Illustration of a brain with network connections and the words 'Compromising Positions' superimposed in bold orange and white text.

about us

The award-winning tech podcast that asks : "Are we the ones breaking the world?"

Most tech podcasts are an echo chamber for builders. We step outside. We talk to the observers, the social scientists, and the deep thinkers who study the friction we create and the human systems we disrupt.

Lianne Potter and Jeff Watkins strip away the industry fluff and pit academic research against the harsh reality of real organisations and real human incentives.

We don’t just talk about AI, security, and automation; we explore the unintended consequences of our own "elegant" solutions.

We’re here to look at tech through a different lens and ask the uncomfortable questions that the industry usually avoids. Because if you’ve built a system that has become everyone else's problem, you have to ask:

"Am I the compromising position here?"

MEET THE HOSTS

A smiling woman with red hair, glasses, wearing a leopard print blouse and brown pants, standing with her hands in her pockets.


  • CO-HOST

    Lianne Potter is the Chief AI Security & Ethics Officer at NorthStar Intelligence, a Leeds‑based AI consultancy helping organisations adopt artificial intelligence safely, ethically and with long‑term resilience.

    An award‑winning cyber anthropologist and security transformation leader, she works at the intersection of AI security, digital ethics and cybersecurity, guiding organisations to build systems that are secure, accountable and safe by design.

    With experience across retail, healthcare, finance, private and non‑profit sectors, Lianne specialises in strengthening organisational security posture - from creating new security functions to maturing existing SecOps teams. Previously, as Head of SecOps for Europe’s largest greenfield technology transformation, she built a cutting‑edge security team from scratch to protect a modern retail organisation.

    As an international keynote speaker, she shares insights on cybersecurity, AI risk, technology culture and human behaviour, drawing on her background as a security‑focused software developer and practicing anthropologist. Her work blends deep technical expertise with a human‑centred understanding of how technology shapes - and is shaped by - people.

    A committed advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, she has advised community initiatives, authored publications, hosted award‑winning podcasts, and earned accolades including Security Specialist of the Year, Security Leader of the Year, and Cybersecurity Personality of the Year.

    She is currently completing an MSc in AI & Data Science, specialising in AI safety, alignment and the societal impact of emerging technologies. Her guiding principle: when you follow the cables, behind every piece of technology is a person and we should never lose sight of this.

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A man with glasses, a beard, and curly hair wearing a striped shirt, smiling and looking slightly to the side against a plain white background.


  • CO-HOST

    Jeff Watkins is the Chief Product & Technology Officer at CreateFuture and the Founder & Fractional CAIO at NorthStar Intelligence, a Leeds‑based AI consultancy helping organisations adopt artificial intelligence safely, strategically and responsibly.

    A lifelong technologist with nearly 25 years in the industry, he works across AI strategy, AI governance, cybersecurity and secure AI development, guiding organisations to build systems that are scalable, resilient and aligned with real‑world human impact.

    Jeff has led major programmes across Financial Services, Healthcare and Retail, including founding multiple cybersecurity teams and delivering enterprise‑scale technology transformations. His recent work focuses on the secure development and deployment of Generative AI solutions, helping boards and leadership teams understand both the risks and opportunities of emerging AI technologies.

    A seasoned public speaker, blogger and podcaster, Jeff has keynoted at international conferences including Webinale in Berlin, We Are Developers, NDC, and the International JavaScript Conference in London, sharing insights on the future of AI, technology culture and secure innovation.

    Jeff holds a Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity and has recently completed a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, specialising in the anthropomorphisation of AI — exploring how human perception shapes trust, risk and behaviour around intelligent systems.

    Whether mentoring future tech leaders or designing responsible AI strategies, Jeff’s mission is constant: build technology that elevates people, not the other way around.

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