What does responsible AI actually look like once you move beyond the headlines and start deploying it inside highly regulated businesses? In this episode, I speak with Richa Kaul, Founder and CEO of Complyance, about one of the biggest challenges facing enterprise AI today: building systems that people can trust. As companies race to adopt AI across every part of the business, governance, risk management, and compliance are no longer back-office functions. They are becoming central to every conversation about innovation. Richa shares the personal experiences that inspired her to build Complyance, from her work in public sector technology and legal AI to her long-standing passion for data privacy. We discuss why trust has become one of the defining themes of enterprise AI and why businesses must think beyond their own AI initiatives to also understand the risks introduced by third-party vendors. One of the most interesting parts of our conversation focuses on the difference between compliance and risk. Rather than viewing compliance as a box-ticking exercise or a cost center, Richa explains why AI has brought risk discussions directly into the boardroom. Business leaders are now asking deeper questions about how customer data is handled, how AI decisions are governed, and what safeguards need to exist before new technologies are deployed at scale. We also explore how AI is changing governance itself. Traditional compliance has often relied on manual reviews and simple pass-or-fail checks, but Complyance is applying agentic AI to introduce greater context and human-like judgment into governance workflows. Richa explains how that approach is helping reduce manual effort while allowing teams to focus on higher-value risk decisions rather than repetitive administrative work. Our conversation also covers practical advice for companies introducing AI into regulated environments. From evaluating third-party vendors and defining acceptable risk thresholds to adopting emerging AI standards and maintaining transparency throughout the process, Richa offers thoughtful guidance for leaders trying to balance innovation with accountability. Along the way, we also discuss Complyance's recent $20 million Series A investment led by Google Ventures and what that recognition means for the company's mission to modernize governance, risk, and compliance with AI. If your business is investing in AI while trying to strengthen trust, transparency, and responsible innovation, this episode offers a timely look at how governance is evolving alongside the technology itself. As AI becomes embedded into more business processes, how is your company building trust while still giving teams the freedom to innovate?

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