The Digital Lighthouse

Softwire

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Technology
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The Digital Lighthouse is a podcast for CTOs and other tech leaders looking to navigate their organization through endless disruption and turbulence. Packed full of real life stories and insights, this podcast serves as your guiding light - wherever you are in your journey and whatever challenges you face.

Aug 4

Why AI doesn’t need to be perfect to be trusted

As AI becomes part of courts, healthcare and other critical public services, how do we build systems that people can trust? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Alex Wolff, Public Sector Director at Softwire, who has spent more than 20 years helping government, NHS and healthcare organisations deliver complex digital transformation. Together, they explore why comparing AI to perfection is the wrong benchmark, how to balance automation with human judgement, and what responsible AI looks like in practice. You’ll hear about: Why AI should be compared with today’s systems, not an ideal worldWhen mistakes are acceptable, and when they simply aren’tWhy humans remain central to trustworthy AIThree practical principles for building safe AI systemsHow AI could make public services more accessible, personalised and efficient Whether you’re working in government, healthcare or any organisation deploying AI in high-stakes environments, this episode offers practical lessons for building technology people can trust.
Jul 2

What happens when water companies stop competing on data

The water sector faces some of the UK’s biggest environmental and infrastructure challenges. But solving them requires more than better technology. It requires better collaboration. In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Melissa Tallack, co-lead of the Stream initiative and former Head of Data and Digital at Anglian Water. Together they explore how water companies are working together to share data, learn from other industries and create more value for customers, society and the environment. Melissa explains why breaking down data silos within organisations is only the first step. The real opportunity comes from sharing knowledge across an industry, and ultimately across sectors. From rail and energy to health and citizen science, she shares why the best ideas rarely stay in one place. Whether you’re leading digital transformation in utilities, government or another regulated industry, this conversation offers practical lessons on open data, collaboration and creating lasting value. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why water companies are collaborating on open data rather than competing. How Stream is creating shared data infrastructure for the sector. Why borrowing ideas from rail, energy and other industries accelerates innovation. How to break down organisational and industry data silos. Why publishing data only matters if it creates measurable value. What other sectors can learn from the water industry’s collaborative approach.
Jun 11

How insurance is driving the future of autonomous cars

Why are driverless cars taking so long? And what role does insurance play in getting autonomous vehicles safely onto UK roads? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with David Williams, a senior executive and non-executive director with more than 30 years’ experience in insurance. David previously worked at AXA Insurance UK, where he led work on connected and autonomous vehicles, including involvement in five government-backed consortia. He was also chair of the Association of British Insurers Motor Committee. Zoe and David explore the future and present of driverless vehicles, and the role insurance plays in helping new technology reach the road safely. David explains why many vehicles described as autonomous are still driver assistance systems, why insurance relies so heavily on data, and what happens when a new technology has no historic claims data to draw from. They also discuss the UK’s role in supporting autonomous vehicle development, how data and machine learning have changed insurance, and why driverless cars are designed to avoid accidents rather than make moral judgements about human life. DiscoverWhy driverless cars are closer than many people thinkWhat different levels of vehicle autonomy really meanWhy insurance is central to autonomous vehicle developmentHow data has transformed risk assessment in insuranceWhy the UK could be well placed to support autonomous vehicle innovationWhy the trolley problem is not the right way to think about driverless cars
May 13

Why digital transformation rarely goes to plan

Why do so many transformation programmes fail? And what does it take to actually deliver change at scale? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham speaks with Andy Burton, a technology leader with over 30 years of experience delivering large-scale digital transformation across industries including insurance, retail, and online gaming. Andy has held senior roles at organisations including Sky Betting & Gaming, The Very Group, and most recently esure, where he led a multi-year transformation to replatform the business and build a modern, digital-first insurer. They explore what transformation really looks like in practice. While many organisations begin with clear plans and ambitious timelines, the reality is far messier. External events, legacy constraints, and constant change mean even the best plans rarely survive intact. Andy shares what made the esure transformation successful, why many programmes go awry before the final step, and what it really means to become “digital on the inside”.
Apr 14

Why leaders need to create space for thinking

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Paul Spiers, founder of The New P&L Institute and host of The New P&L podcast. Zoe and Paul explore how leaders can create the conditions for better thinking, creativity, and innovation in a world shaped by constant change and emerging technologies. While organisations often say they value curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, Paul explains why many fail to create the space needed for those qualities to thrive. Instead, speed and efficiency dominate, limiting long term innovation. Paul shares how leaders can focus on self awareness, purpose, and culture to drive better outcomes. They also discuss why context matters when introducing AI, why leadership behaviour shapes culture, and how small, consistent actions can transform both individuals and organisations. Why organisations struggle to enable creativity and innovationWhy self awareness is the foundation of effective leadershipWhy context shapes how employees respond to AIHow leaders can create space for better thinkingWhy culture, leadership, and technology must be alignedHow small, consistent actions drive meaningful change
Mar 24

Why AI is like a highly motivated intern

Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Steve Burrows, a global product delivery and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience delivering digital platforms and transformation programmes across industries. Zoe and Steve explore how organisations can actually capture value from AI in complex environments. While excitement around generative AI is high, many initiatives struggle because they begin with the technology rather than the problem. Drawing on his experience across consulting, product development, and delivery, Steve explains why the most successful AI implementations start by understanding users and mapping workflows. Instead of replacing people, AI works best when it removes repetitive work and allows humans to focus on judgment, creativity, and decision-making. He also shares a practical way to think about AI: treat it like a highly motivated intern. Useful for many tasks, but still requiring oversight, guardrails, and human judgment. Why successful AI adoption starts with the problem, not the technology Why many AI initiatives fail due to unrealistic expectations How to identify the right workflows for AI automation Why AI works best when it removes repetitive work but keeps humans in control Why treating AI like a highly motivated intern is a useful mindset Why agile delivery is essential when working with rapidly evolving technology
Feb 11

Why AI creates knowledge debt and how leaders stay in control with Macs Dickinson

Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Macs Dickinson, Director of Engineering at LHV Bank on the challenge many technology leaders are facing as AI tools become embedded in everyday work. While generative AI can accelerate delivery, it can also create a hidden risk: knowledge debt. The loss of deep system understanding when teams rely too heavily on generated outputs. Drawing on his experience in highly regulated industries including banking and gambling, Macs explains why “fail fast” does not translate to environments where reliability and accountability are critical. He shares how his teams are adopting machine learning and AI agents safely, starting with narrow internal use cases, building strong guardrails, and ensuring engineers retain ownership of what they ship. Discover: Why AI can speed up delivery while increasing long term risk Why regulated industries require a different mindset for AI adoption How machine learning models can be governed through monitoring and human review Why generative AI is harder to test than traditional software How starting small reduces risk and builds organisational learning Why ownership and understanding still matter in AI assisted engineering
Jan 8

AI and tech revolutions: why we’ve been here before | Jamie Dobson

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Jamie Dobson, founder of cloud consultancy Container Solutions and author of Visionaries, Rebels and Machines. Zoe and Jamie explore how technology really evolves. They discuss why innovation has never been a solo pursuit, why leadership and management matter as much as scientific breakthroughs, and why many of today’s debates around AI echo arguments that have played out before. Drawing on examples from Edison and Oppenheimer to Amazon and modern cloud platforms, Jamie explains why users, not inventors, ultimately determine how technologies succeed or fail. He also shares practical lessons for today’s technology leaders on building real cloud and AI capability, removing organisational bottlenecks, and navigating periods of rapid change. Discover Why technological breakthroughs are built by teams, not lone geniuses Why leadership and management are central to successful innovation How cloud computing emerged by removing barriers for developers Why users shape the future of technology more than its creators What past technology transitions can teach us about today’s AI moment Why preparing for AI is fundamentally a people and capability challenge

The Digital Lighthouse is a podcast for CTOs and other tech leaders looking to navigate their organization through endless disruption and turbulence. Packed full of real life stories and insights, this podcast serves as your guiding light - wherever you are in your journey and whatever challenges you face.

Creator

Softwire
Years Active

2019 - 2026
Episodes

88
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Softwire
Show Website

The Digital Lighthouse