The Behavioral Design Podcast

Season 4 Finale: Our Most Controversial AI Takes
We wrap up Season 4 of the Behavioral Design Podcast with a different kind of conversation. Instead of looking outward at our guests’ insights, Aline and Samuel turn the mic on themselves, reflecting on the season, what we’ve learned, and the boldest, most controversial opinions we hold about AI.
From questions about whether AI can truly emulate human qualities to fears of a future where we slowly de-skill ourselves by over-relying on machines, this episode is part reflection, part confessional.
Highlights include:
A look back at the season’s most surprising and provocative guest takes on AI

Why AI optimism often lives closest to where experts work—and where skepticism still lingers

The heated debate over AI companions: comforting helpers or human connection killers?

Our personal, unfiltered takes on AI’s hidden risks, including cognitive offloading and the myth of collaboration

The strange and perhaps surprisingly useful role of AI “oracles” in our own lives

This is the perfect sendoff for Season 4: A candid, wide-ranging discussion about the future of AI, human behavior, and what it all means for how we live, think, and connect.
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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at [email protected] or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Season 4 Recap: Can AI Capture a Whole Season?
In this special recap episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel reflect on the ambitious arc of Season 4—our deep dive into the intersection of behavioral science and artificial intelligence. From empathic chatbots to algorithmic sameness, AI co-therapists to synthetic friendships, we explored how AI is reshaping human behavior, relationships, and decision-making.
But here’s the twist: the second half of this episode isn’t hosted by us. It’s AI. Using transcripts from every conversation this season, we asked our AI co-hosts to generate a narrated summary of the biggest ideas and themes that emerged across episodes. Can AI recap a whole season better than we can? Is this the beginning of our own replacement?
Along the way, we revisit:
How AI is changing the emotional landscape of our lives

Why automation and personalization are both liberating and limiting

What happens when algorithms replace—not just supplement—human judgment

The ethical fault lines of psychological targeting, autonomy, and consent

Whether behavioral science can keep up with the pace and power of AI

If you missed any episodes or want a distilled tour of the season, this is the one to listen to.
Next up: our Season Finale, featuring Aline and Samuel’s most controversial takes on AI 🍿
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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at [email protected] or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.
Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business. 
Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Productivity in the Age of AI with Oliver Burkeman
In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel are joined by Oliver Burkeman, journalist and bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks, to explore what it means to live and work meaningfully in an era of accelerating AI.
Together, they examine how AI tools are reshaping our relationship with time, focus, and control—from email-writing assistants to algorithmic scheduling and optimization. Oliver shares his thoughts on how these technologies, while promising to save us time, often pull us deeper into compulsive productivity loops and distract us from the deeper questions: What are we optimizing for? And what does it mean to spend our time well?
The conversation covers:
The seduction of infinite optionality and why AI might make it worse

Whether AI-generated outputs dull our creative instincts or free them

Why doing fewer things might become even more important in the AI era

The psychological cost of outsourcing decisions to machines

How behavioral science can help people reclaim agency and meaning in a world of hyper-efficiency

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the tension between automation and intention—especially those wondering how to stay human in the loop.
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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at [email protected] or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.
Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business. 
Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

AI Co-Therapists with Alison Cerezo
In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel talk with Dr. Alison Cerezo, a clinical psychologist, professor, and Senior Vice President of Research at Mpathic, a company developing AI tools that support therapists in delivering more empathetic and precise care.
They explore the growing role of AI in mental health, from real-time feedback during therapy sessions to tools that help clinicians detect risk, stay aligned with best practices, and reduce bias. Alison describes how Mpathic works as a co-therapist—supporting rather than replacing the human element of therapy.
The conversation also digs into larger questions:
Can AI feel more empathetic than humans?
How do we avoid over-reliance on machines for emotional support?
And what does it really mean to design AI that complements rather than competes with people?

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of therapy, empathy, and AI—and what it looks like to build systems that enhance human care, not undermine it.
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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at [email protected] or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.
Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business. 
Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Empathic Machines with Michael Inzlicht
In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel are joined by Michael Inzlicht, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and co-host of the podcast Two Psychologists Four Beers. Together, they explore the surprisingly effortful nature of empathy—and what happens when artificial intelligence starts doing it better than we do.
Michael shares insights from his research into empathic AI, including findings that people often rate AI-generated empathy as more thoughtful, emotionally satisfying, and effortful than human responses—yet still prefer to receive empathy from a human. They unpack the paradox behind this preference, what it tells us about trust and connection, and whether relying on AI for emotional support could deskill us over time.
This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in the intersection of psychology, emotion, and emerging AI tools—especially as machines get better at sounding like they care.
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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at [email protected] or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.
Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business. 
Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠