Hello 50:50 World - Make Tech More Humane

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Vardon Hamdiu, co-founder of Sparkable, and Sofiia Kaminska, behavioral researcher and creator of the Option Control project. Together, we explore how social media platforms are architected: - Why many of today’s platforms are optimized for attention and what that does to users - How engagement-based algorithms amplify polarization, outrage, and addictive behavior - Why awareness alone is not enough to change how we use technology - And what it takes to design social media that supports healthier interactions From working in political communication and with refugee communities to researching digital behavior across generations, Vardon and Sofia share what it means to understand both the structural and human side of technology. For engineers, designers, and product builders, this episode challenges a core assumption: that better technology automatically leads to better outcomes. Because in reality, the incentives behind platforms shape behavior more than the features themselves. What would social media look like if it was designed to bring out the best in people instead of keeping them hooked? Learn more in this episode.

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Lisa Falco, health tech innovator, author of Go Figure, and co-founder of N23 Health. Together, we explore how data and AI are already shaping the health industry: - How AI can improve women’s health and help close the gender health gap - Why data can both support and harm, especially in healthcare - How AI systems can bring expertise to places where specialists are missing - And why context is critical when deciding where and how AI should be used From building one of the first FemTech companies in Switzerland to developing AI for early breast cancer detection in underserved regions, Lisa shares what it means to move from data to real-world impact. For engineers, designers, and product builders, this episode offers a grounded perspective on what it takes to build technology that actually works beyond ideal conditions. Where can AI truly make a difference for people in health systems and what needs to be in place for it to work? Learn more in this episode.

In this first episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Dr. Marisa Tschopp, psychologist and researcher in human-AI relationships and trust. Marisa is a corporate researcher at scip AG, a cybersecurity company based in Zurich. Since April 1st 2026, she is Head of Subject Area Humans & AI at ZHAW Angewandte Psychologie. Together, we explore what it really means to design AI for humans: - Why most people don’t just use AI as a tool and how they relate to it based on research - How users (technical vs non-technical) experience the same systems differently - How the user experience of AI shapes trust, overtrust, and the conditions for misuse - And why it is difficult to test AI systems, and where we should draw the line right now From analyzing thousands of conversations between humans and AI to researching trust and relationships, Marisa shares what it means to understand how people truly interact with technology. For engineers, designers, and product builders, this conversation challenges a core assumption that better technology automatically leads to better outcomes. Because in reality, the success of AI systems depends just as much on human psychology, perception and behavior. Will we be seeing a shift in the next years of tech teams working more closely with psychologists to make tech more humane? Learn more in this episode.

In our trailer episode, host Lisa Stähli, co-lead of Hello 50:50 World, speaks with Martina Niggli, founder of proxi and Hello 50:50 World ambassador. Together, we explore what Hello 50:50 World is and why we are launching a podcast: - Where the idea of the podcast comes from, and what we want to achieve with it - Why different perspectives are so essential to counterbalance current trends in society - What's the 'secret sauce' of the Hello 50:50 World format and how we break bubbles - Who this podcast is for and what to expect from the Hello 50:50 World podcast To bridge the gap between physical meetups and the digital space, we are creating this podcast as an extension of our movement to make tech more humane. We encourage listeners to engage, collaborate and share their own perspectives, so this becomes a space of co-learning. How can we possibly create more balance, inclusion and hope in tech through a podcast? Learn more in this episode.