Responsible Innovation: Open Banking, AI, and Building Tech That Serves People First with Dr. Hisham Alasad

What if innovation is not about moving faster, but moving with purpose? In this episode of Innovators Inside, Ian Bergman sits down with Dr. Hisham Alasad, head of innovation enablement at Qatar Airways, to unpack a human-first view of innovation shaped by fintech, academia, and a bold move to Qatar. They break down what open banking really changes, why banks fight it, and how open finance could unlock better, cheaper products for consumers. Then they go deeper: why innovation requires overcoming fear, why closed systems stall progress, and what a “Responsible Innovation” framework could look like that is ethical, inclusive, scalable, and beneficial beyond the balance sheet. They close with a big vision: using AI to help create opportunity and peace in the Middle East.Topics & Timestamps🍫 00:00:00 Welcome Hisham Alasad🧠 00:04:32 The one skill future leaders cannot skip: emotional intelligence🤖 00:06:49 AI as a permanent teammate, plus the keyboard vs voice bet⚡ 00:13:16 Tech progress vs fragile infrastructure and reliability🌍 00:17:10 Why Hisham moved to Qatar and how he avoids “comfort zone stagnation”🏦 00:19:25 Open banking explained: data ownership, APIs, and breaking bank lock-in🧾 00:23:08 How banks react to open banking: wait and see, distributor, manufacturer, or platform🧍 00:31:08 Open finance and why digital identity is a key prerequisite🔮 00:34:34 The “Holy Trinity” prediction: open data + AI + quantum computing by ~2030😨 00:36:27 Why innovation is overcoming fear (and how fear hides behind “risk” and “regulation”)🧭 00:39:36 The Responsible Innovation framework: purpose alignment, open ecosystems, governance, ESG ROI, scalability✈️ 00:47:31 Banking vs aviation: the shared foundation is trust🕊️ 00:49:18 “AI for Peace”: a vision to build a Silicon Valley of the Middle East🧩 00:52:09 Closing lesson: innovation is not about speed, it’s about direction📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.