What if the songs we love and the artists behind them could finally be compensated fairly, across every platform, every play, and every country? In today’s episode, I sit down with Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange, to unpack how this music tech nonprofit is challenging the very foundations of how royalties are calculated and distributed.

Michael shares how SoundExchange, which has now distributed over $12 billion to artists and rights holders, is not just administering royalties but actively shaping the policies and technologies that govern the future of music. We explore their groundbreaking use of AI for fraud detection and royalty matching, as well as the advocacy behind the American Music Fairness Act, a long-overdue effort to ensure artists are paid for terrestrial radio plays, a right still denied in the US but granted nearly everywhere else.

The conversation turns toward the growing tension between innovation and creator protection in the age of generative AI.

Michael discusses how SoundExchange is balancing these forces by backing ethical standards like the Human Artistry Campaign and lobbying for policies that prioritize consent, credit, and compensation. He also touches on fascinating use cases for AI in music, such as voice localization, signature sound licensing, and even resurrecting voices of beloved artists like Randy Travis.

We also discuss SoundExchange’s vision for the future, one where its expertise in large-scale, data-driven payouts could help solve the thorny question of compensating artists whose works are used to train generative AI models. From indie musicians to global superstars, the impact of this work is vast, nuanced, and increasingly urgent.

So, how do we build a future where technology and creativity can coexist and both thrive? And who’s making sure the voices behind our favourite tracks aren’t lost in the noise of innovation?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are we doing enough to protect artists in the digital era? Let me know

After meeting on the IT Press Tour, I enjoyed a conversation with Michael Wu, President and General Manager of Phison US, about the revolutionary advances in AI-enabled storage technology.

We begin by exploring Phison's AdaptivePlus platform and its integration with StoreOne's AI solution, making AI training more accessible and affordable for businesses. We also discuss the technical innovations behind their storage-based AI acceleration, including their new E28 controller and Pascari SSDs.

Finally, we discuss the future of AI workloads and how Phison's technology is preparing to handle models with up to 2 trillion parameters. This episode is packed with insights for IT leaders, business executives, and anyone interested in the intersection of storage technology and artificial intelligence.

What happens when a customer service platform stops thinking like a vendor and starts operating like a partner? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Andrew Lawson, EVP and GM for Zendesk Europe, to explore how the company is redefining the future of customer experience through AI, innovation, and a customer-first mindset.

Zendesk may be a global name, but its European roots and strategic growth across the continent tell a story of evolution. From its founding in Copenhagen to becoming a powerhouse that supports over 100,000 customers globally, Zendesk has remained focused on one thing: being the best in customer service. Andrew and I unpack how this commitment translates into real-world outcomes, from faster resolution times to dynamic partnerships with top UK brands like Tesco, Next, and Liberty London.

One of the standout themes of our discussion is the company’s investment in Agentic AI, designed to handle up to 80 percent of customer interactions while leaving high-touch cases to human agents. We also dive into Zendesk’s outcome-based pricing model, a shift that aligns success with resolution rather than licenses or agent seats. Andrew offers insights into why this change reflects a broader market expectation for ROI-driven platforms.

We also touch on the company’s five acquisitions over the last 18 months, including Local Measure, and how these moves strengthen Zendesk’s capabilities in the CCAS space and deepen integrations with platforms like AWS Connect. As AI continues to shape customer and employee experiences, the conversation explores not just the technology but also the challenges, especially around execution, platform stability, and cybersecurity.

So, what should business leaders be doing right now to balance rapid AI adoption with responsible deployment? How are enterprise expectations evolving in the face of economic pressure and customer demand? And what does it mean to lead in customer service when the rules are changing fast? Tune in to hear Zendesk’s perspective from the frontlines of transformation.

In a world where payments have evolved from a back-office utility into a strategic business driver, how do you build a platform that truly puts control back into the hands of merchants? On this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Dwaine Thomas, CIO of PXP, to explore how the company is transforming the payment landscape with its next generation platform, PXP Unity.

PXP has been a force in fintech for over 30 years, processing over €30 billion in payments annually for some of the world’s most recognised retail, hospitality, entertainment, and online gaming brands. But rather than rely on legacy systems, PXP has gone all in on greenfield development with PXP Unity, a fully API driven orchestration platform that enables merchants to plug into the services they need without the complexity of managing the entire payment stack.

Dwaine walked me through how Unity empowers businesses with real-time data aggregation, smart routing, and complete transparency, all delivered through an intuitive interface. He also shared how the platform supports seamless scaling during high-demand periods, like Black Friday, and provides merchants with both control and automation to optimise payment performance across channels.

What stood out was the clear shift in mindset. Sixty-four percent of merchants now view payments as a growth enabler, not just a necessity. With Unity, merchants gain the flexibility to adapt strategies on the fly, personalise the payment experience, and align payments with broader business goals.

We also explored the growing role of AI in PXP’s roadmap, from driving development efficiencies to enabling future use cases like AI agents within payment flows. As regulation evolves, Dwaine highlighted how initiatives like the FCA’s AI sandbox point to a more proactive and structured approach to innovation in the payments space.

So how can enterprises unlock new value from their payments infrastructure? How do you build for performance, resilience, and adaptability in equal measure? And what happens when payments become central to customer experience and brand loyalty? Tune in to hear how PXP is answering those questions with technology that is both powerful and practical.

What happens when you stop thinking of satellites as data collectors and start thinking of them as data analysts? That is precisely the shift we explore in today's episode of Tech Talks Daily with Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of NOVI.

Traditionally, Earth observation has relied on satellites to capture massive volumes of raw data, which is then transmitted back to Earth for processing. However, this model presents several significant challenges: cost, latency, and complexity. NOVI is flipping this model on its head. Instead of sending terabytes of data back down, their satellites analyze it in orbit and only transmit the results. That means smaller data packets, faster insights, and drastically reduced costs.

Michael and I dig into how NOVI's space-based edge computing infrastructure is opening new opportunities in defense, agriculture, mining, and more. With multiple sensors onboard each satellite and a proprietary AI processing platform, NOVI enables organizations to fuse and process Earth observation data in real time. It is a shift from intelligence as a feature to intelligence as the foundation.

We also discussed NOVI's evolving roadmap as it transitions from Department of Defense projects to a dual-use model that includes commercial services. Their commercial constellation is set to launch in early 2026 aboard SpaceX Transporter missions, and the company is already onboarding early adopters who are building custom inference models in preparation for this launch.

What stands out in this conversation is NOVI's goal of democratizing Earth observation. Their open-access platform enables users to retain full ownership of their data, marking a significant departure from the closed systems that currently dominate the industry. Lower cost, faster processing, and open access could change who benefits from space data and how.

So, what does it take to process AI in orbit? How do we reimagine satellites as part of the compute layer, not just the sensor layer? And what happens when access to real-time Earth intelligence becomes available to more than just governments and large enterprises? Listen in to find out.

Just two years ago, the launch of GPT-4 required the support of hundreds of experts, intensive computing power, and vast coordination. Today, that same process could be executed by a team of five. That is not an exaggeration. It is a signal of just how rapidly AI development is accelerating. In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I’m joined by Gagan Tandon, Managing Director of AI & Data Services at TELUS Digital Solutions, to explore what is behind this extraordinary shift.

From the evolution of AI chip design to the efficiency gains from smarter algorithms and open-source tools, Gagan offers a clear and grounded look at how AI training has become more accessible and less resource-intensive. But the bigger question is, what can we do with that efficiency? For Gagan, the answer lies in impact. Whether it is addressing bottlenecks in global supply chains, enhancing diagnostics in healthcare, or reducing fraud in financial services, these advances in AI development are not just theoretical. They are opening new doors for innovation across industries.

We also explored how TELUS Digital Solutions supports enterprise transformation through its Fuel iX platform, which helps organisations transition from GenAI pilots to scalable, secure, ethical, and practical production systems. Gagan shared examples of how large-scale transformation can be approached with agility, especially when AI is aligned to specific business outcomes rather than simply layered on top of existing systems.

This conversation goes far beyond model training. It is about what's next in AI operationalization, what business leaders should prioritize when it comes to adoption, and how to avoid common pitfalls as technology continues to evolve faster than many are prepared for.

So how did we go from 300 engineers to five? What should enterprises be doing right now to take advantage of this momentum? And how can we make sure that efficiency does not come at the cost of responsibility? Join us as we explore the answers.