Pondering AI

Michael Strange has a healthy appreciation for complexity, diagnoses hype as antithetical to innovation and prescribes an interdisciplinary approach to making AI well.   Michael and Kimberly discuss whether AI is good for healthcare; healthcare as a global system; radical shifts precipitated by the pandemic; why hype stifles nuance and innovation; how science works; the complexity of the human con...

Andriy Burkov talks down dishonest hype and sets realistic expectations for when LLMs, if properly and critically applied, are useful. Although maybe not as AI agents.   Andriy and Kimberly discuss how he uses LLMs as an author; LLMs as unapologetic liars; how opaque training data impacts usability; not knowing if LLMs will save time or waste it; error-prone domains; when language fluency is usele...

Ravit Dotan, PhD asserts that beneficial AI adoption requires clarity of purpose, good judgment, ethical leadership, and making responsibility integral to innovation.  Ravit and Kimberly discuss the philosophy of science; why all algorithms incorporate values; how technical judgements centralize power; not exempting AI from established norms; when lists of risks lead us astray; wasting water, eati...

Dr. Ash Watson studies how stories ranging from classic Sci-Fi to modern tales invoking moral imperatives, dystopian futures and economic logic shape our views of AI.  Ash and Kimberly discuss the influence of old Sci-Fi on modern tech; why we can’t escape the stories we’re told; how technology shapes society; acting in ways a machine will understand; why the language we use matters; value transfe...

Robert Mahari examines the consequences of addictive intelligence, adaptive responses to regulating AI companions, and the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration.  Robert and Kimberly discuss the attributes of addictive products; the allure of AI companions; AI as a prescription for loneliness; not assuming only the lonely are susceptible; regulatory constraints and gaps; individual rights an...

Phaedra Boinodiris minds the gap between AI access and literacy by integrating educational siloes, practicing human-centric design, and cultivating critical consumers.  Phaedra and Kimberly discuss the dangerous confluence of broad AI accessibility with lagging AI literacy and accountability; coding as a bit player in AI design; data as an artifact of human experience; the need for holistic litera...

Ryan Carrier trues up the benefits and costs of responsible AI while debunking misleading narratives and underscoring the positive power of the consumer collective.   Ryan and Kimberly discuss the growth of AI governance; predictable resistance; the (mis)belief that safety impedes innovation; the “cost of doing business”; downside and residual risk; unacceptable business practices; regulatory tren...

Olivia Gambelin values ethical innovation, revels in human creativity and curiosity, and advocates for AI systems that reflect and enable human values and objectives.  Olivia and Kimberly discuss philogagging; us vs. “them” (i.e. AI systems) comparisons; enabling curiosity and human values; being accountable for the bombs we build - figuratively speaking; AI models as the tip of the iceberg; liter...

Helen Beetham isn’t waiting for an AI upgrade as she considers what higher education is for, why learning is ostensibly ripe for AI, and how to diversify our course.      Helen and Kimberly discuss the purpose of higher education; the current two tribe moment; systemic effects of AI; rethinking learning; GenAI affordances; the expertise paradox; productive developmental challenges; converging on a...

Steven Kelts engages engineers in ethical choice, enlivens training with role-playing, exposes organizational hazards and separates moral qualms from a duty to care.  Steven and Kimberly discuss Ashley Casovan’s inspiring query; the affirmation allusion; students as stochastic parrots; when ethical sophistication backfires; limits of ethics review boards; engineers and developers as core to ethica...

Susie Alegre makes the case for prioritizing human rights and connection, taking AI systems to account, minding the right gaps, and resisting unwitting AI dependency.   Susie and Kimberly discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); legal protections and access to justice; human rights laws; how court cases impact legislative will; the wicked problem of companion AI; abdicating accoun...

Eryk Salvaggio articulates myths animating AI design, illustrates the nature of creativity and generated media, and artfully reframes the discourse on GenAI and art.    Eryk joined Kimberly to discuss myths and metaphors in GenAI design; the illusion of control; if AI saves time and what for; not relying on futuristic AI to solve problems; the fallacy of scale; the dehumanizing narrative of human...

Geertrui Mieke de Ketelaere reflects on the uncertain trajectory of AI, whether AI is socially or environmentally sustainable, and using AI to become good ancestors.    Mieke joined Kimberly to discuss the current trajectory of AI; uncertainties created by current AI applications; the potent intersection of humanlike AI and heightened social/personal anxiety; Russian nesting dolls (matryoshka) as...

Vaishnavi J respects youth, advises considering the youth experience in all digital products, and asserts age-appropriate design is an underappreciated business asset.   Vaishnavi joined Kimberly to discuss: the spaces youth inhabit online; the four pillars of safety by design; age-appropriate design choices; kids’ unique needs and vulnerabilities; what both digital libertarians and abstentionists...

Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer analyze AI patterns and factors hindering adoption, why AI is never ‘set it and forget it’, and the criticality of critical thinking.    The dynamic duo behind Cognilytica (now PMI) join Kimberly to discuss: the seven (7) patterns of AI; fears and concerns stymying AI adoption; the tension between top-down and bottom-ups AI adoption; the AI value proposition; what...

Dr. Marisa Tschopp explores our evolving, often odd, expectations for AI companions while embracing radical empathy, resisting relentless PR and trusting in humanity.   Marisa and Kimberly discuss recent research into AI-based conversational agents, the limits of artificial companionship, implications for mental health therapy, the importance of radical empathy and differentiation, why users defy...

John Danaher assesses how AI may reshape ethical and social norms, minds the anticipatory gap in regulation, and applies the MVPP to decide against digitizing himself.   John parlayed an interest in science fiction into researching legal philosophy, emerging technology, and society. Flipping the script on ethical assessment, John identifies six (6) mechanisms by which technology may reshape ethica...

Ben Bland expressively explores emotive AI’s shaky scientific underpinnings, the gap between reality and perception, popular applications, and critical apprehensions.  Ben exposes the scientific contention surrounding human emotion. He talks terms (emotive? empathic? not telepathic!) and outlines a spectrum of emotive applications. We discuss the powerful, often subtle, and sometimes insidious way...

Philip Rathle traverses from knowledge graphs to LLMs and illustrates how loading the dice with GraphRAG enhances deterministic reasoning, explainability and agency.     Philip explains why knowledge graphs are a natural fit for capturing data about real-world systems. Starting with Kevin Bacon, he identifies many ‘graphy’ problems confronting us today. Philip then describes how interconnected sys...

Matthew Scherer makes the case for bottom-up AI adoption, being OK with not using AI, innovation as a relative good, and transparently safeguarding workers’ rights.  Matthew champions a worker-led approach to AI adoption in the workplace. He traverses the slippery slope from safety to surveillance and guards against unnecessarily intrusive solutions.  Matthew then illustrates why AI isn’t great at...

Heidi Lanford connects data to cocktails and campaigns while considering the nature of data disruption, getting from analytics to AI, and using data with confidence. Heidi studied mathematics and statistics and never looked back. Reflecting on analytics then and now, she confirms the appetite for data has never been higher. Yet adoption, momentum and focus remain evergreen barriers. Heidi issues a...

Marianna B. Ganapini contemplates AI nudging, entropy as a bellwether of risk, accessible ethical assessment, ethical ROI, the limits of trust and irrational beliefs.  Marianna studies how AI-driven nudging ups the ethical ante relative to autonomy and decision-making. This is a solvable problem that may still prove difficult to regulate. She posits that the level of entropy within a system correl...

Miriam Vogel disputes AI is lawless, endorses good AI hygiene, reviews regulatory progress and pitfalls, boosts literacy and diversity, and remains net positive on AI.  Miriam Vogel traverses her unforeseen path from in-house counsel to public policy innovator. Miriam acknowledges that AI systems raise some novel questions but reiterates there is much to learn from existing policies and laws. Draw...

Melissa Sariffodeen contends learning requires unlearning, ponders human-AI relationships, prioritizes outcomes over outputs, and values the disquiet of constructive critique.  Melissa artfully illustrates barriers to innovation through the eyes of a child learning to code and a seasoned driver learning to not drive. Drawing on decades of experience teaching technical skills, she identifies why AI...

Shannon Mullen O’Keefe champions collaboration, serendipitous discovery, curious conversations, ethical leadership, and purposeful curation of our technical creations.     Shannon shares her professional journey from curating leaders to innovative ideas. From lightbulbs to online dating and AI voice technology, Shannon highlights the simultaneously beautiful and nefarious applications of tech and...