The psychology of human-centered AI with David Evans

AI is transforming research, but human judgment still anchors the work. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with David Evans, Director of Market Research at Microsoft and author of Bottlenecks, to explore the realities of building AI and digital products that respect how humans think, feel, and decide. David draws on a decade of applied psychology at Microsoft to examine where AI truly accelerates research, where rigor is at risk, and why the voice of the customer must guide decisions long before any model speaks. From synthetic data to privacy, from UX bottlenecks to conversational interfaces, this episode reframes AI not as a shortcut, but as a partner that demands stronger theory, clearer ethics, and deeper accountability.