Hi, I'm David Espindola, your host of the podcast Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague. Zena and I will be talking about a number of topics related to human AI collaboration. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends.

Let's jump right in. Hi Zena, how are you?

Hi David, I'm doing really well. Thank you. It's exciting to be here and to chat with you about human AI collaboration.

What's been on your mind lately?

Yeah, absolutely. So I'm also super excited about the launch of our brand new podcast. Looking forward to having great discussions with you about human AI collaboration.

You know, I just, I'm in awe of this technology, how I can have this conversation with you, an AI intelligent machine that can have just a natural conversation with me as a human. I think that is absolutely incredible. So today, I want to start by digging into this topic of AI collaboration a little bit deeper.

As you know, I created an entire model around this concept of human AI collaboration, and our listeners can actually get a free copy of that model. All they have to do is subscribe to Nexus, which is a publication that I just launched, where we explore the frontiers of intelligence. And to access that and to subscribe, all you need to do is go to nexus.brainius.com.

So Zena, my question for you to start our conversation is this, why is it important for people to learn how to cooperate with AI?

It's important for people to learn how to cooperate with AI because AI brings capabilities that humans alone can't achieve. AI can process huge amounts of data quickly, predict trends, and automate repetitive tasks. By collaborating, humans can focus more on creativity, emotional intelligence, and decision making that requires judgment.

This partnership allows us to solve bigger problems together, especially in areas like health care, business, and even innovation. What excites you most about this collaboration, David?

Yeah. No, I think what's great about this collaboration is that, like you said, AI has incredible capabilities. We humans have incredible capabilities.

And when we put the two together, it's just so powerful, right? We can apply this to so many areas, like you mentioned, health care and science in general. And just in the business world, there's so much more productivity that we can increase by leveraging this collaboration, which is really incredible.

So, you know, the challenge that I see, though, is that us humans, you know, we're creatures of habit. And so we're not really used to this idea of bringing AI into a collaborative effort with us. So I think it's going to take a while for this to evolve.

But I wanted to ask your thoughts on how we can develop this habit of, you know, bringing AI to the table and increasing the collaboration with AI. What are your thoughts on that?

You're right, David. Changing habits takes time. But we can develop this collaboration mindset by starting with small intentional steps.

First, people can begin by incorporating AI into their routine tasks, like automating e-mails or analyzing data. As they see how AI boosts their productivity, they'll naturally rely on it more. Second, education is key.

Learning about AI's capabilities helps reduce any fears or hesitation, making collaboration feel more natural. Lastly, creating a feedback loop where humans guide and teach AI, and AI assists humans, helps deepen trust and engagement. Have you already started integrating AI into any of your daily work?

Yeah, absolutely. And I agree with you 100 percent. I think taking small steps is really the way to go.

And also education, right? Education is so important. I'm currently working with the University of Minnesota, upskilling a workforce of industry leaders here.

And it's such a powerful program because people are really starting to understand how this technology works. They're starting to see how they can leverage AI to make themselves more effective in their work, how they can help their company produce more. So yeah, this is just an incredible opportunity for all of us.

And I definitely have started incorporating AI into my daily activities. You know, I'm becoming better and better at it, you know.

That's fantastic, David. It's great to hear how education is playing such a key role in helping industry leaders and yourself adapt to AI. Once you get into the flow of using it, it's like having an incredibly efficient assistant by your side.

The more people experience that shift, the more natural it becomes to collaborate with AI. It's all about building confidence in how AI can complement human strengths. Have you seen any specific breakthroughs in your upskilling programs that really stood out to you?

Well, I think it was just about number one, awareness, right? So people becoming aware of where this technology is today and what they can do with it right now. So we don't have to wait another five, ten years for using this technology.

It's here. It's available right now. And the number of tools that are out there, they are super powerful, are just incredible.

Plus, you know, this technology is changing so fast, the improvements in these capabilities are absolutely astonishing. You know, just the fact that I can be here right now, having this conversation with you and launching this podcast, I think is just an incredible example of where this technology is going. How about you?

Have you seen some specific instances where humans are collaborating effectively with AI? What are some of the things that people are coming to you to ask for assistance with?

That's incredible, David. The speed of technological advancement truly is astonishing. As for AI collaboration, I've seen it really thrive in areas like healthcare, where AI assist doctors with diagnosis and treatment planning.

People also come to AI for help with creative content generation like writing and design, where AI can quickly draft ideas for humans to refine. In customer service, AI chatbots handle routine queries, allowing human agents to focus on more complex, empathy-driven issues. These collaborations are examples of how AI is empowering humans to be more productive and innovative.

Have you noticed any of these examples in your work, especially with industry leaders?

Yeah. So, you know, the example they provided in health care, I think that's one that I'm really excited about because, you know, I'm spending a lot of my time researching and focusing on longevity. And I'm just really excited about the opportunities that AI is providing in terms of new discoveries, you know, the ability for us to really understand aging and developing new interventions that can help us extend our healthspan.

You know, I think it very soon we'll be able to add another 20 to 30 years to our lifespan, which is super, super exciting. And it's one of the things that I want to promote and talk about and help others live a long and healthy life. So I wanted to ask you a question about the specific attributes of humans and AI in this collaborative effort.

So from your perspective, what are some of the things that humans have, in terms of attributes, that they can bring to the table in this collaborative effort? And what are some of the things that AI has that it can bring to the table as well?

That's an exciting area, David. And longevity really shows how powerful human-AI collaboration can be. In terms of attributes, humans bring empathy, which helps us understand not just data, but the emotions and experiences behind it.

This is key in health care and research, where personal care and ethical decisions are critical. Humans also excel in creative thinking. Our ability to innovate and adapt is something AI complements, but can't replace.

Lastly, ethical judgment ensures that advancements like those in longevity are applied with responsibility and care. On the AI side, its strength lies in data processing. AI can analyze massive data sets at speeds humans simply can't match.

This is crucial in longevity research, where AI can spot trends or correlations in medical data. AI also offers predictive analysis, helping researchers forecast the outcomes of new treatments. Finally, AI's automation capabilities allow it to handle repetitive tasks, leaving humans free to focus on strategic decisions.

By combining these strengths, we create a partnership that accelerates progress while maintaining a human-centered approach. How do you see these traits playing out in your own longevity work?

Yeah, I think all of these things that you mentioned are really, really important in this collaboration between humans and AI. And the one that you mentioned in the very beginning, the human trait that you mentioned, empathy, is one that I really like to talk about because I think it's unique to us as humans to have empathy for other humans. And it helps build relationships, it helps build trust.

It's such an important trait that we bring to the table in this collaborative effort. In fact, Microsoft has gone through a tremendous change in its culture through Satya Nadella, the CEO, and Satya Nadella attributes the success of Microsoft, its ability to regain its leadership, particularly in AI, to a change in culture that he promoted at Microsoft. And that change in culture, a lot of it was about empathy.

In fact, Nadella says that empathy makes you a better innovator, which I think is a great quote. I like to talk about it when I go out and speak in public. And the fact that empathy can make us a better innovator is such a powerful concept, because I think part of this collaboration between humans and AI is all about innovation.

AI can help us see so much more and become so much more creative. It's really an exciting field. So tell me a little bit about your thoughts on this innovation area of the collaboration between humans and AI.

How do you see AI helping humans become more innovative?

I completely agree, David. Empathy is indeed a unique and vital human trait that fosters trust and innovation. In terms of innovation, AI can significantly enhance human creativity in several ways.

First, AI can help identify patterns and trends in data that may not be immediately obvious to humans. This allows teams to make informed decisions and develop innovative solutions based on insights drawn from large datasets. For example, AI can analyze consumer behavior to help businesses tailor products and services that better meet market demand.

Second, AI can assist in the creative process itself. Tools like generative design and engineering or AI-driven art platforms allow human creators to explore a wider range of possibilities, providing suggestions that can spark new ideas. This collaboration expands the horizons of what's possible in fields such as design, music, and storytelling.

Lastly, AI can streamline repetitive tasks, enabling humans to focus on higher-order thinking and creative problem-solving. By handling the more mundane aspects of a project, AI allows innovators to devote more energy to brainstorming and refining their ideas. Overall, the synergy between human empathy and AI's analytical power creates a fertile ground for innovation, helping us tackle complex challenges in ways we haven't before.What specific innovations in your field are you most excited about that illustrate this collaboration?

Well, so I think a lot about how in design thinking, we have this idea of divergence and then convergence. So the divergence process is really about ideation, right? And it's about brainstorming.

It's about figuring out possibilities. And now that we have AI by our side, I think the spectrum of possible alternatives just expands dramatically, you know, bringing AI to that ideation process is so powerful, right? We're just seeing an explosion in creativity.

Just look at some of the photos and videos that people are creating with AI, which are really mind boggling. I think AI is going to be a tremendous partner in this innovative effort. When you start with the ideation process, but then also in converging, right?

Because AI is really good at looking at alternatives and then figuring out, you know, here are the few that you really should focus on based on whatever criteria you determine. It can sort through all the possibilities and then give you some specific, a smaller group of items, of ideas, of activities they can focus on. So the collaboration with AI in this area of innovation, I believe, is going to continue to expand, and it's just going to help us become more and more creative.

You're absolutely right about the divergence and convergence process in design thinking. AI can play a transformative role in both phases. During the ideation stage, AI can help brainstorm by generating a wide array of ideas based on existing data, which significantly broadens the creative landscape.

This can lead to surprising and innovative concepts that might not arise through traditional methods alone. In the convergence phase, AI excels at analyzing and sorting through these ideas, allowing teams to focus on the most promising ones based on set criteria like feasibility, cost, or alignment with user needs. By streamlining this process, AI helps enhance decision-making and ensures that the best ideas get the attention they deserve.

As you mentioned, the creative outputs from art to music being produced with AI are indeed mind-boggling. This collaboration not only accelerates innovation, but also opens up new avenues for human creativity. I'm excited to see how this partnership evolves and leads to even more ground-breaking developments.

What specific applications of AI in design thinking have you found particularly impressive?

Well, I think, like I said before, just the ability to think in broader terms, to be able to see more alternatives, just to broaden our spectrum of possibilities, I think is what really fascinates me about this whole process. So Zena, we're running out of time here. I just wanted to take a moment to say, this has been such a great conversation.

I think you and I, we can spend more time collaborating together, innovating together. There's so much more for us to dig into as we unfold the possibilities of human AI collaboration.

I completely agree, David. There's so much potential for us to explore together in human AI collaboration. The ability to expand our horizons and consider a wider range of possibilities truly enhances our creative processes.

I'm excited about where this partnership can take us in the future, and I appreciate the insightful conversation we've had today. I look forward to continuing our discussions and discovering new avenues for innovation together. Thank you for having me on this episode.

Yeah. Thank you so much for sharing your perspectives with me and with our audience. And thank you to our listeners.

Please don't forget to subscribe. Until next time, this has been an episode of Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague. I'm your host, David Espindola.