AI governance sounds like something for IT departments and government committees. It's not. According to computer scientist, philosopher, and AI governance expert Clara Hawking, it's really about behavior — how we use technology, who gets harmed when we use it carelessly, and whether the systems we're building deserve our trust.

In this episode, Clara breaks down what AI governance actually looks like in practice ... including a professor who unknowingly violated GDPR by grading students through his personal ChatGPT account, to the risks that compound (not just add up) when AI, biotech, robotics, and quantum computing start feeding into each other. We also get personal about what it means to govern ourselves first, before we can ask anything of institutions.

If you've ever seen the words "AI governance" and assumed it had nothing to do with you — this one's for you.

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In this convo, Tricia Friedman and Kimberly Becker explore the concept of Companion AI and its implications for human relationships. They discuss the emotional connections people form with AI, the impact of social media on friendships, and the challenges of navigating conflict in a digital age. The discussion also touches on the importance of repair in relationships, the anxiety generation, and the role of emotional intelligence in understanding technology. They conclude by reflecting on the future of Companion AI and its potential to shape human connection.

Keywords
Companion AI, Emotional Intelligence, Friendship, Social Media, Technology, Human Connection, Loneliness, Repair, Anxiety Generation, Listening Literacy

Books

• Anon — Caia Hagel
  Publisher page (Canada): https://www.harpercollins.ca/products/anon-caia-hagel-9781443469909
• Clara and the Sun — Kazuo Ishiguro
  Publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564109/clara-and-the-sun-by-kazuo-ishiguro/
• The New Age of Sexism — Laura Bates
  Full title: The New Age of Sexism: How AI and Emerging Technologies Are Rewiring Misogyny (2025).
  Publisher listing:
  https://greenapplebooks.com/book/9781464234361
• How to Speak Chicken by Melissa Caughey: https://www.storey.com/books/how-to-speak-chicken

Research / Theory

• Sherry Turkle (2024) – “Who We Become When We Talk to Machines”
  Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines https://mit-genai.pubpub.org/pub/uawlth3j/release/2
• Brown & Levinson politeness theory (1978)
  Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage (Cambridge University Press, 1987; original work circulated as a 1978 manuscript): ​
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politeness_theory
• “My Roomba is Rambo” paper
  Full title: “‘My Roomba is Rambo’: Intimate Home Appliances” (UbiComp 2007). PDF:https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540-74853-3_9
  https://faculty.cc.gatech.edu/~hic/hic-papers/Roomba-Ubicomp.pdf

Apps / Orgs / Other

• Replika app (AI companion)
  Official site: https://replika.com
• New York City companion‑AI Valentine’s Day pop‑up
  I could not find a clearly titled NYC “companion AI Valentine’s Day” pop‑up event with a stable news URL; coverage instead folds into broader AI‑companions stories (e.g., CBC, Brookings, etc.). CBC feature on AI companions and emotional support:
  https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/companion-ai-emotional-support-chatbots-1.7620087
• Tricia’s organization, Shifting Schools
  Main site: https://shiftingschools.com
• Substack post on politeness theory: https://open.substack.com/pub/kpb12177/p/how-reward-driven-ai-politeness-collapses?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
• Robot dance for the lunar new year

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This week's episode starts where a lot of good conversations do, with someone asking a deceptively simple question. Kimberly's husband wanted to know what a bot actually is, and that one question opens up a pretty wide conversation about the language we use to talk about AI, why it matters, and what we might be underestimating when we make it sound cute and harmless.

From there, Kimberly and Jessica revisit their ongoing argument that AI functions as a cultural intermediary, shaping how we understand the world in ways we don't always notice or examine. They also get into what higher education is actually for in a moment when AI can produce the essay, the lit review, and the commencement speech. Spoiler: The humanities are more relevant than ever, just as we've finished cutting the programs.

Other topics this week include why behavior change is so hard (and why that matters for AI adoption), what everyday workers are actually up against when trying to experiment with new tools inside large organizations, the problem with surface-level AI use cases, and why small businesses are both well-positioned and underprepared for this moment.

They also get into media literacy, AllSides, the Dunning-Kreuger internet, Jessica's agentic qualitative research experiment, and a genuinely honest conversation about mental health, medication, and showing up to your life.

Mentioned this week:

• Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser
• AllSides (allsides.com)
• The Daily by The New York Times

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