How to Build AI Systems You Can Trust

Large language models are incredibly powerful at understanding language, but that doesn't mean they should be making business-critical decisions on their own. In this episode of Code & Cognition, we explore what it actually takes to build AI systems that are safe enough for production. The conversation focuses on the engineering practices that make AI reliable in real-world environments. We discuss why observability is essential from day one, how deterministic control layers help prevent unpredictable behavior, and why every AI decision should be measurable, explainable, and reversible. We also cover the importance of regression testing as models evolve and why structured outputs should always be validated before triggering downstream actions. If you're building AI-powered products, customer-facing workflows, or applications in regulated industries, this episode offers practical insights into designing systems that are predictable, auditable, and built to earn trust over time. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction: Building Safe AI Systems in Production 01:06 – Designing for Safety: Guardrails & Secure Deployment 02:00 – Human-in-the-Loop for Healthcare & Compliance Workflows 03:31 – HIPAA, BAAs, and Compliance Infrastructure 04:39 – Separation of Environments & Auditability 06:02 – Evaluating LLM Updates with a Production Test Suite 07:07 – Building a Test Harness with Real-World Conversations (200+ Cases) 09:00 – Optimizing Test Performance & Cost 11:56 – Where LLMs Should NOT Be Used (Critical Boundaries) 14:30 – Closing Thoughts: Control, Constraints, and Reliable AI Systems Olio Apps can help you build production-ready AI applications: https://www.olioapps.com/contact-us Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://www.olioapps.com/newsletter For the algorithm: #EnterpriseAI #AIEngineering #Observability #LLM #ArtificialIntelligence #DeterministicAI #SoftwareArchitecture #WorkflowAutomation #AIInfrastructure #MachineLearning #CustomerExperience #HealthcareTechnology #TechPodcast #CodeAndCognition #OlioApps