Stay ConnectedHow is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) shaping our human experience?
Kimberly Nevala ponders the reality of AI with a diverse group of innovators, advocates and data scientists. Ethics and uncertainty. Automation and art. Work, politics and culture. In real life and online. Contemplate AI’s impact, for better and worse.
All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.
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Kelly Monahan reimagines the story of AI at work, helping leaders to reclaim the plot and draw up new business blueprints that optimize human capability and innovation.
Kimberly and Kelly discuss what work and AI are all about; universally held (un)truths; if people are lazy; economic incentives and employee experience; optimization vs. maximization; AI as an elevator; how leaders lose the plot; what constitutes good business; the danger in humanizing AI; human variance and innovation; desirable work; creating space for learning; keeping people employable; and bringing humanity back to work.
Kelly Monahan is a preeminent Future of Work and AI Advisor working at the intersection of leadership, labor markets and emerging tech. Prior to co-founding Beyond the Desk, Kelly served as Managing Director of the Upwork Research Institute and held senior leadership roles positions at Meta, Accenture and Deloitte.
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A transcript of this episode is here.
Leigh Felton believes we can benefit from AI systems without surrendering to them if we carefully consider the environments and behaviors we promote while deploying AI.
Kimberly and Leigh discuss the power of perspective; organizations as people; using AI consciously; the AI environment and library etiquette; how AI use shapes human behavior; whether AI systems are adaptive; AI authority and narrow optimization; the gap between lived experience and historical data; the AI Emperor’s new clothes; quiet organizational failures; and who benefits from humanizing AI.
Leigh Felton is the President of the AI for Job Security Foundation. Leigh applies her extensive experience leading communications, business strategy and operations at the world’s largest tech companies to help organizations make conscious decisions about and with AI.
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A transcript of this episode is here.
Sarah Barrington shifts from simply asking “real or fake?” to deeply considering the ways AI and synthetic media influence our notions of culture, identity and trust.
Kimberly and Sarah discuss her road from the fast track of F1 to the frontlines of AI; the genesis of photography; supercharging existing harms with GenAI; the unsavory roots of synthetic media; microtargeting and information warfare; the liar’s dividend; content detection and digital identity; the agentic AI challenge; culture, identity and relevance; Mythos, AI access and proliferation; anti-regulatory narratives; the nuclear analogy; equipping policy makers and the public; questioning everything; and true AI enablement.
Sarah Barrington is an AI researcher and PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley where she is part of Professor Hany Farid’s digital forensics lab. She also holds multiple cybersecurity positions. A specialist in generative AI & deepfake analysis, Sarah’s work has been cited at the Nobel Prize Summit, on NPR, by the UN and in numerous publications.
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A transcript of this episode is here.
Renée Cummings channels the spirit of due process while envisioning a radically imaginative world in which the benefits of ethical AI innovation are available to all.
Kimberly and Renée discuss her radical optimism; finding joy in justice; AI’s criminal misadventures; bringing an ethical imagination to AI; creative innovation; our responsibility to the future; AI as a public health challenge; the social contract and duty of care; how governance, data, and trust intertwine; due process as core to intelligence; child protection and the AWARE (algorithmic awareness and responsible engagement) campaign; giving love a break; and why responsibility requires honesty.
Renée Cummings is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia School of Data Science as well as a Nonresident Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the AI Equity Lab at the Brookings Institution. Renee also serves as the Co-Chair of the Global Academic Network at the Centre for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP).
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A transcript of this episode is here.
Ryan Bishara and Christian Lau team up on an AI and data playbook that delivers an engaging, penalty free experience for LAFC employees and fans on and off the pitch.
Ryan, Christian and Kimberly discuss LAFC’s innovative ethos; building an analytics and data program from the pitch up; LAFC’s AI plays; making mistakes and continuous learning; keeping AI onside with responsive governance; prioritizing joy and the human experience; if convenience and privacy can co-exist; staying accessible and engaging fans; and how analytics/AI continue to play out in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.
Ryan Bishara and Christian Lau serve as the EVP of Revenue & Strategy and Chief Technology Officer, respectively, at the LA Football Club (LAFC).
A transcript of this episode is here.
Maitreya Shah disables harmful notions and aspires to a world in which AI systems honor the humanity and agency of disabled persons rather than using them as a shield.
Maitreya and Kimberly discuss digital tech done well; how society views disabled persons; engaging people with disabilities as leaders and developers; ableist narratives; why ‘fixing’ disabilities misses the mark; confusing accessibility with AI for Good; whitewashing bad behavior with assistive tech; the false dichotomy between access and privacy; disability as a diverse identity; the high stakes for AI reliability and trust; the deepening digital divide; the dearth of disability data and resources; entrenched societal biases; and asking rather than deciding for people with disabilities.
Maitreya Shah is a lawyer and researcher working at the intersection of tech policy and disability rights. Maitreya current serves as the Technology Policy Director at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
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A transcript of this episode is here.
Courtney Radsch reports on the political and economic impact of synthetic media and the stultifying consequences of our increasingly low-quality, high-fat media diet.
Courtney and Kimberly discuss the range of journalistic endeavors; synthetic media’s entrée on the scene; disinformation vs. propaganda; competing with AI in the marketplace of ideas; content verification, labeling and trust; how synthetic media depends on and undermines journalism; information as a social, political and economic concern; embedded AI ideologies; equating regulation with censorship; information warfare; cognitive liberty in an age of corporate dominance; infrastructure and intent; the need for bright line protections, pluralism and independent oversight.
Dr. Courtney Radsch, PhD is the Director of the Center for Media and Digital Governance (formerly CJL) and a non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. An award-winning journalist, scholar, diplomat, and human rights advocate, Courtney was recently named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.
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A transcript of this episode is here.
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.
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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.
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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:
A transcript of this episode is here.
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