#180 – Lana Tikhomirov on the Ethics of AI in Human Decision-Making

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lana Tikhomirov about the intersection of AI and human decision-making, exploring its ethical concerns, cognitive challenges, and growing role in high-stakes fields like healthcare. Lana Tikhomirov is an AI safety researcher at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, where she focuses on developing ethical, human-centered artificial intelligence systems for medical decision-making. Her interdisciplinary PhD bridges cognitive science, bioethics, and AI safety, examining a core question: How do humans make decisions using AI algorithms—and where should we draw the ethical line when replacing human judgment with machine logic? Lana’s work addresses the nuanced challenges that emerge when advanced deep learning systems—often opaque and difficult to interpret—are integrated into high-risk, real-world environments. As these technologies become increasingly common in critical domains, understanding their influence on human cognition and decision-making has never been more urgent. She is committed to advancing responsible and safe AI, and her research contributes to national policy and ethical guidelines for AI development and implementation in Australia. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/lana-tikhomirovSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.