Empathetic Machines: Recent Episodes
Empathetic Machines
This is a podcast about a sort of “enchantment” we’re under– the technology watches and enables the machines to have an impact on us. For each episode we'll explore a hypothesis from multiple angles including what’s ethical, where are the lines, and how to handle increasingly fuzzy boundaries. Do we expect too much of our technology? Do we care or even understand what we’re trading away?
We ponder where machines ‘’quantified us”... in great detail... for extraordinary insight. And we'll consider where the quantified human becomes a directed or even controlled. With a bit of irreverence, we'll conduct this investigation through a series of discussions, thought experiments, and examples.
We want to get under the covers on who gets to set boundaries around technology and why they do it. We will explore how much we should trust these boundaries setters to make good decisions for us.
SPECIAL GUEST:
Yann Mathias, Director of Innovation and Impact at MTArt Agency
Placemaking is an art, and maybe a bit science. In retail, it’s critical. We dive into placemaking with our special guest, Yann Mathias, Director of Innovation and Impact at MTArt Agency. We discuss the intangible parts of retail that are critical including the state of retail design today, the evolution to experience design, being authentic to your brand and creating memories.
The pandemic has impacted commercial as well as retail real estate, which, in many instances, are connected. Our sense of self is tied to our sense of place. We explore current retail, workplace and urban planning trends with an expert, Paul Bate of Paul Bate Consultancy.
Retail is a driver of our economy. We are joined by a recognized retail pundit and industry expert who is also a contributor to Forbes.com, a professor at Fashion Institute of Technology and Syracuse University, and currently Chief Strategist at The Robin Report, Shelley E. Kohan, for a wide ranging discussion about current retail performance, trends and insights. We recommend you read more of Shelley's analysis here.
Special Guest: Linda Choong
The merchant is a critical part of retail. Determining what products you are presenting and selling to your customer is fundamental to who you are as a retailer. Our special guest, Linda Choong, knows all about this. As the former Chief Merchandising Officer at Design Within Reach and currently a retail and business advisor heading up her own practice, LLC Left+Right LLC. This wide -ranging conversation shares insights into approach, listening to your customer and the importance of balance.
Jeff Fisher and Cristene Gonzelz-Wertz are joined by William Thomas to discuss five things retailers need to do to move out of pandemic, panic, and towards forward momentum. While we have some fun with this, the discussion covers some important topics.
A retailer seeks to be a cornerstone of the local community even as it fights a legal battle to reduce its tax burden. An online menu is tied to a kitchen without a restaurant. @Jeff Fisher and @Cristine Gonzalez Wertz go a little dark this week with the help of @Wiliam Thomas.
Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, digital thinkers Sue Hallen and Leonard Lee share the wonder and "cool" of the Moto brick and wood paneled HiFi.
In this episode, Jeff Fisher, Cristene Gonzalez Wertz, and Neliana Fuenmayor speak about how consumers are citizens in the "glocal" economy in fashion. Neliana Fuenmayor gave up a passion for design to redesign supply chains. As the Founder and Chief Executive of A Transparent Company, she now helps fashion businesses shift from linear thinking to an open, transparent mindset in support of making the transition to sustainable innovation and circular economy.
It's clear that when we act as consumers, we vote in some way, acting as citizens. As a result, Brands need to be leaders. And we need to "vote" responsibly. http://www.atransparentcompany.com/about
Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, Naoshi Yamauchi reflects on the Sony Discman and the feeling of freedom arising from digital music on the go. There's a purity to this feeling in comparison to the love / hate relationship we have with our iPhones.
Our habits have definitely changed, but we're still going to the store together in an odd sort of way. At least in part we go shopping for the human experience. People are vital to the retail experience, and our two guests have some deep thoughts about how and why. Along the way we explore the usefulness of sales per square foot to measure performance in the age of the customer channel. Join us!
@Jackie Culp, EVP Next Performance Horizon and form Zone VP for Luxottica
@Lou Chestmen, EVP Next Performance Horizon and form Zone VP for Luxottica
Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, we find that it's difficult to select a favorite device without reflection on what a "device" is. But that's what we're here to talk about with Erik Didriksen
Digging deeper into customer channel like a shopper at Nordstrom Rack, this episode explores the impact technology is currently having on physical retail. The changes rippling through shopping habits as well as retailer knowledge and capabilities.
For weeks Clubhouse has remained front of mind (and top of headlines). Empathetic Machines pulls together several opinions about Clubhouse and how people get into it.
What's it all about, why it's important (or is it?), and the risks that have come about of it. And of course, who makes money in the Clubhouse?
We are swiftly moving into a new age of retail. Normal is no more. Stores remain important, but now they play a different role. We have moved beyond omni-channel or even a unified shopping experience.
This is the age of the customer channel
The people, the organization, the infrastructure at the border are tasked with implementing policies from the elected leaders of the US. This border group intends to balance mission, human experience, threat management, mercy, empathy, safety.
We consider how this operates in an age being changed by digital tech. While many technologies are entering the mainstream, it’s a little different on the border.
One of our guests is a changemaker and graduate of the first Communitas Americas cohort. While his business is enabled by a mobile app, the value arises from an incisive understanding of how people solve a local problem. His business is Freespot a service that connects users to free stuff. And gives useful stuff a second (and third) chance to be valuable. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/FreeSpotco/ and see if it fits into your community.
The discussion moves to what makes Bronx innovation and positive social change special. Part of the secret: Communitas creates a virtuous cycle in which each changemaker is empowered to inspire others.
Communitas started and is largely sponsors out of South Korea. There’s a compelling thread running from Seoul through Las Vegas to the Bronx.
It should come as no surprise to Empathetic Machines listeners that we dwell a bit on the name, Communitas. This Latin term has a very specific and revealing meaning.
Planning the Post-Covid Supply Chain:
COVID has increased the pressure to digitize. Or digitalize. Or digitally "transform." But what’s the shelf life of a strategy? Exploring these questions requires a dive into supply chain, the network of organizations, vehicles, materials that all come together when a product arrives— or better yet, when an experience is delivered.
This is the first of a two-episode series. In it we set the groundwork for discussions of supply chain ethics.
When the tech Titans were in Washington a few weeks ago they were grilled on predatory pricing and other anti competitive behaviors. A second bundle of issues received less attention, though it’s arguably even more important. What, if anything, is to be done about the content on these platforms that divides us? This may be the next great censorship debate.
The ethics of supply chain: a hard look. COVID has increased the pressure to change the way business is run. Supply Chains will innovate in response to market and technological change. But should they consider-- and be measured-- on their impact on the world we live in? ... on other performance indicators that are not focused purely on efficiency?
This is part two of our exploration of Supply Chain with Matt Butler and Ken Pace.
In the US we're getting back to work and back to school in the midst of COVID. Our guests provide observations from back to school and back to work. Technological capabilities continue to have an impact on how we— our leaders as well as ourselves as individuals— plan and adjust to getting back to work. This is no exception for our guests.
Ben Waterhouse, Associate Professor of History at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, shares some direct insight from the oldest public university in the US. UNCCH has been in the news, but there’s interesting nuance to the story.
Amber Sundell, Marketing Director at IBM, provides perspective from that storied company. She shares how COVID is swaying both IBM's decade-plus shift to mobile, and the the firm’s countervailing momentum into the office for studios and marketing teams as individuals— plan and adjust to getting back to work.
Perhaps the ARM acquisition was a reach too far for Softbank.
A portfolio isn't just the sum of its parts— It's the synergy between them. Is the potential ARM sale a portfolio strategy, pandemic-driven timing, or a bit of hubris. How much of a role do licensing dynamics play? And what’s the fingerprint of a successful acquisition target?
A smart tinkerer gets curious about why the company that launched the PC. can't provide him access to one. So he finds pieces to remedy the issue— in the scrap bucket.
Backgammon in the Mediterranean: Mikael Edholm, deep technical expert and analyst, shares his favorite device. And catapults us back in time and place.
Getting Stuff from Warehouses to our Homes: When we get stuff delivered to our homes, groceries, electronics, books, whatever, there's a class of professionals that deliver that last mile. They put the material carefully on our doorstep or in her home in some way. This is the last mile- the most complex and costly step in delivery. And one with huge impact on customer satisfaction.
The roundtable takes on the headlines as well, leading to thoughts on Microsoft, Snapchat, and China. Our experts in data science, software engineering, digital transformation, and experience design share perspectives on what will be required for this to work. We get to several places, including an outline of the ethics of data gathering.
Join @Sue Hallen, @David Bacon, @Cristene Gonzalez-Wertz, and @William Thomas.
How can we tell if we should trust organizations with our data? The answer is clouded by the complexity of digital business ecosystems and the ambiguity of the laws in this space. Our discussion touches on the incentives for corporations to find ways to profit from data. These incentives arose from the ashes of the .com bust. We also touch on how nations states surround us with structures to control us with our data. This is not new, but the structures seem to be more pervasive.
Ultimately we get to some preliminary recommendations, though it’s clear that this discussion will continue.
Previously Rep. Cicilline had called these four companies monopolies, and the anti-trust undertones— and overtones— ran throughout the meeting.
This is the first Empathetic Machines current events podcast. @Charla Stracener, @Sue Hallen, and @Naoshi Yamauchi join us to explore, expand, and opine. Our panel includes leaders of technology firms, business transformations, and disruptive digital products.
There was more than a little politicking for us to discuss, but there’s a case to made that the standout attendee was not an elected official. Lina Khan, a “hipster anti truster,” sat behind Rep. Cicilline as an advisor. Her legal article, “Amazon Antitrust Paradox” has catalyzed a rethink of anti trust, and of innovation.
Join Empathetic Machines founders, Cristene Gonzalez Wertz and William Thomas. To our usual collision of tech and ethics we add politics, gaslighting, grandstanding, and possibly the launch of a congressional campaign for 2022.
Recently the earth has provided a glimpse of its ability to heal itself. The lockdown in China this year reduced emissions by 20%. In Europe it’s reported that emission have been reduced by 400 metric tons. So the pandemic, thousands of deaths, and a sudden, deep economic dislocation have reduced emissions by a bit. Can we build that into real momentum?
Tech powers much what we experience in our lives now. But what powers tech? Sure, we can plug our devices into the wall or induce them by placing them on a charging plate, but what are the implications of where that power comes from?
Joined by neXtCurve’s Leonard Lee, we begin to explore big batteries. There’s an impact on power and environment. Listen in!
Depending on who you ask, we’re at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a pandemic. Just a couple of months ago our devices were being indicted for driving us apart. Now they are lifelines, the seams holding together work or family or virtual play dates. In this context, where is technology doing its best? What will it look like afterwards? We can expect clear winners and losers.
The big players have the cash and the scale. The pandemic is already beginning to cull out competitors. There's so much data in the hands of the few. While this allows for much more rapid learning and application around the data, it also requires trust. This places an immense challenge on the managers of these companies who are being expected to understand how to behave and how to make decisions in the absence of effective regulation. They have to choose. Either they continue to accumulate of money and influence, or drive for new sources of innovation and creativity.
In our debut podcast we explore how we as individuals got to our current relationship with our devices. They seem to be magical and we are completely attached. We go back to what feels like the beginning: the MacWorld Expo keynote delivered in 2007 by Steve Jobs. Years later, an interview with Tim Cook suggests ways we might get the magic back in control.