Pondering AI

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.  
Related Resources: 
Reclaim the Plot: How Leaders Rewrite the Story when AI Rewrites Work (book) 
Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership (book)  
Dr. Kelly Monahan (website)  
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. 
Related Resources:
I Could’ve Been CEO Yesterday V1: But AI Algorithms Say I’m a DEI Risk Today (book)
I Could’ve Been CEO Yesterday V2: Does AI Decide Who’ll Be CEO Tomorrow? (book)
Inside Power w/ Leigh Felton (newsletter)
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.  
Related Resources: 
David Attenborough and the Voice That Revealed a Planet (article) 
Sarah’s Research and Publications (website) 
The DeepSpeak Dataset 
Get Real Security Labs 
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). 
Related Resources: 
Michigan Technology Journal: An Invitation to Partner (article) 
The A.W.A.R.E Initiative (Press Kit) 
Who is Raising Your Child? (A.W.A.R.E Initiative publication) 
 
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.