AI and Me

Elena closes out Season 1 of AI and Me with a reflection on what she heard and learned across conversations with eleven different people. She revisits some of the threads that kept emerging, including what it means when we outsource thinking to machines, what happens to art and meaning-making when AI enters the picture, and why more information doesn’t automatically get us closer to the “truth.” S...

Elena sits down with her friend Philip, a Juilliard-trained cellist, producer, and one half of the Grammy-winning duo Arkai, to talk about creativity, technology, and what makes music feel human. Philip traces how Arkai evolved from a violin and cello into a full cinematic soundscape. They dig into AI tools that enhance what artists already do and generative AI platforms like Suno that raise thorn...

Elena catches up with her friend Anand, a product manager, software engineer, and serial startup founder who’s been working with AI and machine learning since before most people had heard of ChatGPT. They trace the arc of the technology — from early completion models and tiny context windows to a world where a single engineer can juggle five applications at once — and dig into what “agentic AI” ac...

Elena sits down with her friend Gabriela, a 3rd grade teacher in Brooklyn, for a candid conversation about what AI is doing to education, from lesson planning tools and DOE recommendations to the deeper worry that outsourcing thinking to machines means nothing actually sticks. Gabriela also reflects on AI as the latest chapter in a longer history of ed tech and whether human teachers will become a...

Elena sits down with her friend Ariel, a writer and book publishing professional, to talk about what AI means for artists and the written word. They explore why Ariel keeps AI out of her own creative practice, the ongoing copyright battles over AI training data, and what’s at stake for authors, translators, and creatives across industries. The conversation also touches on the human cost of trainin...

In this episode, Elena connects with her friend Mark to discuss AI’s growing role in paid media planning, including how automation is changing campaign strategy and day-to-day decision-making. Along the way, their conversation veers into self-driving cars, humanoids, and what AI could mean for the future of jobs. They also turn to Mark’s life outside of work, where he uses AI and data to inform hi...

Elena talks with her partner Hannah, a law student, about the promises and pitfalls of AI in legal work. While AI can summarize cases and accelerate research, Hannah argues that the real work of law lies in reasoning, interpretation, and judgment. They also wrestle with the broader implications of AI in policing and surveillance, and whether the legal system can keep up with technology that moves...

Elena talks with her friend Dylan about the expanding role of AI in healthcare and public affairs. Together, they unpack applied AI in clinical settings, the policy landscape, and the tension between accelerating innovation and safeguarding public trust. Dylan also shares how he uses LinkedIn to connect with practitioners, policymakers, and advocates who are shaping the future of AI in healthcare....

In this episode, Elena and Ashima examine AI as the new interface between humans and knowledge. Drawing on Ashima’s work with social science researchers, they discuss how AI is reshaping research and engagement, filtering into hiring processes, and becoming a go-to tool for search, coding, and mental health support. If AI can mediate knowledge, work, and even parts of our inner lives, what remains...

Through the lens of product management, Elena and her friend Kayley unpack the practical and ethical decisions behind AI development. They explore what accountability looks like for developers and technologists, and how those choices ripple outward, particularly into education. At the heart of the conversation is the idea that people are still designing products for humans (not machines) and the s...

Elena reunites with her longtime friend Christian to dig into questions around AI that loom beneath the surface: what is generative AI, what does it mean for art, and why are so many people suddenly trying to define what’s “uniquely human”? They also tackle some of the harder stuff—misinformation, deepfakes, and regulation—while discussing creativity, authorship, and whether we’ve always accepted...

Elena sits down with her colleague and friend Amanda to talk through their earliest encounters with generative AI and what it’s felt like to learn this technology in real time. From ethical guidelines and workplace experimentation to knowing when not to use AI, the conversation explores how personal judgment, professional norms, and cultural expectations around AI are still being formed—and the gr...