Emerging Tech Unpacked with Lucy Lin

Send us Fan Mail
 Imagine waking up one morning and realising your AI assistant hasn’t just written your emails overnight, it’s also moved money between your accounts, paid your bills and maybe even booked your next specialist appointment. Terrifying? Exciting? Maybe both.

In this live episode of Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin sits down with Stripe and splose to unpack how agentic AI is already reshaping fintech, customer discovery and payments.

In this live recording from Stone & Chalk during Sunrise Festival week, we explore what happens when AI stops being a chatbot on a screen and starts acting as an agent in the real world - discovering services, negotiating options and actually moving money in the background.

In this episode, we dive into:
💵 What agentic AI really is: from “call and response” chatbots to always‑on sidekicks that can take multi‑step actions for you.
💵 How customer discovery is shifting from Google searches to AI assistants, including why Stripe now sees more traffic to its docs from AI agents than from humans.
💵 Real‑world stories of agents over‑stepping the brief, from grocery orders gone wrong to Slack messages sent before they were ready.
 Why payments have moved from “unsexy plumbing” to a growth lever and core part of customer experience, especially in allied health.
💵 Trust, fraud and safety: fake IDs, agent‑driven attacks, and why “trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback” in fintech and healthcare.
💵 The human skills that still matter in an AI world: adaptability, curiosity, communication and learning to brief your agents with the right context.

We thank our partners: Stripe, Sunrise and Stone & Chalk for their support in making this live podcast episode happen!
For more information, visit our website: https://www.emergingtechunpacked.com/

Connect with us: https://bio.site/emergingtechunpacked

*Subscribe to our YouTube channel:*

http://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked?sub_confirmation=1

*Follow us on our social media channels to get the latest news:*

🔔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emergingtechunpacked

🔔 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingtechunpacked/

🔔 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Emerging-Tech-Unpacked/100090565331236/

🔔 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emergingtechunpacked

*Chapters*

00:00 Welcome and We Love Our Partners
05:50 Meet The Panel
06:19 The Best Fun Facts 
09:18 What Is Agentic AI?
13:04 Hype Vs Reality
17:18 AI And Customer Experience
29:43 Payments Friction And Growth
34:14 Letting Agents Pay
36:33 Search and Shopping Trust
40:33 Fraud and Transparency
43:23 Can Fraud Be Stopped?
46:50 Startup Scaling and Fundraising
50:25 Futureproof Skills
55:59 Audience Q&A 
01:00:18 Fintech Innovations Ahead 
 
 
Support the show
🎙️ Website: https://www.EmergingTechUnpacked.com/
🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4d6Hfoi
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/49TS1LG

Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin interviews 22‑year‑old environmental scientist and founder Kirah Godsell, co‑founder of Air2Energy, a climate hardware startup turning “pollution into power” from engines and boilers.

You’ll learn:

🌳 Decarbonisation explained in simple, non‑jargon language

🌳 How burning fossil fuels in cars, buildings and power plants traps heat and drives climate change

🌳 How an university assignment turned a pre‑med student into a climate tech founder

🌳 What Gen Z really thinks about climate anxiety, net zero, consumer guilt and greenwashing

🌳 Practical climate actions you can start taking today

If you’re curious about climate change, net zero, clean energy, climate tech careers and how young innovators are building real hardware solutions, this episode is for you.

👉 Watch “Decarbonisation with a Young Scientist” now and subscribe for more deep dives into emerging tech and the future of our planet.

Connect with us: https://bio.site/emergingtechunpacked

*Subscribe to our YouTube channel:*

http://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked?sub_confirmation=1

For more information, visit our website: https://www.emergingtechunpacked.com/

*Follow us on our social media channels to get the latest news:*

🔔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emergingtechunpacked

🔔 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingtechunpacked/

🔔 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Emerging-Tech-Unpacked/100090565331236/

🔔 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emergingtechunpacked

*Chapters*

00:00 Introducing Gen Z Founder, Kirah Godsell
02:54 Gen Z Climate Reality
04:51 Great Barrier Reef Loss And Motivation
07:03 Accidental Startup Origin
09:50 Decarbonisation Explained
15:17 What Happens If We Fail
18:55 Hard To Decarbonise Industry
30:45 Offsets Profit And Greenwashing
41:31 Carbon Capture Difference
44:08 Startup Prototyping And Scaling
48:30 Staying Motivated
53:49 Advice For Scientists
57:17 Future Skills Rapid Fire
01:00:48 Human Connection And AI
01:03:24 Studying During COVID 
01:06:43 Practical Climate Steps
01:13:45 Final Earth Reminder 
 
 
Support the show
🎙️ Website: https://www.EmergingTechUnpacked.com/
🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4d6Hfoi
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/49TS1LG

Send us Fan Mail
Quantum isn’t just mind‑bending physics - it is creating new industries, reshaping cybersecurity and demanding a whole ecosystem of skills, investment and policy to bring it to life.

In Part 2 of this special quantum series, Australia’s former Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley joins host Lucy Lin to explore how we move quantum from the lab to the real world, and what it means for careers, national security and Australia’s tech future.

In this conversation, we unpack:

⚛️ The hard realities of taking quantum technologies from research labs into fabs, foundries and investible startups, and why Australia needs a coordinated ecosystem, not just brilliant science.

⚛️ How governments, states and industry are quietly building quantum infrastructure, from fabrication and packaging facilities to deep‑tech precincts.

⚛️ Why quantum is already here in sensing and encryption, how “harvest now, decrypt later” works, and what being truly “quantum ready” means for banks, infrastructure and cybersecurity teams.

⚛️ The new jobs emerging across quantum hardware, software, cryogenics, materials, policy, communications and storytelling, and the skills that will be in highest demand.

⚛️ How diversity, feedback and resilience have shaped Cathy’s four‑decade career, and her advice on turning setbacks into fuel for growth and leadership.

If you’ve ever wondered whether quantum will actually deliver on the hype, what Q‑Day really is, or how your own skills might fit into this new wave of deep tech, this episode will give you a clear, grounded roadmap.

Connect with us: https://bio.site/emergingtechunpacked 

*Subscribe to our YouTube channel:*

http://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked?sub_confirmation=1

For more information, visit our website: https://www.emergingtechunpacked.com/

*Follow us on our social media channels to get the latest news:*

🔔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emergingtechunpacked

🔔 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingtechunpacked/

🔔 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Emerging-Tech-Unpacked/100090565331236/

🔔 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emergingtechunpacked

 *Chapters*

00:00 Meet Dr Cathy Foley, Australia’s Former Chief Scientist
03:00 The Funding and Commercialisation Gap
04:40 Building Industry Support Programs
09:41 Quantum's Promise Timeline
12:00 Why Australia Backs Quantum
13:56 Encryption Risks and Readiness
18:11 Jobs and Key Skills
24:59 Why Quantum Needs To Be Cold
26:48 Women in STEM Progress
29:28 Fixing Early Career Pathways
31:08 Long Game Mindset
35:39 Career Feedback and Resilience
40:29 No Overnight Success
42:26 Quantum's Decade Vision
46:42 A Quantum Fun Fact 

 
 
Support the show
🎙️ Website: https://www.EmergingTechUnpacked.com/
🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4d6Hfoi
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/49TS1LG

Send us Fan Mail
Have you ever wondered what a Chief Scientist actually does, or how quantum physics could change your everyday life?

In this episode of Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin sits down with Dr Cathy Foley, physicist, board member at CSIRO, and Australia’s former Chief Scientist, to unpack how “science for humanity” drives everything from national policy to quantum innovation.

Cathy shares how she went from a curious kid who loved science to becoming Australia’s Chief Scientist, what really happens behind the scenes in that role, and why Australia is now a front‑runner in the global quantum race.

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a science fan, or just quantum‑curious, this conversation will change how you see physics, policy, and Australia’s role in the future of technology.

*Chapters*

00:00 Meet Dr Cathy Foley
04:32 CSIRO Career Highlights
06:13 Superconductors Explained
10:33 Global Research Collaboration
13:21 Why CSIRO Matters
17:15 Becoming Australia’s Chief Scientist
20:14 Chief Scientist Responsibilities
23:16 Quantum Basics
25:44 Quantum Leap Explained
27:33 Superposition And Entanglement Explained
30:44 Explain It Like A Five Year Old
31:54 Schrödinger’s Cat Explained
35:10 Quantum In Everyday Tech
37:38 Quantum Computing 
42:46 Australia & the Global Quantum Race
45:12 Building The National Quantum Strategy
 
 
Support the show
🎙️ Website: https://www.EmergingTechUnpacked.com/
🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4d6Hfoi
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/49TS1LG

Send us Fan Mail
Are video games bad for us, or could they actually help our mental health? 

In this episode of Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin sits down with Dr Michelle Chen, game developer, researcher, and founder of Mental Jam, to explore how video games can become powerful tools for emotional expression, empathy, and self‑care.

Michelle shares how her lived experiences of depression and anxiety inspired her to co‑create games with young people that turn real emotions into playable stories. She explains how her mental health-focused design, rejects addictive “pay‑to‑win” game systems, in favour of compassion‑driven mechanics like spoon limits and cozy characters, including a bubble‑tea‑loving wombat baristas 🧋🐾.

Whether you’re a gamer, a mental‑health advocate, or simply curious about the future of tech for good, this conversation will change the way you see your controller, your phone, and your own mental wellbeing.

*Subscribe to our YouTube channel:*

http://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked?sub_confirmation=1

For more information, visit our website: https://www.emergingtechunpacked.com/

*Follow us on our social media channels to get the latest news:*

🔔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emergingtechunpacked

🔔 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingtechunpacked/

🔔 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Emerging-Tech-Unpacked/100090565331236/

🔔 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emergingtechunpacked

*Chapters*

00:00 Meet Dr. Michelle Chen & a Filipino Fun Fact 
03:42 A Third-Culture Journey: Philippines, Taiwan, UK, Australia 
07:11 A PhD in Gaming + Mental Health: Surviving Through COVID 
15:22 Why Asians Don’t Talk About Mental Health (and How Gaming Open Doors) 
21:47 Commercial vs Empathy-Driven Game Design (Avoiding Addictive Tricks) 
24:35 Ethical Monetisation + Fixing Harmful Portrayals in Gaming 
27:51 Women in Games: Representation, ‘Jiggle Physics,’ and More Female Devs 
36:06 Designing Feelings: Embodied Sound vs Metaphor vs Narrative Games 
39:14 Not All Games Are the Same: Violence, Cozy Play, and the PTSD Example 
41:47 Consent, Safety & Ownership in Mental Health Co‑Creation 
43:55 Culture & Language Barriers: Making Games for Diverse/Asian Families 
51:57 CSIRO ON Program Pivot: 200+ Interviews and Focusing on Access & Early Intervention 
54:56 Quickfire Skills for Game Dev & Founders: Creativity, Resilience, Communication 
57:22 AI & Ethics in Mental Health + Game Studios: Chatbots, Copyright, and Human Art 
01:02:54 Games as a Complement to Therapy: The ‘In‑Between’ Support Role
 
 
Support the show
🎙️ Website: https://www.EmergingTechUnpacked.com/
🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emergingtechunpacked
🎙️ Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4d6Hfoi
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/49TS1LG