Why Banks, Armies and AI All Fall Into the Same Trap | Erik Åkesson Elaine Stirling | Negotiator 391

Why Banks, Armies and AI All Fall Into the Same Trap | Erik Åkesson Elaine Stirling | Negotiator 391

From Sami Miettinen Neuvottelija by Sami Miettinen Neuvottelija

June 26, 2026 · 1h 17m · Episode 391

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of legacy systems on organizations and how they can be addressed using new tools like AI.

Erik Åkesson and Elaine Stirling join Sami Miettinen to talk about legacy, the invisible inheritance of old systems, cultures and decisions that quietly shapes the choices an organization has left. Their book Calista's Paradox tells the story of a young jewelry designer who suddenly inherits a 120 year old gemstone company and every problem that comes with it, while a second layer turns the novella into a practical handbook on facing the past. The conversation moves from banking and aviation to the military, showing how a strong safety culture can spread too far and how the same legacy traps catch banks, armies and now artificial intelligence.Erik argues that the smartest move is rarely to burn down the old structure but to use new tools, including AI, to lift the value of everything already in place. Along the way they explore as is analysis, the hero's journey, the optimal rate of change and why risk aversion may be quietly strangling the Finnish economy. 0:00 Legacy and the Calista's paradox themes intro by Sami 2:43 Welcoming Erik Åkesson and Elaine Stirling 3:35 Elaine introduces her writing life 4:15 Erik on army banking and reinvention 6:13 Who Calista is and her…

People in this episode

Host: Sami Miettinen

Guests: Erik Åkesson, Elaine Stirling

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Finnish economy

Books & works: Calista's Paradox

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