Journey from AI Emotion to Responsible AI Governance | Ep 30 | Fountain of Vitality

What happens when AI can read emotion and stay safe for the enterprise today? In this episode of the Fountain of Vitality podcast, host LaMont Leavitt sits down with Craig Tucker, CEO and founder of VERN AI, to trace a 10 year journey that began with a goal, to build a companion for his grandmother who was alone.Craig explains how conflicting psychological emotion models pushed him toward neuroscience, where research on reward and dysphoria helped VERN narrow down measurable signals like anger, sadness, fear, and joy. He shares pilots with Boise State University’s GIM Lab, using ARVR therapy sessions and avatars to help autistic and neuro-diverse users practice emotion detection in a low pressure setting.Then the conversation moves into responsible AI governance. Craig breaks down explainable audit logs, emotion signals on both sides of a chat, and behavior control modules that keep conversational AI helpful instead of turning into an anger machine. From customer service to faith communities, he argues the next interface is a face. Emotion, accountability, and outcomes matter.Follow the Fountain of Vitality podcast: Website: FountainofVitality.com | Tiktok: @FountainofVitalitypod | YouTube: @FountainofVitalityshow | Tumblr: @FountainofVitality | Facebook: FountainofVitalityShow | Rumble: Fountain_of_Vitality| Instagram: @FountainofVitalitypodcast | Email: [email protected] LaMont Leavitt: LinkedIn: @LaMontJLeavitt/ | Twitter/X: @ljleavitt1 |InnoviHealth Website: innoviHealth.comFollow Craig Tucker: LinkedIn: @CraigMTucker | Website: VERNAI.com | YouTube: @VERN_AI | Facebook: VirtualEmotionResourceNetwork | Email: [email protected] | Demo: Hoomans.Chat