In this episode of What The Tech Podcast (AU), we welcome Shaila Pervin, an AI Chapter Lead with a unique background spanning research, consulting, and engineering. Together, we explore how organisations can build cross-functional AI teams and embed governance that keeps innovation both safe and effective.

Across just over an hour, we dive into the practical realities of AI adoption—covering leadership buy-in, product alignment, technical execution, and the critical role of risk and compliance. Shaila shares her journey and lessons learned, offering a clear view of what it takes to scale AI responsibly.

Whether you’re a business leader, engineer, or policy maker, this episode unpacks the playbook for collaboration, governance, and trust in AI projects.

What You'll Learn:
👉🏽 Why governance is the “rules of the game” for AI adoption.
👉🏽 The role of leadership, product, engineering, and risk teams in AI initiatives.
👉🏽 Continuous governance: why it’s never one-and-done.
👉🏽 Building AI literacy and champions across organisations.
👉🏽 Open source vs closed source models: trade-offs in compliance.
👉🏽 Balancing speed and innovation without losing trust.
👉🏽 Lessons from real-world projects where governance failed—or succeeded.
👉🏽 The future of AI-native organisations.

⏰ Timestamps
00:00 Trailer & Episode Intro
01:15 Shaila’s journey from research to governance advocate
10:00 Defining cross-functional governance in practice
18:00 The speed of AI vs the need for guardrails
25:00 Who’s on the team? Roles in cross-functional AI projects
36:00 Governance as the foundation for innovation
47:00 Open source vs closed source models in enterprise
55:00 AI literacy, leadership alignment & governance champions
58:30 Final advice for leaders implementing AI governance

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👋 About Us
What The Tech Podcast (AU) is your go-to podcast for simplifying complex tech topics and exploring the impact of AI on business, society, and everyday life. Hosted by Rene and Vivienne, we break down the trends and tools shaping the future of technology in a fun, conversational way.

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#WhatTheTechPodcastAU #AI #Governance #CrossFunctionalTeams #Leadership #FutureOfWork #OpenSourceAI #EnterpriseAI