Tech Transforms

• Episode 111: One Woman’s Rebellion Against Reckless AI

  In this thought-provoking episode of Tech Transforms, host Carolyn Ford welcomes Janet Kang, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned nonprofit leader whose work sits at the intersection of AI innovation, ethics, and long-term societal impact. After building companies since age 13, launching multiple ed-tech ventures, and incubating AI-powered products in a corporate venture studio, Janet experienced firsthand the exhilarating speed and unsettling risks of deploying AI in real-world environments. Those experiences ultimately led her to join Just Horizons Alliance, a nonprofit committed to developing open protocols, ethical frameworks, and real-time auditing tools that help organizations build and deploy AI responsibly. Janet shares candid stories from the early days of AI adoption, where models behaved inconsistently, guardrails lagged behind product timelines, and the pressure to scale fast often overshadowed deeper questions of safety and accountability. She explains why today’s biggest risk isn’t far-off superintelligence; it's the immediate, under-regulated integration of AI into education, healthcare, hiring systems, and public services. For younger users especially, she warns, AI already shapes communication, decision-making, confidence, and even identity and most tech leaders lack the tools to properly assess or mitigate those risks. Carolyn and Janet explore why ethical AI requires more than thought leadership and policy statements. It requires action: adversarial testing, real-world simulations, contextual frameworks, and independent audits that account for messy human behavior, not just ideal use cases. They also discuss the structural barriers women face in tech, the mentors who “give up their seat” to make space, and the mindset shift that comes with parenthood thinking in decades, not quarters. Looking ahead, Janet envisions a future where AI becomes “infrastructure, not the main character” as invisible and reliable as flipping a light switch because circuit breakers, safety layers, and accountability systems are finally in place. Until then, she calls on builders, executives, educators, and policymakers to take practical steps now: test relentlessly, understand failure modes, prioritize vulnerable users, and choose impact over speed. This is an episode for leaders who want to innovate boldly and responsibly, those wrestling with how to balance progress with protection, and how to shape an AI-powered future worthy of the next generation. Show Notes: www.justhorizons.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/kangjanet/ Pause superintelligence petition - https://www.axios.com/2025/10/22/superintelligence-ai-pause-yoshua-bengio Books Mentioned Empire of AI — Karen Hao The Alignment Problem — Brian Christian The Broken Earth Trilogy — N.K. Jemisin (recommended by Carolyn)

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• Episode 110: Stealth Mode: Unmasking Cyber Threats Hiding in Plain Sight

  In this episode of Tech Transforms, host Carolyn Ford welcomes Connor Morley, Head of Security Research at Glasswall, for a deep dive into the spy-thriller world of modern file security. From malware hidden in images and PDFs to “polyglot” files that can appear as multiple formats at once, Morley exposes how attackers are redefining what a “safe file” really means. They explore how artificial intelligence is supercharging phishing and social-engineering campaigns, making malicious messages nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones. Morley explains the evolution of steganography—the art of concealing code inside digital images and why emerging threats like QR-code hijacking (“quishing”) have become one of the easiest ways to breach both corporate and personal devices. But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom story. Morley shows how zero-trust file filtering and Content Disarm & Reconstruction (CDR) can neutralize hidden payloads without disrupting everyday workflows. He also reveals how these proactive defenses reduce “SOC noise,” giving security teams back valuable focus time and keeping threats from ever reaching end users. From AI-powered deception to invisible payloads hidden in plain sight, this conversation uncovers the unseen layer of cyber defense and reminds leaders that innovation, not fear, is the best shield against tomorrow’s threats. Show Notes: • Whitepapers: Polyglot Files: Unmasking Images & PDFs (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/unmasking-polyglot-files-how-glasswalls-cdr-technology-tackles-this-stealthy-threat) Steganography: Smudging the Invisible Ink (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/innovative-steganography-mitigation-research-safeguarding-against-covert-data-concealment) QR Codes: Neutralizing Threats with CDR (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/beyond-the-scan-why-government-agencies-and-enterprises-must-tackle-qr-code-security-now) • Webinar: File Analysis & CDR: Forging A Formidable Defense (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCBYEDCXpXk) • Website: https://www.glasswall.com/ • Connor Morley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/connormorley/

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• Episode 109: Brewing AI: Tricks, Treats & Tech Myths (Chills & Thrills Finale)

  For our Halloween finale, Carolyn Ford invites two favorite “AI conjurers”, Dave Egts “Mr. X,” public-sector field CTO at Mulesoft, and Laura Klebanow, founder & chief storyteller at Show & Tell, into the Tech Transforms cauldron. Each brings a “secret AI ingredient”: Carolyn composes whimsical Suno-generated theme music (after a prompt-crafting detour through ChatGPT), Laura pushes image creation and Gemini’s career-planner for playful, practical use, and Dave reimagines Gemini’s children’s-storybook gem to craft customer-hero narratives, plus a Scooby-Doo-style Tech Transforms tale. Then we stir in the shadows: misinformation at scale, AI “rights,” bioethics (organoids/bodyoids), job disruption vs. reskilling, and how creativity can demystify AI without sugarcoating risks. The trio closes with rapid-fire “treats & tricks,” classroom-to-boardroom starter tips (talk with AI, don’t just query it; red-team your ideas), and a reminder to “find your beautiful” use the tools to clear the junk so humans can do what only humans do. Brewed takeaways * Prompt craft matters; collaborate across tools (Suno, Gemini, ChatGPT). * Creative play ≠ fluff: it’s a safe on-ramp to literacy and adoption. * AI will change jobs; map “jobs to be done,” automate the rote, upskill the rest. * Ethics aren’t optional: teach harm awareness early (mis/dis/malinformation, bullying). * Start small today: keep a running dialogue with AI and build a personal “advisory board” of model personas. **Show Notes: Dave Egts - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidegts/ Laura Klebanow - Email: [email protected] - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraklebanow/ Suno - https://suno.com/ My storybook: https://g.co/gemini/share/56bbf0498a84 Dave & Gunner Show: www.dgshow.org

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• Episode 108: The Curious Case of AI - Part 2 ('The Thrills)

  In the “Thrills” side of our Halloween series, host Carolyn Ford and futurist Joseph Bradley shift from fear to possibility, exploring how AI can amplify human potential and unlock joy at scale. Bradley introduces the “happiness paradigm,” the idea that AI’s true value isn’t just about productivity, but about helping people find more meaning, connection, and time for what matters most. From digital “twins” that make leaders more effective, to AI tools that give disabled creators new ways to express themselves, to cognitive cities designed around citizens rather than assets, this is AI as an amplifier of identity and humanity. Instead of focusing on what we might lose, Bradley shows how leaders and organizations can build trust, align AI with values, and use it to create more satisfying workplaces, communities, and lives. If the “Chills” episode raised the hard questions, this one paints the vision of what’s possible when we get it right. Mentioned in this episode: Joseph Bradley - www.josephmbradley.com Joseph Bradley’s book You to the Power of 2 (Pre-order: josephmbradley.com | ​​https://shop.u-x2.ai/) The Happiness Paradigm- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josephmbradley_happiness-successmindset-activity-7284796402122072065-Gl68/

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• Episode 107: The Curious Case of AI - Part 1 (The Chills)

  The Curious Case of AI - A Two-Part Special (“The Chills”) In this Tech Transforms Halloween “Chills” episode, host Carolyn Ford and futurist Joseph Bradley explore the eerie, but essential, questions AI raises. Using Star Trek as their guide, they look at how “identic AI”, technology that mirrors identity, preferences, and even purpose can feel both thrilling and unsettling. Bradley, a strong believer in AI’s potential, points out that every powerful tool comes with risks if it’s misused. Together, he and Carolyn discuss what happens when efficiency is valued over happiness, how bias can creep in if we aren’t intentional, and why cognitive cities must be built with trust and ethics at the core. Think less “the end is near” and more “what safeguards do we need to make sure this future works for people?” This episode sets the stage for leaders, innovators, and everyday users to think critically about how AI shapes identity, relationships, and society, while remembering that the choices we make now will decide whether the future feels like The Borg… or The Federation. Mentioned in this episode: Joseph Bradley’s book U to the Power of 2 (Pre-order: josephmbradley.com | ​​https://shop.u-x2.ai/) Paperclip dilemma thought experiment - https://nickbostrom.com/ethics/ai Smart vs. Cognitive Cities https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/documents/cognitive-cities-a-journey-to-intelligent-urbanism.pdf Questioneering: The New Model for Innovative Leaders in the Digital Age

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