What does it really mean for AI governance to be more than just buzzwords—and how do we build systems that are worthy of our trust?

This week on the Tech Humanist Show, we get candid with responsible AI expert and Algorithmic Justice League advisor, Rebekah Tweed. Together, we explore the not-so-glamorous (but oh-so-crucial) world of AI governance—think less “theater,” more real talk on trust, transparency, and protecting our privacy.

Topics covered:
The evolution of responsible AI as a corporate function
Balancing safety and privacy in AI applications
Algorithmic harms in everyday life (hiring, healthcare, security)
Why harm in AI is more than just a technical bug
Organizational trust and accountability in AI governance
Practical evidence of responsible AI practices
The importance of transparency, literacy, and public trust
Building AI governance that is operational—not just performative
Roles for government and open source in shaping responsible AI
What gives hope for the future of AI and public infrastructure


Connect with Rebekah Tweed
Website
LinkedIn
AI Governance Course on LinkedIn Learning



Episode Chapters:
00:04 Introduction to the Tech Humanist Show
00:17 Responsible AI Becomes an Organizational Norm
01:29 Rebekah Tweed’s Journey from Music Industry to AI Governance
03:36 AI’s Impact on the Creative Arts and Early Influences
04:57 The Rise of AI Governance Teams and Job Roles
06:12 Building Responsible Tech Career Development
07:38 What Responsible AI Means in Human Terms
09:36 Algorithmic Harms in Ordinary Life and Public Response
15:38 When AI Harm is a Deeper Systems Problem
18:57 How to Build Genuine, Non-Theatrical AI Governance
25:16 Evidence That AI Governance Is Real
29:12 Cultural Weirdness, Systems Strangeness, and Literacy
35:13 Speed, Trust, and What Leaders Need to Know
37:42 What Gives Hope for a Responsible AI Future
40:22 Outro and Credits

How do our everyday digital traces—social posts, check-ins, photos—shape our identities, relationships, and the very nature of privacy in a hyper-connected world?

Kate O’Neill sits down with Lee Humphreys, professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Cornell University and author of The Qualified Self: Social Media and the Accounting of Everyday Life. The conversation explores the rich history and surprising continuity of documenting daily life, from centuries-old diaries and photo albums to today’s social media and sensor-driven platforms.

Topics Covered:

• The history and meaning of phatic communication
• Social media as an extension of historical practices (diaries, notebooks, albums)
• Privacy, data, and the networked self
• The context collapse of online identities
• Location-based sharing and identity work
• Algorithmic identities and platform agency
• The impact of digital spaces on rituals and remote work
• Policy, power, and responsibility in platform design
• Hopeful uses of technology to build community

Connect with Lee Humphreys
Cornell Website
LinkedIn
”The Qualified Self – Social Media and the Accounting of Everyday Life”

Episode Chapters:

00:04 Introduction to the Tech Humanist Show & guest
00:17 The concept of phatic communication
02:27 Lee’s route into communication technology
04:42 From photo manipulation to tech distrust
06:00 Diaries, Twitter, and the origins of media accounting
12:10 Social reinforcement vs. narcissism in social media
13:33 Location sharing and its role in identity
16:35 Parasocial relationships and context collapse
19:53 Data, experience, and mismatched realities
22:33 The shifting meaning of place and time in data
24:31 Networked privacy and the collective dimension
27:39 Incentives, policy, and platform accountability
30:01 Algorithmic identity and the “qualified self”
35:26 Digital rituals, remote work, and connection
40:31 Closing thoughts: technology, humanity, and hope
41:04 Lee’s story of hope and innovation through tech
42:58 Episode wrap-up and thanks

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the nation faces unprecedented challenges: political polarization, economic insecurity, climate change, and the complex influence of technology and AI. How can America rethink its long-term strategy—and rebuild trust—at this historic crossroads?

Host Kate O’Neill is joined by strategist and author Patrick Doherty, co-author of “The New Grand Strategy,” and Brandyn Keating, founder of YOUnify and an expert in repairing civic trust. Together, they explore:

• America’s 250th anniversary and its significance
• The meaning and practice of grand strategy
• Historical context: past U.S. grand strategies
• Infrastructure and systems for the 21st century
• The erosion of trust and polarization
• Aligning economic engines, governance, and foreign policy
• The consequences of strategic incoherence
• Data, AI, and information environments
• Remedies for polarization and rebuilding trust
• Thriving conversations framework
• Bridging grassroots and national strategy
• The Global Flourishing Goals and Write the Future campaign
• Hopes for America’s future

Connect with: Patrick Doherty
The Center for the Constitution & Grand Strategy: https://ccgstrategy.org/
Long Haul Capital: https://www.longhaulcapital.com/team
X: @PatrickCDoherty
LinkedIn
The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America’s Prosperity, Security, and Sustainability in the 21st Century

Connect with Brandyn Keating
YOUnify: https://www.younify.org/
LinkedIn

Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Setting the Stage: America at 250
00:04 Grand Strategy Explainer with Patrick Doherty
00:46 Infrastructure, Generational Planning, and Lessons from Eisenhower
01:46 Trust, Polarization & the Grassroots Perspective with Brandyn Keating
03:38 Linking Grand Strategy to Community & Trust
05:04 Coherence Gaps and Economic Realities
09:38 Political Consequences & Declining Trust
13:00 Strategic Risks When Citizens Lose Faith
16:12 Remedies: Information Environments & Offline Connection
18:35 The Dilemma of Celebrating vs. Critiquing America
21:05 Overcoming Binary Thinking & Building Shared Values
24:04 Policy, Thriving Conversations & Bridging Local to National
29:05 Making Grand Strategy Inclusive
34:32 Global Flourishing Goals & Write the Future
38:01 Parallels to Tech Humanism & Organizational Strategy
39:06 Hopes for America’s Next 250 Years
44:05 Connect with the Guests & Closing Remarks