AI Co-Therapists with Alison CerezoIn 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.--Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com 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 podcast@habitweekly.comThe song used is Murgatroyd by David Pizarro
--------
52:14
Empathy and AI with Michael Inzlicht
Empathic Machines with Michael InzlichtIn 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.--Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com 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 podcast@habitweekly.comThe song used is Murgatroyd by David Pizarro
--------
1:03:36
Building Moral AI with Jana Schaich Borg
How Do You Build a Moral AI? with Jana Schaich BorgIn this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel are joined by Jana Schaich Borg, Associate Research Professor at Duke University and co-author of the book “Moral AI and How We Get There”. Together they explore one of the thorniest and most important questions in the AI age: How do you encode human morality into machines—and should you even try?Drawing from neuroscience, philosophy, and machine learning, Jana walks us through bottom-up and top-down approaches to moral alignment, why current models fall short, and how her team’s hybrid framework may offer a better path. Along the way, they dive into the messy nature of human values, the challenges of AI ethics in organizations, and how AI could help us become more moral—not just more efficient.This conversation blends practical tools with philosophical inquiry and leaves us with a cautiously hopeful perspective: that we can, and should, teach machines to care.— Topics Covered:What AI alignment really means (and why it’s so hard)Bottom-up vs. top-down moral AI systemsHow organizations get ethical AI wrong—and what to do insteadThe messy reality of human values and decision makingTranslational ethics and the need for AI KPIsPersonalizing AI to match your valuesWhen moral self-reflection becomes a design feature—Timestamps:00:00 Intro: AI Alignment — Mission Impossible?04:00 Why Moral AI Is So Hard (and Necessary)07:00 The “Spec” Story & Reinforcement Gone Wrong10:00 Anthropomorphizing AI — Helpful or Misleading?12:00 Introducing Jana & the Moral AI Project15:00 What “Moral AI” Really Means18:00 Interdisciplinary Collaboration (and Friction)21:00 Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Approaches27:00 Why Human Morality Is Messy31:00 Building a Hybrid Moral AI System41:00 Case Study: Kidney Donation Decisions47:00 From Models to Moral Reflection52:00 Embedding Ethics Inside Organizations56:00 Moral Growth Mindset & Training the Workforce01:03:00 Why Trust & Culture Matter Most01:06:00 Comparing AI Labs: OpenAI vs. Anthropic vs. Meta01:10:00 What We Still Don’t Know01:11:00 Quickfire: To AI or Not To AI01:16:00 Jana’s Most Controversial Take01:19:00 Can AI Make Us Better Humans?—🎧 Like this episode? Share it with a friend or leave us a review to help others discover the show.Let me know if you’d like an abridged version, pull quotes, or platform-specific text for Apple, Spotify, or LinkedIn.
--------
1:22:03
State of AI Risk with Peter Slattery
Understanding AI Risks with Peter SlatteryIn this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel are joined by Peter Slattery, behavioral scientist and lead researcher at MIT’s FutureTech lab, where he spearheads the groundbreaking AI Risk Repository project. Together, they dive into the complex and often overlooked risks of artificial intelligence—ranging from misinformation and malicious use to systemic failures and existential threats.Peter shares the intellectual and emotional journey behind categorizing over 1,000 documented AI risks, how his team built a risk taxonomy from 17,000+ sources, and why shared understanding and behavioral science are critical for navigating the future of AI.This one is a must-listen for anyone curious about AI safety, behavioral science, and the future of technology that’s moving faster than most of us can track.--LINKS:Peter's LinkedIn ProfileMIT FutureTech Lab: futuretech.mit.eduAI Risk Repository--Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com 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 podcast@habitweekly.comThe song used is Murgatroyd by David Pizarro
--------
1:09:57
Enter the AI Lab
Enter the AI Lab: Insights from LinkedIn Polls and AI Literature ReviewsIn this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Samuel Salzer and Aline Holzwarth explore how AI is shaping behavioral design processes—from discovery to testing. They revisit insights from past LinkedIn polls, analyzing audience perspectives on which phases of behavioral design are best suited for AI augmentation and where human expertise remains crucial.The discussion then shifts to AI-driven literature reviews, comparing the effectiveness of various AI tools for synthesizing research. Samuel and Aline assess the strengths and weaknesses of different platforms, diving into key performance metrics like quality, speed, and cost, and debating the risks of over-reliance on AI-generated research without human oversight.The episode also introduces Nuance’s AI Lab, highlighting upcoming projects focused on AI-driven behavioral science innovations. The conversation concludes with a Behavioral Redesign series case study on Peloton, offering a fresh take on how AI and behavioral insights can reshape product experiences.If you're interested in the intersection of AI, behavioral science, and research methodologies, this episode is packed with insights on where AI is excelling—and where caution is needed.LINKS:Nuance AI Lab: WebsiteTIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction and Recap of Last Year's AI Polls06:27 AI's Strengths in Literature Review15:12 Emerging AI Tools for Research19:31 Evaluating AI Tools for Literature Reviews23:57 Comparing Chinese and American AI Tools26:01 Evaluating Literature Review Outputs28:12 Critical Analysis and Human Oversight35:19 The Worst Performing Model37:21 Introducing Nuance's AI Lab38:51 Behavioral Redesign Series: Peloton Example45:21 Podcast Highlights and Future Guests--Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com 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 podcast@habitweekly.comThe song used is Murgatroyd by David Pizarro
How can we change behavior in practice? What role does AI have to play in behavioral design? Listen in as hosts Samuel Salzer and Aline Holzwarth speak with leading experts on all things behavioral science, AI, design, and beyond. The Behavioral Design Podcast from Habit Weekly and Nuance Behavior provides a fun and engaging way to learn about applied behavioral science and how to design for behavior change in practice. The latest season explores the fascinating intersection of Behavioral Design and AI. Subscribe and follow! For questions or to get in touch, email podcast@habitweekly.com.
Ireland