Pondering AI
Episodes
The Human Premium with Drew Burdick
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew Burdick designs AI systems to multiply human capacity, prioritizes great experiences, and values the serendipitous magic of human connection and ...
Minding Our Minds with Helen and Dave Edwards
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Prioritizing Public Interest with Afua Bruce
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Afua Bruce explains that public interest tech is about solving complicated problems with real impact for real people, not just fuzzy feelings and phil...
A Student’s Perspective with Seth Rabinowitz
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Seth Rabinowitz uses AI with intent by studiously prioritizing learning, actively resisting dependency, promoting ethical practices, and seeing people...
Orchestrating Public Sector AI with Taka Ariga
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Taka Ariga hits all the right notes for AI at scale: clarity of purpose, strong foundations, sustainable innovation, engaged ownership, and a confiden...
Navigating AI in Banking with Theodora Lau
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
AI Is as Data Does with Gretchen Stewart
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gretchen Stewart knows she doesn’t know it all, always asks why, challenges oversimplified AI stories, champions multi-disciplinary teams and double...
An AI Assessment with Chris Marshall
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Chris Marshall analyzes AI from all angles including market dynamics, geopolitical concerns, workforce impacts, and what staying the course with a...
Perspectives and Predictions: Looking Back at 2025 and Forward to 2026
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A retrospective sampling of ideas and questions our illustrious guests gifted us in 2025 alongside some glad and not so glad tidings (ok, predictions)...
An Environmental Grounding with Masheika Allgood
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Masheika Allgood delineates good AI from GenAI, outlines the environmental imprint of hyperscale data centers, and emphasizes AI success depends on th...
Your Digital Twin Is Not You with Kati Walcott
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kati Walcott differentiates simulated will from genuine intent, data sharing from data surrender, and agents from agency in a quest to ensure digital ...
No Community Left Behind with Paula Helm
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paula Helm articulates an AI vision that goes beyond base performance to include epistemic justice and cultural diversity by focusing on speakers and ...
What AI Values with Jordan Loewen-Colón
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan Loewen-Colón values clarity regarding the practical impacts, philosophical implications and work required for AI to serve the public good, not...
Agentic Insecurities with Keren Katz
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Keren Katz exposes novel risks posed by GenAI and agentic AI while reflecting on unintended malfeasance, surprisingly common insider threats and weak ...
To Be or Not to Be Agentic with Maximilian Vogel
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maximilian Vogel dismisses tales of agentic unicorns, relying instead on human expertise, rational objectives, and rigorous design to deploy enterpris...
The Problem of Democracy with Henrik Skaug Sætra
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Henrik Skaug Sætra considers the basis of democracy, the nature of politics, the tilt toward digital sovereignty and what role AI plays in our collec...
Generating Safety Not Abuse with Dr. Rebecca Portnoff
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Rebecca Portnoff generates awareness of the threat landscape, enablers, challenges and solutions to the complex but addressable issue of online ch...
Inclusive Innovation with Hiwot Tesfaye
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hiwot Tesfaye disputes the notion of AI givers and takers, challenges innovation as an import, highlights untapped global potential, and charts a more...
The Shape of Synthetic Data with Dietmar Offenhuber
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dietmar Offenhuber reflects on synthetic data’s break from reality, relates meaning to material use, and embraces data as a speculative and often no...
A Question of Humanity with Pia Lauritzen, PhD
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pia Lauritzen questions our use of questions, the nature of humanity, the premise of AGI, the essence of tech, if humans can be optimized and why thin...
A Healthier AI Narrative with Michael Strange
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Strange has a healthy appreciation for complexity, diagnoses hype as antithetical to innovation and prescribes an interdisciplinary approach t...
LLMs Are Useful Liars with Andriy Burkov
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Andriy Burkov talks down dishonest hype and sets realistic expectations for when LLMs, if properly and critically applied, are useful. Although maybe ...
Reframing Responsible AI with Ravit Dotan
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ravit Dotan, PhD asserts that beneficial AI adoption requires clarity of purpose, good judgment, ethical leadership, and making responsibility integra...
Stories We Tech with Dr. Ash Watson
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ash Watson studies how stories ranging from classic Sci-Fi to modern tales invoking moral imperatives, dystopian futures and economic logic shape ...
Regulating Addictive AI with Robert Mahari
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Mahari examines the consequences of addictive intelligence, adaptive responses to regulating AI companions, and the benefits of interdisciplina...
AI Literacy for All with Phaedra Boinodiris
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phaedra Boinodiris minds the gap between AI access and literacy by integrating educational siloes, practicing human-centric design, and cultivating cr...
Auditing AI with Ryan Carrier
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Carrier trues up the benefits and costs of responsible AI while debunking misleading narratives and underscoring the positive power of the consum...
Ethical by Design with Olivia Gambelin
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivia Gambelin values ethical innovation, revels in human creativity and curiosity, and advocates for AI systems that reflect and enable human values...
The Nature of Learning with Helen Beetham
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Beetham isn’t waiting for an AI upgrade as she considers what higher education is for, why learning is ostensibly ripe for AI, and how to dive...
Ethics for Engineers with Steven Kelts
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Kelts engages engineers in ethical choice, enlivens training with role-playing, exposes organizational hazards and separates moral qualms from ...
Righting AI with Susie Alegre
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Susie Alegre makes the case for prioritizing human rights and connection, taking AI systems to account, minding the right gaps, and resisting unwittin...
AI Myths and Mythos with Eryk Salvaggio
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eryk Salvaggio articulates myths animating AI design, illustrates the nature of creativity and generated media, and artfully reframes the discourse on...
Challenging AI with Geertrui Mieke de Ketelaere
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Geertrui Mieke de Ketelaere reflects on the uncertain trajectory of AI, whether AI is socially or environmentally sustainable, and using AI to become ...
Safety by Design with Vaishnavi J
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vaishnavi J respects youth, advises considering the youth experience in all digital products, and asserts age-appropriate design is an underappreciate...
Critical Planning with Ron Schmelzer and Kathleen Walch
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer analyze AI patterns and factors hindering adoption, why AI is never ‘set it and forget it’, and the criticality o...
Relating to AI with Dr. Marisa Tschopp
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Marisa Tschopp explores our evolving, often odd, expectations for AI companions while embracing radical empathy, resisting relentless PR and trust...
Technical Morality with John Danaher
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Danaher assesses how AI may reshape ethical and social norms, minds the anticipatory gap in regulation, and applies the MVPP to decide against di...
Artificial Empathy with Ben Bland
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bland expressively explores emotive AI’s shaky scientific underpinnings, the gap between reality and perception, popular applications, and criti...
RAGging on Graphs with Philip Rathle
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Rathle traverses from knowledge graphs to LLMs and illustrates how loading the dice with GraphRAG enhances deterministic reasoning, explainabil...
Working with AI with Matthew Scherer
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Scherer makes the case for bottom-up AI adoption, being OK with not using AI, innovation as a relative good, and transparently safeguarding wo...
Chief Data Concerns with Heidi Lanford
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Heidi Lanford connects data to cocktails and campaigns while considering the nature of data disruption, getting from analytics to AI, and using data w...
Ethical Control and Trust with Marianna B. Ganapini
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna B. Ganapini contemplates AI nudging, entropy as a bellwether of risk, accessible ethical assessment, ethical ROI, the limits of trust and irr...
Policy and Practice with Miriam Vogel
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Miriam Vogel disputes AI is lawless, endorses good AI hygiene, reviews regulatory progress and pitfalls, boosts literacy and diversity, and remains ne...
Learning to Unlearn with Melissa Sariffodeen
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Sariffodeen contends learning requires unlearning, ponders human-AI relationships, prioritizes outcomes over outputs, and values the disquiet ...
The Power of Inquiry with Shannon Mullen O’Keefe
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shannon Mullen O’Keefe champions collaboration, serendipitous discovery, curious conversations, ethical leadership, and purposeful curation of our t...
The AI Experience with Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran riff on the experience of using current AI tools, how AI systems may change our behavior and the application of AI to hum...
Tech, Prosperity and Power with Simon Johnson
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Johnson takes on techno-optimism, the link between technology and human well-being, the law of intended consequences, the modern union remit and...
Raising Robots with Professor Rose Luckin
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Rose Luckin provides an engaging tutorial on the opportunities, risks, and challenges of AI in education and why AI raises the bar for human...
The State of Play in AI Ethics with Katrina Ingram
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina Ingram addresses AI power dynamics, regulatory floors and ethical ceilings, inevitability narratives, self-limiting predictions, and public AI...
Public Interest, Politics and Privacy with Paulo Carvão
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paulo Carvão discusses AI’s impact on the public interest, emerging regulatory schemes, progress over perfection, and education as the lynchpin for...
AI at Work w/ Christina Colclough
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christina Jayne Colclough reflects on AI Regulations at Work.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI...
Putting Inclusion To Work w/ Giselle Mota
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Giselle Mota reflects on Inclusion at Work in the age of AI.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and ...
GAI in the Enterprise w/ Ganes Kesari
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ganes Kesari reflects on generative AI (GAI) in the Enterprise.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI a...
Digital Ethics and Regulation w/ Chris McClean
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chris McClean reflects on Digital Ethics and Regulation in AI today.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in...
Making Model Decisions w/ Dr. Erica Thompson
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Erica Thompson reflects on Making Model Decisions about and with AI.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happening...
Upskilling Human Decision Making w/ Roger Spitz
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Roger Spitz reflects on Upskilling Human Decision Making in the age of AI.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happeni...
Systems-Thinking in AI w/ Sheryl Cababa
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sheryl Cababa reflects on Systems Thinking in AI design.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intu...
GAI Detection and Protection w/ Ilke Demir
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ilke Demir reflects on Generative AI (GAI) Detection and Protection.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in...
LLMs and Beyond w/ Mark Bishop
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor J Mark Bishop reflects on large language models (LLM) and beyond.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happen...
Environmental & Social Sustainability w/ Henrik Skaug Saetra
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Henrik Skaug Sætra reflects on Environmental and Social Sustainability with AI.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current h...
Policymaking and Accessibility in AI w/ Yonah Welker
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yonah Welker reflects on Policymaking, Inclusion and Accessibility in AI today.In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current ha...
Human-AI Interaction w/ Marisa Tschopp
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marisa Tschopp reflects on Human-AI interactions in AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and int...
Regulatory Progress & Pitfalls w/ Patrick Hall
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Hall drops in to provide a current take on risk, reward and regulation in AI today.In this bonus episode, Patrick reflects on the evolving sta...
AI Stories at Work with Ganes Kesari
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ganes Kesari confronts AI hype and calls for balance, reskilling, data literacy, decision intelligence and data storytelling to adopt AI productively....
Keeping Work Human with Dr. Christina Colclough
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christina Colclough addresses tech determinism, the value of human labor, managerial fuzz, collective will, digital rights, and participatory AI d...
Practical Ethics with Reid Blackman
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reid Blackman confronts whack-a-mole approaches to AI ethics, ethical ‘do goodery,’ squishy values, moral nuance, advocacy vs. activism and overfi...
Generative AI: Unreal Realities with Ilke Demir
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ilke Demir depicts the state of generative AI, deepfakes for good, the emotional shelf life of synthesized media, and methods to identify AI-generated...
Plain Talk About Talking AI with J Mark Bishop
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor J Mark Bishop reflects on the trickiness of language, how LLMs work, why ChatGPT can’t understand, the nature of AI and emerging theories ...
In AI We Trust with Chris McClean
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chris McClean reflects on ethics vs. risk, ethically positive outcomes, the nature of trust, looking beyond ourselves, privacy at work and in the meta...
AI for Sustainable Development with Henrik Skaug Sætra
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Henrik Skaug Sætra contends humans aren’t mere machines, assesses AI thru a sustainable development lens and weighs the effect of political imbalan...
The Philosophy of AI with Dr. Mark Coeckelbergh
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mark Coeckelbergh is a Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology, a member of the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (EC) an...
Keeping Science in Data Science with Patrick Hall
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Hall is the Principal Scientist at bnh.ai.Patrick artfully illustrates how data science has become divorced from scientific rigor. At least, t...
Synthesizing the Future with Fernando Lucini
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fernando Lucini is the Global Data Science & ML Engineering Lead (aka Chief Data Scientist) at Accenture.Fernando Lucini outlines common uses for ...
The Future of Human Decision Making with Roger Spitz
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Roger Spitz is the CEO of Techistential and Chairman of the Disruptive Futures Institute.In this thought-provoking discussion, Roger discusses why nei...
Risk vs. Rights in AI with Dorothea Baur
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Dorothea Baur is an ethicist and independent consultant on the topics of ethics, responsibility and sustainability in tech and finance.Dorothea de...
In AI We Trust with Marisa Tschopp
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marisa Tschopp is a Human-AI interaction researcher at scip AG and Co-Chair of the IEEE Agency and Trust in AI Systems Committee.Marisa answers the qu...
AI’s World View with Dr. Erica Thompson
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Erica Thompson is a Senior Policy Fellow in Ethics of Modelling and Simulation at the LSE Data Science Institute.Using the trusty-ish weather forec...
Designing for Human Experience with Sheryl Cababa
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sheryl Cababa is the Chief Design Officer at Substantial where she conducts research, develops design strategies and advocates for human-centric outco...
Humanity at Scale with Kate O’Neill
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kate O’Neill is an executive strategist, the Founder and CEO of KO Insights, and author dedicated to improving the human experience at scale.  In t...
Automation, Agency and the Future of Work with Giselle Mota
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Giselle Mota is a Principal Consultant for the Future of Work at ADP where she advices organizations on human agency, diversity and learning in the ag...
Growing Up with AI with Baroness Beeban Kidron
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Baroness Beeban Kidron is an award-willing filmmaker, a Crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords and the Founder and Chair of the 5Rights Foundation.I...
Is AI-Driven Sustainability Sustainable with Vincent de Montalivet
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vincent de Montalivet is the Global AI Sustainability Leader at Capgemini where he develops strategies to use AI to combat climate change and drive co...
The Case for Humanizing Technology with David Ryan Polgar
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
David Ryan Polgar is the Founder of All Tech is Human. He is a leading tech ethicist, an advocate for human-centric technology, and advisor on improvi...
Your (Personal) Digital Twin with Dr. Valérie Morignat PhD
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Valérie Morignat PhD is the CEO of Intelligent Story and a leading advisor on the creative economy. She is a true polymath working at the interse...
The Path to Zero Exclusion with Yonah Welker
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yonah Welker is a technology innovator, influencer, and advocate for diversity and zero exclusion in AI. They are at the forefront of policies and app...
The Privacy Paradox with Dr. Eric Perakslis, PhD
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Eric Perakslis, PhD is the Chief Science and Digital Officer at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Â In this incisive discussion, Eric exposes ...
AI Principles in Practice with Ansgar Koene
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ansgar Koene is the Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader at Ernst & Young (EY), a Sr. Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham and ch...
AI: Competitor or Collaborator with Lama Nachman
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lama Nachman is an Intel fellow and the director of Intel’s Human & AI Systems Research Lab. She also led Intel’s Responsible AI program. Lama...
Beyond Bias in AI with Shalini Kantayya
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shalini Kantayya is a storyteller, social activist, and filmmaker who explores challenging social topics with empathy and humor. Shalini’s film Code...
AI Education for All with Teemu Roos
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Teemu Roos is the lead instructor of the Elements of AI online course which has a pivotal role in Finland's unique, inclusive AI strategy. Teemu is al...
An Outlook on AI Ethics with Beena Ammanath
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beena Ammanath is the Executive Director of Deloitte’s AI Institute and leads their Trustworthy AI practice. She is a seasoned executive with global...
Humanity in AI with Renée Cummings
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Renée Cummings is a criminologist, criminal psychologist, AI ethics evangelist and data activist in residence at the University of Virginia.  In thi...
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in AI with Tess Posner
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tess Posner is an educator, social entrepreneur, CEO of AI-4-All and an avid advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in the tech economy. In thi...
Power and Peril of AI with Michael Kanaan
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Kanaan is the author of the best-selling book T-AI and the former chairperson of AI for the U.S. Air Force, Headquarters Pentagon.In this far-...