The Human Voice with Bob Hutchins

The Funny Thing about Intelligence and Power We have spent centuries treating cognitive ability as a sacrament, using it to justify hierarchies and decide who deserves a seat at the table. But as intelligence becomes a commodity, the foundations of that power are shifting. This episode explores what happens when we stop performing expertise and start prioritizing presence. Key Reflections The End...

Dr. Stephanie Bennett is a professor of communication and media ecology at Palm Beach Atlantic University. For over two decades, she has explored the "invisible architecture" of our digital lives. A fellow traveler in the tradition of Neil Postman, Dr. Bennett's work examines how our technological environment shapes the soul. She is the author of several books, including Silence, Civility, and San...

Episode Summary: In this episode, we move beyond the common debate of whether technology is "good" or "bad" to explore a more fundamental reality: technology is no longer just a tool we pick up; it is the environment we inhabit. Drawing on the prophetic work of French sociologist Jacques Ellul, Bob explores how we have migrated from a natural wilderness defined by seasons and storms to a "silicon...

In this episode of The Human Voice , Bob Hutchins sits down with Baratunde Thurston—Emmy-nominated host, writer, comedian, and creator of the podcast Life With Machines . From his roots in Washington, D.C., shaped by a mother who was a computer programmer and activist, through Harvard philosophy and a decade of stand-up, Baratunde has built a career at the intersection of culture, technology, and...

In this episode, I step back from the hype and headlines around generative AI to reflect on something deeper: what's actually happening to our experience of art, creativity, and meaning when machines start making things that feel human. I draw from the work of 1930s philosopher Walter Benjamin—who never saw a chatbot or image model in his life, but somehow understood the psychological and cultural...

In this thought-provoking episode, Bob Hutchins explores a radical possibility: that we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of humanity's 500-year relationship with the written word. Drawing from media theorists Walter Ong and Harold Innis, Bob examines how generative AI might fundamentally transform not just how we communicate, but how we think and connect as human beings. Since Gutenberg'...

🎧 Show Notes (The Human Voice with Bob Hutchins): In this special episode, Bob Hutchins sits down with Dr. Tom Cooper—media ethicist, scholar, and former assistant to Marshall McLuhan—to unpack the lives and legacies of two of the most influential (and often misunderstood) thinkers in media history: Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan. Dr. Cooper shares insights from his new book Wisdom Weavers , o...

🧠 Episode Overview: As someone who works at the intersection of AI, media psychology, and leadership, I'm not just interested in tech—I'm interested in the human behind the tech, and those who think similar. My guest is Faisal Hoque, a three-time founder, Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, and author of the deeply timely and thoughtful book Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI . We ex...

This is a read of my latest article- The Soul in the Machine: A Spiritual Reflection on Articficial Intelligence. https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-soul-in-the-machine-a-spiritual The following reflection is taken from my latest Substack piece,  The Soul in the Machine, A spiritual reflection on AI . Lately, I've been sitting with some deeper questions—ones that don't always make the headline...

Online conversations have become a battleground—cheering certain words, booing others. Ideas and nuance are lost to labels that divide and dehumanize. When did we start trading dialogue for definitions?  In "The War of Words: Why Our Labels are Destroying Our Humanity," I explore how we've replaced genuine communication with tribal jargon and reactive outrage. More than ever, it's crucial to recla...

Christopher Summerfield, Oxford Neuroscientist & Former DeepMind Researcher Episode Summary: In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Summerfield , an Oxford neuroscientist and former DeepMind researcher who has spent his career studying how human brains work and how AI models can replicate cognitive processes . His new book, These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means ,...

In this episode, I sit down with Shideh Doerr , a natural connector and networking ambassador with over 25 years in healthcare. Shideh's journey took a turn when she co-founded JabberYak , a company designed to make networking more organic and meaningful. We explore her Persian-American roots, her transition from healthcare to entrepreneurship, and how JabberYak is revolutionizing human connection...

Guest Spotlight: David Whitesock, founder of Commonly Well and creator of the Recovery Capital Index, discusses his mission to bring data-driven insights to addiction recovery and mental health. From Struggle to Innovation: David shares his personal journey from addiction and incarceration to law school, leading him to develop a measurable approach to recovery. Beyond Sobriety Metrics: Commonly We...

In his third appearance on The Human Voice , media theorist and science fiction author Paul Levinson shares a fascinating conversation about the timeless relevance of media ecology, technology's role in human progress, and the myths surrounding information overload. Paul reflects on his seminal 1996 article On Behalf of Humanity and its argument that the issue isn't too much information but a lack...

Chris Dauphin is an  18-year marketing and communications veteran, professional musician, sports fan, father, son, and human .  And he's a close friend. This was a fun interview that surfaced some deep truths about life, work, and the meaning of it all. Enjoy!

Some of my thoughts from an article I wrote for my Substack Newsletter about how we are all interconnected more than we know through this thing called the internet, technology, and AI. And we are mimicking what Obi-Wan was sensing.  "I felt a great disturbance in the Force as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." -Be...

This is a reading of my Substack Article-  The Lost Art of Questioning: Can AI Bring It Back? https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-lost-art-of-questioning-can-ai AI's evolving abilities highlight the humanness woven through good questions. (Prompts) As AI gets smarter, might it even start teaching us back by teaching us to ask those open-ended, thought-provoking questions that truly make us lear...

Kendra Jones is a Futurist.  With a rich history in high-tech strategic operations at Apple, and a strong academic foundation from MIT and the University of Houston, Kendra blends practicality with visionary thinking. Her endeavors span from hosting a futures-centric radio show to leading the Remote Futures Research Lab. Through her consultancy, LAKA,  Kendra embarks on exploring the intersections...

Alex Kantrowitz is a veteran journalist who's interviewed some of the world's top CEOs, including Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, and Jack Dorsey. His company, Big Technology, serves more than 100,000 newsletter subscribers and tens of thousands of podcast listeners, delivering accessible news about the tech industry in weekly installments. He's also an on-air contributor at CNBC....

Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of online higher education. Under his leadership since 2003, SNHU has grown from 2,800 to over 220,000 learners. He has served as Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Education and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. An immigra...

Jon Ricketts is a man of many talents, with a back ground that includes medical devices, aviation, and tech start-ups. He has a knack for innovation and a passion for making life better, one venture at a time.  We talk about the Ai start-up world, how e-commerce is changing, and how to build a go-to-market team that is creative, unique, and effective.  Jon holds a Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Li...

CJ is a writer and media producer. He leads a messaging & production studio called Reculture and an award-winning kids media project called Ringbeller . He's had the privilege of traveling the world speaking to creative professionals at venues like Creative Mornings , TEDx, and STORY . He's also the author of the book- Get Weird, Discover the Surprising Secret to Making a Difference

Paul Levinson returns just in time to discuss the release of Robots through the Ages,  published by Blackstone Publishing, it includes stories from some of the best writers of science fiction, both old and new. This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature.  Paul's story, Robinson Calculator, is included in this coll...

What if we have been focusing on the wrong things to define what's 'human' and 'normal'? What if a shift in the definition of healthy human behavior and how time is best spent can be realized through our technology? This in no way minimizes or re-frames my concerns that I still have about AI or screen time in general. But several things can be true at the same time, and as a tech optimist, I am ho...

Karen Kelly has been a Founder, CEO and CMO in industries spanning advertising, healthcare, and technology. She is the former founder of one of Boston's most profitable media studios and speaks regularly at marketing and entrepreneur conferences nationwide. Most recently, Karen was the President of Tapple, a mobile-first technology platform used to engage consumers and gather first-party data in t...