How to Adopt AI Without Creating Security Risks with Kate Marshall
OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
Release Date: 08/23/2026
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
In Episode 196 of Open Tech Talks, host Kashif Manzoor speaks with Sebastian Wernicke, a data and AI expert with 20 years of experience working across data science, analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The conversation explores how organizations should approach AI transformation without getting distracted by the latest technology trends. Sebastian shares a powerful principle that has guided his work: Purpose first, data second. Rather than starting with a new AI model or technology and looking for somewhere to use it, organizations should first understand the business...
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
In Episode 196 of Open Tech Talks, host Kashif Manzoor sits down with Kate Marshall, a cybersecurity and AI adoption specialist, to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today: How can companies move quickly with AI while keeping their data, people, and systems secure? Kate brings nearly two decades of cybersecurity experience to the conversation and explains why AI adoption cannot be separated from cybersecurity, privacy, governance, and employee training. The conversation starts with the growing adoption of AI inside organizations and the different approaches taken by...
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
Artificial Intelligence has completely transformed software development. What started with autocomplete has evolved into AI coding agents capable of building entire applications from simple prompts. But as organizations adopt these tools, new challenges emerge: cost, security, vendor lock-in, enterprise governance, and the future role of software engineers. Today’s conversation isn’t about one product. It’s about understanding where software development is heading over the next few years. Joining me is Emilie Schario, VP of Engineering at Kilo, where she works on agentic engineering and...
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
One thing I’ve noticed after working with enterprise customers for more than 20 years is this. When AI projects fail, people usually blame the model. They blame ChatGPT. They blame the vendor. They blame the technology. But after sitting in hundreds of customer meetings, I rarely found AI itself to be the problem. The real problem was hidden somewhere else. The data was scattered. Nobody knew which document was the latest. Every department had its own tools. Everyone wanted AI, but nobody agreed on the business problem they were trying to solve. I remember one customer asking me, “Can AI...
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
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OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
For the last two years, almost every conversation in technology has been about AI. New models. New tools. New agents. New automation. And honestly, I understand the excitement. I’ve spent more than 20 years working in technology, cloud, AI, and enterprise transformation. I’ve seen many waves of innovation. But this one feels different. Yet something has been bothering me. Every conference I attend, every LinkedIn post I read, every discussion I have with business leaders seems focused on one question: “What can AI do?” Very few people are asking: “What should I become?” A few years...
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AI Safety, AGI, and the Next Decade with Dr. Craig Kaplan
OPEN Tech Talks: AI worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips
For most of my career, technology felt predictable. A new software platform arrived. A new programming language appeared. A new cloud service changed how we deploy applications. Every wave of technology helped people work faster. But AI feels different. Over the last two years, I have watched professionals across industries experience something I have never seen before. People are not simply using a new tool. They are having conversations with technology. A marketer can generate campaigns. A consultant can build frameworks. A developer can create applications in hours instead of weeks. And...
info_outlineIn Episode 196 of Open Tech Talks, host Kashif Manzoor sits down with Kate Marshall, a cybersecurity and AI adoption specialist, to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today:
How can companies move quickly with AI while keeping their data, people, and systems secure?
Kate brings nearly two decades of cybersecurity experience to the conversation and explains why AI adoption cannot be separated from cybersecurity, privacy, governance, and employee training.
The conversation starts with the growing adoption of AI inside organizations and the different approaches taken by highly regulated industries versus organizations that are aggressively adopting autonomous AI agents.
Kate explains that the biggest AI security risks often come from people using AI tools without understanding the risks.
From downloading untrusted skills and encountering prompt injection to connecting AI systems to internal data, seemingly harmless actions can create serious security problems.
The discussion then moves into practical steps organizations can take to adopt AI safely without creating unnecessary barriers.
Kate recommends starting with two basic foundations:
- An AI policy
- An approved AI tools list
But policy alone isn’t enough.
Organizations must also train employees, define permissions, establish governance, create incident-response processes, and continuously improve their AI adoption strategy.
The episode also explores the importance of measuring AI ROI, creating digital twins for critical business processes, training employees to become effective AI operators, and ensuring that teams understand how to use AI tools responsibly.
For developers and product teams building applications with LLMs, Kate highlights another important issue: accountability.
When an AI-powered product makes a mistake, who is responsible?
That question needs to be considered during product design—not after something goes wrong.
The episode closes with advice for professionals who want to learn AI security, as well as a message for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the speed of AI development:
Episode # 196
Today’s Guest:
Kate Marshall, Fractional CAIO
She helps organizations adopt AI with strong governance, workforce readiness, and practical support. She spent 18 years at the SANS Institute, leading Summits creating rapid-response training for emerging cybersecurity threats, curriculum marketing strategy, and courseware development
- Website: KateMarshall
What Listeners Will Learn:
- How to Adopt AI Safely
- How to Build an AI Governance Framework
- How to Protect Sensitive Data When Using AI
- How to Manage AI Security Risks
- Why Employee AI Training Matters
- How to Balance AI Innovation and Security
- How to Create an Effective AI Policy
- How to Evaluate AI Tools and Permissions
- How to Build Secure AI Products
- How to Prepare Your Workforce for AI