Episode 10: The Complexity of Minds Meeting Machines

Join our host Lukas Egger as he navigates the intriguing and complex intersection of human cognition and artificial intelligence with guests Helen & Dave Edwards in “The Complexity of Minds Meeting Machines”. Dive into thought-provoking discussions on change processes, the concept of the ‘jagged frontier’, the role of data in AI, and the expectations versus the reality of AI implementation. Listen in as they explore how AI is reshaping our minds and society, and the power of focusing on values over goals in managing these changes. Let’s dive right in! Guest: Helen Edwards   Helen has spent her career at the edges of chaos: where technological innovation collides head-on with traditional ways of doing things. She is described as being able to “link the un-linkable,” to see new counter-intuitive outcomes, and having a knack for spotting the signal in the noise. Helen has written extensively on responsible AI as well as coached executives from Fortune 500 companies on how to adopt AI that’s good for humans. Her field guide to AI bias (published in Quartz) remains a widely read and relevant piece. Helen now advises senior leaders on how to use technology to hone their decision-making skills and leverage their intuitive strengths using data. As well as being a successful entrepreneur, Helen has been a venture capitalist and technology executive. Helen was the CIO of Transpower, New Zealand’s National Grid, where she oversaw procurement and vendor program management for the IT and communications network, including SCADA and control, security, financial, and business systems. She oversaw the Y2K transition and managed major grid control and security upgrades which utilized many international and local vendors. She was also an executive at PG&E with responsibility for all customer-facing systems beyond the smart meter, including dynamic pricing, green button (customer data access), solar, electric vehicle, and home area networking. Helen was also head of corporate venturing for Meridian Energy and an executive at Fonterra. Guest: Dave Edwards, Founder Dave is a trend-spotter, designer, and storyteller. He has spent his career distilling and advancing big technology trends like AI, the internet, and cleantech. His brain is split in two with half dedicated to creatively designing consumer experiences while the other half has an uncanny ability to find the right metric to measure and build upon. Dave is a trusted advisor and an expert at delivering the moment of clarity that empowers executives to make challenging decisions in the face of complexity. At Apple, Dave was head of software application product marketing, where he absorbed Steve Jobs’ product ethos that design isn’t just what something looks like and feels like—design is how it works. Dave was responsible for products for consumers and professionals including iTunes, iPhoto, Keynote, GarageBand, Logic, and Final Cut Pro. Dave was also a lead technology research analyst at Morgan Stanley covering groundbreaking sectors including the internet and cleantech. His research helped investors, corporate executives, and federal government officials make challenging decisions about how to best use and plan for major technology transitions. Dave was also a product manager at Macromedia, head of consumer strategy at SunPower and a partner at Charles River Ventures and ThinkEquity Partners. Host: Lukas N. P. Egger Head of the Innovation Office & Strategic Projects team at SAP Signavio Lukas leads a team of experts, steering innovation projects. His approach blends a strong technical understanding with a keen eye for product discovery and digital transformation. Lukas regularly contributes to discussions and panels, sharing his perspectives on AI, the digital zeitgeist, and philosophy. Lukas funded multiple startups, published a humorous philosophy book, and received silver screen quotation for special effects work for an animated movie. If you want to learn more about: Our guests: Dave Edwards | Linkedin, Helen Edwards | Linkedin Sonder Studio: Sonder Studio Artificiality: Artificiality Our guests’ Book: Make Better Decisions SAP Signavio: https://www.signavio.com If you have questions or comments: email [email protected] Additional downloads: Download transcript as PDF file