book, Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love With You, explores the world of romance fraud through humour, storytelling, and lived experience.

Her second book, The Future of Fraud, examines how scams are evolving in a world shaped by AI and digital identity.
 
Links and resources
Becky’s first book Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love With You - https://share.google/fKQ6qCL1l8Ygl1ey2
The Future of Fraud her second (out April 2026) - https://share.google/fKQ6qCL1l8Ygl1ey2

Becky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyholmeshatesspinach/

Becky on Instagram: Becky Holmes (@deathtospinach)

Becky on Twitter/X: https://x.com/deathtospinach?

Becky’s book agent profile: https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/becky-holmes

Previous Human Risk Podcast episode with Anna Rowe on being a victim of romance fraud: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/anna-rowe-on-romance-scams/

AI-Generated Timestamped Summary
00:00 – Why romance fraud matters
Christian explains why the podcast is returning to romance fraud, linking this episode to an earlier conversation with victim Anna Rowe (linked in the show notes).

02:00 – How Becky Holmes got into romance fraud
Becky describes how being approached by scammers during lockdown — and deciding to wind them up — accidentally turned into deep expertise.

05:00 – When jokes expose the script
Absurd replies, fake crime scenes, and the moment Becky realised scammers weren’t reading messages, just following scripts.

09:00 – Laughing at scammers, not victims
Why humour can highlight manipulation without blaming those who fall victim — and how the book shifts from comedy to something much darker.

14:00 – Romance fraud as psychological abuse
The parallels with abusive relationships: isolation, gaslighting, shame, and why people stay, return, or fall again.

21:00 – “It would never happen to me”
Why believing you’re too smart to fall for romance fraud is often the biggest risk of all.

28:00 – What the media gets wrong
Victim-focused storytelling, ignored systems, and why AI, deepfakes, and scam scripts matter more than headlines.

36:00 – Fraud literacy and prevention
Why people don’t seek out information about fraud until it’s too late — and how humour can be a gateway to awareness.

45:00 – The personal cost of online exposure
Online harassment, cyberflashing, and the emotional toll of spending years inside the systems you’re critiquing.

55:00 – What’s next for Becky
Upcoming books, speaking work, and where to find her online.

Why do we struggle to talk about grief? Why that matters and what we can do about it, is the subject of this episode.

Summary
Grief is something almost all of us will experience, and yet something we still struggle to talk about openly. Not because it’s rare, but because it makes us uncomfortable. We lack a shared language for it, feel uneasy about how long it lasts, and often don’t know how to sit with people who don’t simply “move on”. 

On this episode, I'm joined by Amy Kean, founder of Good Shout, for a deeply human conversation about grief, work, identity, and what it really means to give people space to be themselves.

Amy has been on the podcast before. Since first encountering her work, I have been consistently inspired by her willingness to be unashamedly herself: thoughtful, curious, and open about experiences many of us keep hidden. When she recently shared reflections on grief on LinkedIn, it sparked a desire to invite her back; not for a tightly structured discussion, but for a conversation that could explore the wider dynamics around loss. 

What follows is an unusual episode. It begins with grief, but moves into related territory: compassionate leave versus compassionate return, what actually helps when someone is struggling, why workplaces are often so bad at dealing with loss, and why talking about difficult things might be one of the most important human skills we have.

Rather than offering neat frameworks or tidy conclusions, this conversation creates space; for reflection, for discomfort, and for honesty. 

If you’ve experienced loss, this episode may offer comfort or recognition. If you haven’t, it may give you insight into how to show up better for others when the time comes. And above all, it helps normalise the idea that grief is not something to be hidden or hurried past, but something we should be able to talk about.

The episode is dedicated to Amy’s dad, Lord Terence Kean.

Relevant Links
Good Shout, Amy's company — https://goodshoutcommunity.com/

Amy on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycharlottekean/

Amy’s previous appearance on the show talking aboiut Communicating Effectively —
https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/amy-kean-on-communicating-effectively/

Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry —
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60324067-death-of-an-ordinary-man

AI-Generated Timestamp Summary
01:05 – Why Amy, why now
03:40 – Remembering Amy’s dad
08:30 – Double grief and anticipatory loss
10:40 – Stroke, hope, and uncertainty
14:40 – Grief, work, and performance
17:35 – Naming emotions out loud
22:05 – Talking about grief on LinkedIn
27:40 – Compassionate return 
30:05 – The cognitive cost of grief
33:05 – Why we don’t talk about death
35:05 – How to help someone who’s grieving 
41:05 – Creativity, curiosity, and grief
49:05 – AI, voice, and being human
53:05 – Shameless and deathbed economics
01:02:00 – Final reflections and dedication

Are we losing our ability to think critically as we rely more on AI?

Episode Summary
My guest is social psychologist Dr Guy Champniss to explore the role of behavioural science in business and the emerging challenges of AI in the workplace. We discuss why behaviour change is so hard to sell, the myth that behavioural science is only needed when everything else fails, and how organisations often overlook the human factors in transformation. Guy brings deep insight into how behavioural science is perceived inside organisations—often as a last resort when more traditional methods fail. 

We examine why that is, and how a better understanding of human behaviour can actually de-risk strategy, improve engagement, and lead to more successful outcomes. We also explore the psychology of AI: how we trust it, how we interact with it, and what we might be losing in the process. From loss of credibility and collaboration among employees, to the risks of over-automation and cognitive offloading, the conversation raises timely questions about what kind of future we're building, and how prepared we really are.

You'll hear thoughtful takes on the challenges of selling behavioural science, powerful metaphors to help reframe the debate, and real-world examples from the classroom to the call centre. If you’re curious about the intersection of technology, psychology, and organisational behaviour, this is a must-listen.

About Guy Champniss
Dr Guy Champniss is a social psychologist and behavioural science practitioner. He teaches at IE Business School in Madrid and consults through Meltwater Consulting. Guy’s current work focuses on how AI is changing human behaviour in organisations—particularly its impact on trust, agency, and critical thinking. He’s also worked extensively in the sustainability space, helping businesses drive lasting behavioural change.

AI Generated Timestamp Summary
[00:00:00] – Intro to Dr Guy Champniss and sets up the discussion around behavioural science and AI.

[00:03:30] – Behavioural Science’s Struggle for Acceptance
Why it’s often brought in too late and why it needs itself to be sold effectively.

[00:10:00] – Organisational Blind Spots
How businesses resist behaviour-led approaches and prefer short-term fixes.

[00:17:30] – From Sustainability to AI
Guy’s journey into exploring the psychology of AI at work.

[00:24:00] – AI and Human Credibility
What happens when AI performs better than people, and how that undermines trust. 

[00:30:00] – Trust and Bias in AI
Why we trust AI more when it agrees with us and the dangers that brings.

[00:38:00] – AI’s Impact on Collaboration
How automation can quietly erode teamwork and critical thinking.

[00:45:00] – Students and AI
What AI use in classrooms reveals about thinking, learning, and shortcuts.

[00:52:00] – The Real Future of Work
Why it’s not AI replacing jobs—but people who know how to use it.

[00:56:00] – Language, Labels, and Responsibility
The power of how we talk about tech and what it signals.

Links
Meltwater Consulting, Guy's firm - https://www.meltwater-consulting.com/drguychampniss

Guy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/guychampniss/

His academic profile at IE Business School - https://rhe.ie.edu/speaker/guy-champniss/

Guy's research - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guy-Champniss

McKinsey article on AI in Contact Centres - https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/the-contact-center-crossroads-finding-the-right-mix-of-humans-and-ai

Onora O'Neil BBC Reith Lectures on A Question of Trust:
Recording: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00ghvd8
Transcript: https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/radio4/transcripts/20020427_reith.pdfv

Why do governments rely on coercion and punishment when voluntary cooperation often produces better, more sustainable outcomes?

Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined once again by Professor Yuval Feldman, who returns to explore the core question behind his latest book: Can The Public Be Trusted?

Instead of asking how much we trust our governments, Yuval flips the script, asking how much governments trust us, and whether that trust is deserved. Together, we dive into the concept of voluntary compliance, where people follow rules not because they’re forced to, but because they believe in doing the right thing. We unpack the complexity of this idea through real-world examples, from tax compliance to environmental policy to COVID-19 interventions. 

Yuval explains why people who think they’re ethical can actually be the hardest to regulate, and how misplaced trust can lead to serious regulatory blind spots. We also explore the psychological tension between intrinsic motivation and external enforcement, and why regulators often default to command-and-control, even when trust might offer a better solution.

As ever, Yuval makes nuanced, sophisticated ideas feel accessible and immediately relevant. You'll hear about the role of culture, the limits of nudging, why economists might (sometimes!) actually be right about human behaviour and how AI might help policymakers make better decisions. 

Guest Bio
Professor Yuval Feldman is a legal scholar and behavioural scientist at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. A returning guest and the podcast’s very first interviewee, Yuval is internationally renowned for his work at the intersection of law, psychology, and behavioural economics. His new book, Can The Public Be Trusted? The Promise and Perils of Voluntary Compliance is available open-access via Cambridge University Press (link below).

AI-Generated Timestamped Summary
[00:00:00] Introduction: why this question of “can the public be trusted?” matters for regulation and risk

[00:03:42] Yuval’s personal background: how he came into law + psychology and the origin of his VComp lab

[00:09:15] Defining voluntary compliance: what it means, how it differs from coercion

[00:14:52] Intrinsic motivation vs crowding out: when good intentions are undermined by heavy‑handed regulation

[00:21:30] Designing regulatory systems for trust: frameworks and features that support voluntary compliance

[00:27:47] Case study: Covid‑19 and public cooperation—what we learned about trust, compliance and enforcement

[00:34:10] Tax compliance as a trust test: how citizens respond when they believe the system treats them fairly

[00:39:58] Environmental regulation and the limits of voluntary strategies: when culture or technology create barriers

[00:45:22] Cross‑cultural & technological dynamics: how digital reputation, culture and platforms impact compliance

[00:50:05] The perils of voluntary compliance: when trust can be misplaced, manipulated or simply ineffective

[00:55:30] Final reflections: what this means for risk professionals, policymakers and anyone designing systems of human behaviour

[01:00:12] Closing: how to reframe regulation to see the public not as a risk but as a resource.

Links
Yuval's academic profile -  https://law.biu.ac.il/en/feldman

His profile on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuval-feldman-21942514/
 
His open-access book Can the Public Be Trusted? (Cambridge University Press) – https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/can-the-public-be-trusted/B3E11831E3051D4E928B9252B6767A4B

Yuval’s previous appearances on the show 
On The Law of Good People or ‘why we should write rules for good people not bad people’ (2019) - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/professor-yuval-feldman-on-why/
 
On Trust & Voluntary Compliance (2022) - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/professor-yuval-feldman-on-trust-compliance?