Olga Goriunova rejects digital abstractions as mirror images of ourselves and reflects on why we concern ourselves with representations that aren’t concerned about us.

Olga and Kimberly discuss how cultural imagination is shaped by technology; digital subjects as unnatural constructs; the distance between individuals and their digital profiles; banal categorization and subjective truth; how statistics and ML changed the concept of the ideal; the limits of digital subjects; extreme individuation and aspiring to become our digital reflections; how current predictions create future realities; why the ideal digital subject isn’t concerned with you; and thinking critically about what we desire and why.

Olga Goriunova is a cultural theorist working at the intersection of technology, philosophy, and aesthetics. A Professor of Media Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London, Olga is the author of the critically acclaimed book Ideal Subjects: The Abstract People of AI.

Additional Resources:

• Aksioma: Institute for Contemporary Art Book Lecture
• Olga Goriunova Academic Profile

A transcript of this episode is here.

Mel Sellick readies for AI by going beyond literacy to address the psychological, cognitive, and relational capacities required to ensure AI works for humans.

Mel and Kimberly discuss AI literacy vs. human readiness; the contours of human vulnerability; AI as a social actor; collective understanding and emotional regulation; instrumental AI dependency; the non-reciprocal nature of AI; the spectrum of relationality; human flourishing; attention, agency and alternate futures; positive friction in human systems; supportive social structures; cognitive offloading and debt; self-reflection and calibrating human needs.

Mel Sellick is an applied psychologist specializing in Human-AI interaction. The Founder of the Future Human Lab, her Human Readiness Framework has shaped conversations in IEEE, UNESCO, Oxford, MIT, Harvard and beyond.

Additional Resources:

• Future Human Lab: https://www.futurehumanlab.com/
• IEEE Organizational Readiness for Human-AI Interaction (Chair, SA-P7023) https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/7023/12394/
• Oxford AI in Education Hub (AIEOU): https://aieou.web.ox.ac.uk/
• Harvard AI for Human Flourishing Council: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/ai-human-flourishing

A transcript of this episode is here.

Drew Burdick designs AI systems to multiply human capacity, prioritizes great experiences, and values the serendipitous magic of human connection and collaboration.

Kimberly and Drew discuss building with badass teams; curiosity and innovation; building momentum with AI; human relationships and rapport; proprietary knowledge and expertise; long-term thinking; AI agents as teammates; pricing in human experiences; designing for humans vs. bots; regulation and accountability; societal guardrails; the mid-market squeeze; actions companies should take now; investing in people; and keeping community front and center.

Drew Burdick is the founder of StealthX and the CLT Startup House. Drew parlays his deep background in design and solution development to help companies deliver exceptional experiences with AI.

Additional Resources:

• Building Great Experiences (podcast): https://stealthx.co/resources/podcast
• CLT Startup House: https://cltstartuphouse.com/

A transcript of this episode is here.

Helen Edwards and Dave Edwards are in awe of AI and passionate about course correcting to preserve human authorship and ensure AI systems are for, not from, people.

Kimberly, Dave and Helen discuss human authorship; AI as a cultural technology; generative AI as a cognitive tool; biological imperatives and cultural as a countervailing force; cognitive pairing; metacognition and why perception matters most; diverse intelligences; precautionary design principles; AI as a co-evolutionary factor; human finitude; changing AI’s course; creating minds for our minds; designing for the unknown; kindness and hopeful rebellion.

Helen Edwards and Dave Edwards are the co-founders of the Artificiality Institute, a nonprofit organization shaping the future human experience of AI. Their longitudinal research program The Chronicle tracks how people actually experience AI in their work and lives.

Additional Resources:

• Staying Human: Authoring Your Mind in the Age of AI (digital book): https://journal.artificialityinstitute.org/tag/book-two/
• The SaaS Apocalypse Is A Category Error (article): https://journal.artificialityinstitute.org/the-saas-apocalypse-is-a-category-error/

A transcript of this episode is here.

Afua Bruce explains that public interest tech is about solving complicated problems with real impact for real people, not just fuzzy feelings and philanthropy.

Afua and Kimberly discuss misconceptions about Public Interest Tech (PIT); PIT beyond philanthropy; why tech for good isn’t always; purposeful productivity; “solving” non-profits; tech funding traps; PIT design principles; cross-sector career paths; participatory (vacation) design; the messy middle; focusing on impact; responsible investment; and knowing we still have time.

Afua Bruce is the founder and CEO of ANB Advisory Group. An author and leading public interest technologist, Afua works with philanthropic institutions, tech companies, and nonprofits to develop and use responsible technology.

Additional Resources:

• The Tech That Comes Next (book): https://thetechthatcomesnext.com/
• Dr. Catherine Nakalembe Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/catherine_nakalembe_why_can_t_we_better_prepare_for_extreme_weather
• Humane Intelligence (non-profit): https://humane-intelligence.org/

A transcript of this episode is here.

Seth Rabinowitz uses AI with intent by studiously prioritizing learning, actively resisting dependency, promoting ethical practices, and seeing people in the data.

Seth and Kimberly discuss his shift from fearing AI to fearing (some) people using AI; expertise and critical thinking; how different cohorts use AI; resisting dependency and intentional use; the role of educators; developing soft skills; not confusing AI’s learning with your own; stewarding AI; business ethics and data privacy; prioritizing AI fundamentals and putting people first.

Seth Rabinowitz is pursuing a Master’s degree in Data Science and Business Analytics at UNC Charlotte.

A transcript of this episode is here.

Taka Ariga hits all the right notes for AI at scale: clarity of purpose, strong foundations, sustainable innovation, engaged ownership, and a confident workforce.

Taka and Kimberly discuss going beyond novel AI prototypes; the limits of automation; context building; data sovereignty and integrity; the unstructured data deluge; the unique sensitivities and needs of public agencies; valuing ownership and viable ways to scale; plagiarizing for good; foundations for AI success; wanting innovation without change; rethinking governance; enabling confident AI use; making space for reinvention; and being a skeptical AI advocate.

Taka Ariga is a heretical technologist and the founder of Sol Imagination. He focuses on AI strategy design, implementation, and value capture. Taka served the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as CDO and CAIO and the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) as Chief Data Scientist and Director of the Innovation Lab.

Related Resources:

• Sol Imagination (company) https://sol-imagination.ai/

A transcript of this episode is here.

Theodora Lau banks on AI becoming our financial GPS and OS but flags required waypoints to protect consumer data rights, maintain trust and close the digital divide.

Theo and Kimberly discuss the progression toward a financial GPS powered by AI; consumer data rights and trust; the billion dollar question for 2026; analog identify verification; reducing risk and improving the customer experience; valuing people above transactions; the widening digital divide; upskilling and reskilling; cultivating curiosity and reclaiming time; financial security as the foundation for health; agentic commerce and AI as the financial OS; and always being human.

Theodora Lau is the Founder of Unconventional Ventures. A prolific speaker, author and advisor, Theo is an American Banker’s Top 20 Influential Women in FinTech. Recognizing that health and financial security are innately entwined, Theo works to spark innovation in the public and private sectors to meet the needs of underrepresented consumers.

Related Resources:

• Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence (book)
• One Vision Podcast (RSS feed)
• Unconventional Ventures (company)

A transcript of this episode is here.