Did you know that conversation, one of the oldest human technologies, is reshaping the future of how we interact with machines? We’re not talking Siri or Alexa here, but conversational AI, interfaces anyone can create and hyper automation that links together our intentions, tools and technologies. Join us in this episode of This Anthro Life as we delve into the fascinating world of conversational AI, hyper automation and composable software systems with the brilliant mind of User Experience (UX) pioneer Robb Wilson. Discover why embracing conversation and removing the barriers of complex software interfaces might just be the key to unlocking new opportunities and improved outcomes in the digital age.In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore the potential shift away from antiquated software interfaces and the exciting possibilities that conversational AI brings. From the potential of no-code approaches and decentralized business models to the interconnectedness of user experience, customer experience, and employee experience, we provide fresh insights on how automation can evolve how we work, interact with technology, elevate customer service, and foster creativity.Key takeaways:Learn how to create your own skills ecosystem and embrace a no-code approach to building AI interfaces.Understand the potential of conversational UI to revolutionize how we interact with technology.Explore the impact of hyper automation on customer service experiences and employee creativity.Conversational AI and hyper-automation could transform jobs by automating routine tasks and freeing up humans for more creative work.Decentralized organizations and composable UIs that allow access to all software through natural language could reshape business models.Total experience design must consider both customer and employee experiences to be effective.Responsible development of conversational AI could help create more empowering technologies.Automation provides the opportunity for humans to engage in more meaningful social interactions.The future of work and business will likely involve a blend of human creativity and machine automation.Our insightful guest, Robb Wilson, brings a wealth of expertise on hyper automation and composable systems. As the founder of OneReach.ai, a company specializing in creating tools for companies to build their own Alexa-like ecosystems, Robb understands the power and potential of AI in transforming industries. Get ready to be inspired and informed by his insights!Key Topics of this Podcast:00:00:23 The future of technology is conversational.00:06:06 Relaxation and space foster creativity.00:09:42 Humans can adapt and find value in automation.00:14:58 Decentralization is the future.00:22:26 Automation creates space for connection.00:27:30 Total experience is transformative.00:30:26 Employee-first approach in business.00:35:15 Revolutionizing technology through conversational interfaces.00:41:00 The future of software interfaces.00:44:36 Explainability is crucial for trust.00:55:06 Machines should make human-like mistakes.01:01:11 Unlocking software through conversational UI.01:06:37 Automation enhances customer experiences.About This Anthro Life This Anthro Life is a thought-provoking podcast that explores the human side of technology, culture, and business. Hosted by Adam Gamwell, we unravel fascinating narratives and connect them to the wider context of our lives. Tune in to https://thisanthrolife.org and subscribe to our Substack at https://thisanthrolife.substack.com for more captivating episodes and engaging content.Connect with Robb.WilsonLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/invisiblemachines/ Website: https://onereach.ai/ Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/ This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

In this podcast, Dr. Jon Cohen shares his experiences and insights on the creation of COVID-19 diagnostics testing. He discusses the importance of building a diagnostic infrastructure for future crises and the collaboration between healthcare providers and the sports industry. The podcast also explores crisis leadership qualities, the role of instinct in decision-making, and the need for mental health support. Overall, it highlights the critical importance of testing during a crisis and the lessons learned along the way.

Amrita Subramanian, an expert in cultural contexts and relationships, explores the power of perception, emotional intelligence, and trauma resilience. Discover how language shapes experiences, and find growth and resilience amidst adversity. Dive into the concept of an internal GPS, the underprocessing of the pandemic, and the importance of grieving for wisdom. Learn about trauma, post-traumatic growth, and the significance of humility and intergenerational relationships in navigating suffering. Explore personal empowerment, crisis, and the role of language in understanding the world.

The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding our innate human drives, particularly our 'tribe drive' to cooperate and identify with groups. It explores the concept of tribalism and how humans are evolved for a different environment. The episode discusses the power of tribal signals such as symbols, language, music, and ideology in creating a sense of belonging. It highlights the challenges of tribalism in the modern world and the importance of being conscious of our abstract tribes versus face-to-face community tribes. The podcast also delves into the significance of strong social connections for combating isolation and improving overall well-being.

This podcast explores the importance of supporting public access to science and the changing relationship between science and society. They discuss challenges in communicating scientific discovery, addressing public skepticism, climate change, and technological advancements. The episode also touches on the tension between liberal arts and public policy, uncertainty and trust in the scientific process, and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The podcast explores the intersection of AI, UX, and human experience. Topics discussed include designing human-centric experiences, the limitations of hyper-personalization, the role of AI in creativity, understanding oneself through psychological assessment, and the potential of AI in self-discovery. It also touches on the importance of understanding context in design, the significance of being present and in a state of flow, and the role of purpose in unlocking human motivation.

Janine de Novais joins host Adam Gamwell to explore the importance of fostering discussions about race and racism. Janine, an educator and author, shares her expertise on creating safe spaces for dialogue and teaching towards a post-racist imagination. The conversation delves into the process of setting the stage for conversations, the concept of Grounding for Learning, and the development of the Brave Community teaching and learning method. Janine also highlights the significance of empathy, the challenges of discussing race in professional settings, and the role of education in promoting a more equitable society.Janine de Novais is a writer, sociologist, and educator driven by a lifelong passion for understanding how human liberation is a cultural project. As a Cabo Verdean American scholar, she has experienced firsthand the power of culture to both constrain and empower. Janine brings over a decade of experience researching, teaching, and designing curricula in higher education, including positions at Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Delaware. She served as Associate Director of Columbia's Core Curriculum, helping shape one of the nation's pioneering liberal arts programs. Whether writing, consulting or teaching, Janine is driven by a passion for culture as a tool for collective liberation. She empowers people to challenge the status quo and author their futures.Key Takeaways:The Brave Community method is a teaching and learning method that fosters empathy and intellectual bravery among learners.Grounding for learning, which combines content for learning and culture of learning, is crucial for creating a transformative learning experience.Curating intentional content and having a foundation is essential for effective conversations and dialogue.Clear and specific content, such as addressing racial disparities, is important in discussions and meetings.Creating a culture of open discussion requires training, protocols, and a cohesive group that can handle difficult conversations.Setting boundaries and expectations is important in discussions about racial disparity and discipline.A pedagogical approach in learning environments promotes growth, change, and the benefits of a learning community.Higher education should focus on teaching skills necessary for a multiracial democracy and counter prevailing narratives.Human engagement and values should be prioritized in technology development to avoid forgetting our humanity.Key Topics of this Podcast:00:01:33 - Setting the stage for conversation.00:03:47 - Setting up a safe learning environment.00:08:25 - Grounding for learning.00:11:45 - Bravery in expressing needs.00:17:31 - Bringing pedagogy into real life.00:19:10 - Engaging with content together.00:23:47 - Classroom setting and racial education.00:26:47 - Bounded content and problem-solving.00:31:13 - Using humor to dissolve tension.00:34:11 - The value of humanities education.00:39:24 - Culture as a learning phenomenon.00:44:38 - Racial disparity in tech engineering.00:47:13 - Resilient empathy and pedagogy.00:51:24 - Forgetting our humanity.00:55:18 - Post-racist imagination.00:58:06 - Unethical forward projection of growth.01:03:10 - There is no neutral stance.01:05:45 - Not having a brave community experience.Connect with Janine de Novais: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janinedenovais/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaninedeNovaisWebsite: https://www.janinedenovais.com/ Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisanthrolifeWebsite: https://thisanthrolife.org

In this episode, Emily Kennedy shares her unique journey of discovering the concept of ethnographic journalism. Journalists now face unprecedented issues like harassment, lack of public trust, and accusations of bias. As a main source of information, journalism's struggles have profound implications. Ethnographic methods and storytelling techniques could transform the communication of the human experience. The episode explores using ethnographic methods in journalism, building interviewee trust, evolving objectivity, and existential fears in both fields. Anthropology and journalism have much to learn from each other.Emily KennedyEmily Kennedy is a trained anthropologist and has worked as a journalist, communications professional, and magazine editor for more than a decade. She has taught as a journalism instructor and guest lecturer at various universities and colleges. Her research and experience in the sphere of anthropology and journalism led to the creation of anthrojourno.org - an online resource for journalists looking to use ethnographic methods in their reportingKey Takeaways:Journalism and anthropology share similarities in terms of pulling concepts from other disciplines and the importance of showing their methods.Journalists can increase trust by revealing the process behind their work.Both journalism and anthropology involve collaboration with various professionals.Ethnographic methods are used in journalism, but they are often not explicitly recognized as such.Journalism education has seen the rise of other approaches such as engaged journalism and design thinking.Improving the interview process is a common challenge in both anthropology and journalism.Ethnographic methods can help address challenges in journalism, such as the business model, online harassment, and trust in media outlets.Anthropology and ethnography offer a comprehensive perspective that can benefit journalism.The balance between collaboration and individuality differs in anthropology and journalism.Finding a balance between using formulas and being authentic is important in both journalism and ethnographic writing.Key Topics of this Podcast:[00:00:27] Anthropology and journalism collide.[00:05:30] Anthropology and journalism overlap.[00:15:14] Ethnographic methods can benefit journalism.[00:16:08] Ethnographic interviews prioritize building rapport and showing empathy[00:20:37] Ethnographic interviews uncover hidden perspectives.[00:24:35] Formulas can be helpful and limiting in writing.[00:28:56] Formula shifts and innovation are necessary.[00:34:44] Advocacy ≠ Bias in journalism.[00:41:31] Journalism and anthropology can intersect.[00:43:29] Anthropologists and journalists can learn from each other.[00:48:09] Newsworthy stories have specific qualities.[00:54:14] Importance of open-mindedness in journalism.[00:58:27] Ethnographic methods enhance journalismConnect with Emily Kennedy:Anthrojourno website: https://anthrojourno.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kennedy_writes Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisanthrolife This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

In a world where technology is advancing at an exponential pace, we can already see that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on our lives.But AI is far from perfect. Too often, we end up grappling with a variety of problems when we bring AI into the real world, from increasing mental health issues in young girls and boys to anxiety for workers whose jobs are changing. And while developers don’t set out to design AI technologies to have these unsavory effects, they happen anyway.In this episode of This Anthro Life, we explore these issues and more with Ahmed Reza, a serial entrepreneur and self-professed AI geek who has founded multiple successful companies. With over a decade’s experience in the marketing and AI space, Ahmed shares his unique perspective on AI development, tech entrepreneurship, and more.Show Highlights:[05:53] Why Ahmed has been nicknamed “the intelligent man’s Forrest Gump”[08:12] Ahmed’s experience as a child actor in Bangladesh[12:45] How Ahmed came to be an entrepreneur[23:00] What Yobi does[28:38] Why we should be careful when developing AI[34:46] What AI can ultimately enable us to do[36:47] How AI can help us create a better world[45:36] How we can incentivize leaders to use AI technologies for good[54:26] The moral responsibility of AI developers[58:52] The story behind the development of Trephub[01:05:32] Ahmed’s hopes for the futureLinks and Resources:Check out the Yobi appCheck out the startups at TrepHubConnect with Ahmed Reza via LinkedInConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterLeave a review here to support This Anthro LifeSubscribe to the Anthrocurious Substack today

Contemporary AI systems are typically created by many different people, each working on separate parts or “modules.” This can make it difficult to determine who is responsible for considering the ethical implications of an AI system as a whole — a problem compounded by the fact that many AI engineers already don’t consider it their job to ensure the AI systems they work on are ethical.In their latest paper, “Dislocated Accountabilities in the AI Supply Chain: Modularity and Developers’ Notions of Responsibility,” technology ethics researcher David Gray Widder and research scientist Dawn Nafus attempt to better understand the multifaceted challenges of responsible AI development and implementation, exploring how responsible AI labor is currently divided and how it could be improved.In this episode, David and Dawn join This Anthro Life host Adam Gamwell to talk about the AI “supply chain,” modularity in software development as both ideology and technical practice, how we might reimagine responsible AI, and more.Show Highlights:[03:51] How David and Dawn found themselves in the responsible AI space[09:04] Where and how responsible AI emerged[16:25] What the typical AI development process looks like and how developers see that process[18:28] The problem with “supply chain” thinking[23:37] Why modularity is epistemological[26:26] The significance of modularity in the typical AI development process[31:26] How computer scientists’ reactions to David and Dawn’s paper underscore modularity as a dominant ideology[37:57] What it is about AI that makes us rethink the typical development process[45:32] Whether the job of asking ethical questions gets “outsourced” to or siloed in the research department[49:12] Some of the problems with user research nowadays[56:05] David and Dawn’s takeaways from writing the paperLinks and Resources:Dislocated Accountabilities in the AI Supply Chain: Modularity and Developers' Notions of ResponsibilityConnect with David Gray Widder via his websiteConnect with Dawn Nafus via LinkedinConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter