Thinking Through Podcast

Who's governing AI — and who even gets to decide? In this episode of Thinking Through, host Dr. Allison Lester and student co-host Ana Carolina Oliveira sit down with Dr. Adam Pacton — Associate Teaching Professor and Dean's Fellow for AI Literacy and Integration at ASU — to wrestle with one of the messiest questions of our moment: how do you govern something that's changing faster tha...

What if AI could be designed around your needs, your values, and your life? In this episode of Thinking Through, Dr. Darwin Mastin, founder and CEO of TwinWise, joins host Dr. Allison Lester and ASU student cohost Ana Carolina Oliveira in the studio to explore digital twins, personal AI, personalized AI, and the ethical questions that emerge when technology starts to feel more human, more intimate...

Dr. Allison Lester sits down with Dr. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna for a conversation about what ChatGPT is, what it is pretending to be, and what we lose when we treat it like an all-knowing answer engine. Together they ask: What is a large language model, actually? Why does “search engine” framing mislead people so quickly? What gets erased when we focus on convenience, from labor and surv...

In this episode of Thinking Through , Dr. Allison Lester sits down with Dana Stephenson, co-founder of Riipen, to explore how AI is reshaping the workforce and what that means for students entering an increasingly uncertain job market. Together, they unpack the quiet disappearance of traditional entry-level roles, the limits of skills lists, and why experiential learning matters more than ever. Th...

In this episode of Thinking Through… , Dr. Allison Lester talks with Dan Fitzpatrick about what it feels like to live inside a moment where AI keeps arriving faster than our ability to make sense of it. Rather than focusing on tools or predictions, they explore the widening mindset gap between those immersed in AI’s rapid evolution and those encountering it from the outside. The conversation moves...

In this episode of Thinking Through… , Dr. Allison Lester sits down with Ken Shelton to unpack the conversation around AI and cheating and why it often misses the point. Together, they explore what teachers are really holding right now: fear, fatigue, pressure, and the weight of constant “innovation” demands. Ken challenges the framing of cheating as the core problem and invites a deeper look at p...

Digital citizenship often shows up in schools as a checklist of rules. Do not cyberbully. Do not overshare. Be careful online. In this episode of Thinking Through, Dr. Allison Lester is joined by Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey to ask a deeper question: what if digital citizenship were not about compliance, but about agency? Together, they trace the origins of digital citizenship back to internet safety laws a...

What is real anymore, and who do we trust in an AI-shaped media world? In this episode, Dr. Allison Lester and Dr. Tony Silvia dig into deepfakes, fake news fatigue, shrinking attention spans, and the way overwork and corporate culture make critical thinking harder to sustain. They explore how AI is reshaping journalism, raising urgent questions about regulation, bias, and job loss, while also ope...

What is real in an AI-mediated world? In this episode of Thinking Through , Dr. Allison Lester sits down with AI educator and thinker Carla Aerts to explore how technology, social media, and AI reshape our sense of reality, presence, and connection. From Monet’s lilies and Van Gogh “immersive” shows to concerts lit by a sea of phones, they trace how synthetic mediation fragments experience, bends...

Digital Equity or Digital Divide? with Colin Rhinesmith Centering equity in digital spaces is about access to broadband and devices, and agency, inclusion, and co-creation. In this conversation, Dr. Colin Rhinesmith, founder of the DEAR Lab and longtime scholar-practitioner in digital equity, joins host Dr. Allison Lester to reflect on what gets overlooked in conversations about the digital divide...

In this episode, José Antonio Bowen joins me ( Dr. Allison Lester ) for a conversation that moves with heart, clarity, and a deep commitment to what learning can become. We talk about the moments that shape us as educators, the wisdom we carry from our communities, and the quiet courage it takes to imagine teaching differently. José brings stories from his classroom, the tensions he holds, and the...

What happens when the line between connection and code blurs? Dr. Allison Lester talks with Sarah Manago about her story “My AI Boyfriend” and the growing world of AI companions. They explore how people build emotional relationships with AI, why these bonds feel so real, and what this says about the way we seek love and understanding in the digital age. About the Guest: Sarah Manago, a seasoned te...

What happens when high-octane AI innovation meets meaningful contemplation? Hosted by Dr. Allison Lester of University College at ASU , Thinking Through... is the new expert-led podcast that challenges the way you view technology, ethics, and human flourishing in the 21st century. Subscribe now to expand your perspective. Thinking Through... is the essential show for high-achieving professionals,...