The Human Protocol Podcast Episode Archive

Browse every episode of The Human Protocol Podcast: conversations with leaders, founders, executives, and thinkers on AI, technology, leadership, and humanity.

  1. Episode 58: AI Is Killing Our Ability to Think | Will leach Behavioral AI Expert

    · with William Leach

    AI can make us faster, more productive, and better at expressing our ideas. But what happens when we let it do the thinking for us? On The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon speaks with Will Leach about the risk of outsourcing our judgment to AI. They explore why people naturally choose the path of least resistance, why AI-generated consumer research can miss what people actually do, and how a plausible answer can become dangerous when we lack the experience to challenge it. They also discuss AI-generated content, the future of marketing, behavioral AI, ethical persuasion, and the human skills that may matter most in an AI-driven world: curiosity, empathy, experience, and judgment. IN THIS EPISODE: How AI can augment thinking or contribute to cognitive atrophy Why humans naturally choose the easiest path The "say-do gap" in consumer behavior Why AI-generated customer personas can be misleading How AI can make content faster but less distinctive Why human judgment is still essential What behavioral AI does differently How psychology and social science help explain customer decisions Why understanding people may become a competitive advantage The importance of curiosity, empathy, and real-world experience YOUTUBE CHAPTERS 00:00 - The Danger of Letting AI Do Our Thinking 01:31 - What Drives Our Everyday Decisions? 05:25 - Why Humans Take the Path of Least Resistance 09:21 - Is Mental Efficiency the Same as Laziness? 12:35 - Why Rest Affects Decision-Making 15:30 - When Your Identity Makes Rest Feel Wrong 17:43 - AI Research and the Consumer Insight Problem 19:10 - The Say-Do Gap: What People Say vs. Do 22:43 - Will the Next Generation Lose Judgment? 26:29 - Why We Trust AI Even When It Gets Things Wrong 28:24 - Is AI-Generated Content Becoming Generic? 32:16 - How AI Can Make Your Thinking Better 35:59 - What Makes Behavioral AI Different? 39:49 - The Ethics of Using Psychology to Persuade 46:21 - The New Competitive Moat: Understanding People 49:17 - The Skills Leaders and Marketers Will Need 51:24 - How AI Could Slow the Development of Experience 54:28 - Why People Abandon Their Own Goals 56:07 - Where to Follow Will Leach About Will Leach Will Leach works at the intersection of behavioral science, marketing, and behavioral AI. In this episode, he discusses his career studying why people make the decisions they do, his experience leading insights at PepsiCo, his teaching work, and his work helping organizations apply behavioral science to business decisions. Connect with Will Leach: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-leach/ https://mindstategroup.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-riverside Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://dub.sh/thp-newsletter-riverside

  2. Episode 57: 1,588 AI Disasters Nobody Is Talking About | Latha Karthigaa,

    · with Latha Karthiga Murugesan

    Everyone is talking about what AI can do. Far fewer people are talking about what happens when AI gets it wrong. @Latha-ai-governance PhD, runs the Global AI Certification Council and publishes daily breakdowns of real-world AI incidents, looking at what went wrong, why it happened, and how it could have been prevented. In this episode of The Human Protocol, she takes Mykel Salomon through some of the most disturbing examples she has uncovered. From a Dutch childcare benefits algorithm that contributed to families losing homes and children being placed in foster care, to AI falsely accusing a Yale student of cheating, to chatbots giving dangerous advice, the conversation shows what happens when AI systems make decisions without sufficient human oversight. Latha also explains why AI governance isn't simply bureaucracy slowing innovation down. She compares governance to the guardrails on a highway: they allow organizations to move faster because the boundaries are clear. The conversation moves from today's AI failures into tomorrow's risks, including autonomous AI agents, prompt injection, deepfakes, misinformation, and the difficulty of knowing what AI systems are doing when thousands of agents operate inside an organization. The bigger question isn't whether AI will fail. It's whether we're learning from the failures that have already happened. YOUTUBE CHAPTERS Time Chapter 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Why AI incidents matter 02:38 The 1,588 AI incident database 04:10 AI failures before ChatGPT 05:35 The hidden cost of AI mistakes 07:05 AI and the future of jobs 08:30 When AI gets people wrong 10:05 The student accused of cheating 12:00 Why AI output is not evidence 13:42 AI governance vs. AI hype 15:20 The Dutch childcare benefits scandal 18:05 How algorithmic bias becomes real harm 20:10 What happens when models drift 22:05 AI systems and accountability 24:00 Agentic AI changes the risk 26:10 When AI can take actions 28:15 Prompt injection explained 30:00 The $1 Chevy Tahoe incident 32:05 How attackers manipulate AI 34:10 Deepfakes and trust 36:00 The $25M deepfake fraud 38:20 Why humans still get fooled 40:10 AI regulation and governance 42:00 What organizations should document 44:05 Human oversight in high-stakes systems 46:00 The problem with unknown unknowns 48:05 We do not know what we do not know 49:30 How businesses should approach AI 51:05 Where AI should not replace humans 52:50 Building better governance 54:10 Advice for AI leaders 55:25 What responsible AI looks like 56:40 The human role in an AI future 58:05 Final thoughts 59:15 Closing 59:56 End ABOUT THE GUEST Latha Karthigaa, PhD is Director and Head of AI Governance at the Global AI Certification Council (GAICC). GAICC focuses on AI governance, certification, training, and professional development, including work aligned with ISO/IEC 42001. Latha holds a PhD in Software Engineering from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, awarded in 2017. She founded an AI and marketing consulting firm in 2019 and has built and led AI solutions for finance and legal firms across the USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. In this episode, Latha brings a governance-focused lens to real AI incidents, helping explain how failures happen, why they can scale quickly, and what organizations should do to build stronger controls and human oversight. Guest social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/global.aicertification.council YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Latha-ai-governance LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathakarthigaa/ GAICC: https://gaicc.org/ AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always. Roadmap: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-riverside The Human Protocol Newsletter Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future. Newsletter: https://dub.sh/thp-newsletter-riverside

  3. Episode 56: Why AI Is Way More Expensive Than Companies Expected | Mala Kumar

    · with Mala Kumar

    Everyone is counting the jobs AI will destroy. Almost no one is counting the jobs it is creating. In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon sits down with Mala Kumar, Executive Director of @HumaneIntelligence to talk about one of the fastest growing of those new categories: human-centered AI evaluation. Mala explains why building with generative AI is closer to carving stone than stacking bricks, what AI red teamers actually do all day, and why the traits that make a great evaluator are creativity, languages, and lived experience rather than a PhD. They also get into why treating human judgment as overhead is shortsighted, why a truly comprehensive AI evaluation can run to $5 million, and where AI should be deployed first. This one is for anyone worried about their job, curious about a career shift, or leading AI adoption inside an organization. The real cost of AI is far higher than most companies expected, and Mala Kumar, Executive Director of Humane Intelligence, explains why on The Human Protocol with Mykel Salomon. From data centers and subsidized tokens to data annotation and AI evaluations that can run to $5 million, Mala breaks down the hidden cost of AI adoption and the trade-off business leaders face between training the machine and training their people. We also get into what an AI evaluator does, how AI red teaming works, why human in the loop AI has to be designed in from day one, AI bias, and the new AI jobs being created. In this episode: - The $5 million question: evaluate the machine or train the human? - Why AI is costing companies far more than they planned - Why human judgment is AI infrastructure, not overhead - What an AI evaluator actually does, and the skills that make a good one - Where AI should go first, from Mala's UNICEF work in Burundi - How one missing data category creates AI bias - Mala's career advice for anyone worried about AI and jobs ABOUT THE GUEST Mala Kumar is Executive Director of Humane Intelligence, a nonprofit that helps organizations evaluate AI systems for bias, hallucination, and harm. She previously led AI safety program management at MLCommons, served as Director of Tech for Social Good at GitHub, and spent the first decade of her career building technology for international development with the UN, including maternal health work with UNICEF in Burundi and advising the World Health Organization. She is also a published novelist based in New York City. Connect with Mala Kumar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malakumar/ Website: https://malakumar.com Humane Intelligence: https://humane-intelligence.org Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #FutureOfWork #AIEvaluation #TheHumanProtocol

  4. Episode 55: AI Is About To Leave The Screen. Who Gets To Drive It? | Hans Peter Brøndmo, Former Google X Robotic

    · with Hans Peter Brøndmo

    Hans Peter Brøndmo, led Google X's Everyday Robots moonshot factory for seven years. Most conversations about AI stop at the screen. This one starts where the screen ends. Hans Peter Brøndmo spent seven years at Google X trying to answer a question nobody had solved: how do you build a machine that can live alongside people rather than behind a factory cage? His answer reframes the whole field. You cannot program a robot to live amongst us, you have to teach it. From there the conversation opens outward, into demographics, policy, aging parents, and the New Deal. Brøndmo argues that the AI debate has narrowed to safety legislation and the future of work, and that both are a sliver of something far larger: a societal transition on the scale of the industrial revolution, compressed into a fraction of the time, hitting eight and a half billion people instead of one billion. If you want the version of this conversation that is neither doom nor hype, this is it. Hans Peter Brøndmo led Everyday Robots, Google X's AI and robotics moonshot, for seven years. On this episode of The Human Protocol he explains what happens when AI stops living on a screen and starts making decisions in the real world, and asks the only question he thinks actually matters: who gets to drive this? Host Mykel Salomon and Hans Peter Brøndmo go past AI safety legislation and the future of work debate into the thing underneath both: an AI society. They cover embodied AI and general purpose robotics, why the cognitive revolution may hit ten times harder than the industrial revolution in one tenth the time, China's move to ban romantic relationships with AI and its population collapse, robots in elder care and aging populations, and why humanist principles might be the missing platform in AI policy. Chapters: 00:00:00 "Hans-Peter, where are the robots?" 00:02:18 Inside Google X's robotics moonshot 00:04:17 You can't program a robot, you teach it 00:08:15 This is bigger than the future of work 00:12:28 The AI hurricane heading for landfall 00:17:59 China's law against falling in love with AI 00:21:33 Even Sundar can't explain how Google works 00:24:01 What the New Deal actually got right 00:29:28 Congress still doesn't understand the internet 00:31:33 The population cliff nobody is planning for 00:37:06 His mother, and what dignity really means 00:43:07 Fear is being weaponized 00:49:11 The values exercise he runs twice a year 00:57:30 The book, and advice to his younger self 01:01:06 Closing thoughts About the guest Hans Peter Brøndmo is a serial technology entrepreneur who joined Google X in January 2016 and went on to founded and lead Everyday Robots, the moonshot that bet on AI as the path to general-purpose robotics years before large language models made that bet look obvious. He has founded and sold companies, advises startups, and is writing a book on what it means to be human in the age of intelligent machines. He grew up in Norway and is based in San Francisco. Connect with Hans Peter Brøndmo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanspeter/ Website: https://www.brondmo.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  5. Episode 54: The Only People Who Actually Beat AI | Dr Vivienne Ming

    · with Dr Vivienne Ming

    Most conversations about AI start with the same question: “What can I do that a machine can't?” Dr Vivienne Ming argues that this is the wrong question. There is no single magic skill that will remain permanently “robot-proof.” If humans can clearly define a task and determine what the right answer looks like, machines will increasingly become better, faster, and cheaper at performing it. Instead, we need to focus on the deeper qualities that make people uniquely capable. Drawing on research involving 122 million people, Vivienne explains how qualities such as curiosity, resilience, fluid intelligence, and perspective-taking can be more meaningful predictors of positive life outcomes than traditional credentials or individual technical skills. That insight becomes even more important in the age of AI. Vivienne describes an experiment in which humans were asked to make meaningful predictions alongside AI systems. Some participants simply automated their thinking. Others kept a human in the loop but relied heavily on the AI's reasoning. The strongest performers were a small group Vivienne calls “cyborgs.” These people didn't simply accept AI answers. They combined the machine's capabilities with their own reasoning, curiosity, and judgment. The result was something neither human nor AI could achieve alone: hybrid intelligence. But there is a serious warning. AI can make us dramatically more capable — while simultaneously encouraging us to think less. Chapters • 00:00 AI, human potential, and the future of humanity • 01:45 The wrong question about becoming “robot-proof” • 02:39 Why there is no single magic skill • 04:05 The brutal truth about what AI can already do • 06:44 What 122 million people taught us about human potential • 08:39 The deeper human qualities that predict success • 10:09 Why curiosity may matter more than technical skills • 13:38 Why you can't learn curiosity from a lecture • 16:02 Why we don't really know ourselves • 18:43 The experiment that changed children's curiosity • 20:58 Why the wrong question can be more valuable than the right answer • 21:48 Can AI predict the future better than humans? • 24:11 Hybrid intelligence: humans and machines together • 25:06 The danger of outsourcing your brain to AI • 26:30 The “cyborgs” who beat both humans and AI • 28:29 The human qualities that make AI collaboration work • 30:19 Are brain interfaces the future of hybrid intelligence? • 32:22 Building an actual human-machine cyborg • 33:49 Neuroprosthetics and human augmentation • 34:19 Can we increase working memory? • 37:15 What happens when AI merges with the human brain? • 40:19 Why we should never automate away creativity • 41:25 Will machines eventually control us? • 42:00 AI knows everything — but does it understand? • 45:20 The hidden danger of AI making us think alike • 46:50 Our greatest advantage may be the crazy idea • 49:11 Finding the balance between human and machine intelligence • 51:16 Can AI make people better over time? • 54:12 Socrates: the AI that refuses to give you answers • 55:40 What happens when AI teaches instead of answers? • 57:40 The future of AI benchmarks • 58:43 “I want to build better people” • 59:28 Purpose, meaning, and human potential • 01:03:18 The most human thing Vivienne has ever built • 01:05:10 Using AI to make ourselves more human About the Guest Dr. Vivienne Ming is a theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, AI researcher, and author working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and human potential. Her work has explored machine learning, human cognition, neuroprosthetics, education, healthcare, workforce technology, and hybrid intelligence. She has built AI systems to address deeply human problems, including developing an AI system for her son's diabetes and working on technology designed to reunite refugee children with their extended families. Her book Robot-Proof explores what humans need to develop as machines become increasingly capable. Her work ultimately comes back to one question: How can technology make us more human — not less? Connect with Vivienne Ming LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivienneming/ SOCOS Labs: https://www.socos.org/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  6. Episode 53: Why Cutting Costs With AI Will Put You Out of Business with Steve Brown

    · with Steve Brown

    Steve Brown is an AI futurist and keynote speaker who gave 55 talks across three continents last year, spent ten plus years at Intel Labs, and served as an in-house futurist at Google DeepMind in London. His new book is The AI Ultimatum. Every company is racing to use AI to cut costs, and Steve Brown thinks most of them are about to lose the one thing they cannot get back: their people, their culture, and the reason anyone chose them in the first place. In this conversation with Mykel Salomon, Steve makes the case that AI is not another tool out of the IT department. It is the first technology in fifty years that rewards labor amplification over labor substitution, and the leaders who reach for the old efficiency playbook will end up indistinguishable from their competitors, competing on nothing but price. From there it gets practical. Steve lays out his three phases of AI transformation, the offload, elevate and extend framework for splitting work between humans and machines, and the one metric he tells every CEO to stop worshipping. He also goes into the hard constraints nobody can spend their way past, watts and wafers, why he does not believe there is an AI bubble, the shift toward good-enough and open-weight models, and the training data experiment that turned a blackmailing AI into a well-behaved one. For CEOs, boards, operators and anyone who has been handed an AI strategy to write this quarter, this is the version of the conversation that goes past the headlines. Chapters 00:00 The one thing AI can cost you that you cannot get back 01:44 The biggest misunderstanding leaders have about AI 04:43 Company A, B and C: the race to the bottom on price 07:14 Winning the Super Bowl 30 times with the wrong playbook 08:44 From managing scarcity to leading in abundance 11:33 Dividing the work: machines do it, humans decide what is worth doing 13:14 Deputized as a futurist: the two questions that matter 16:29 Hollywood, The Terminator and the AI that turned to blackmail 19:02 Training AI to be better than us 21:32 The metric leaders should stop chasing 23:18 Offload, elevate, extend: building superhuman teams 26:36 Collapsing the constraints of money and time 28:26 Nobody actually likes change 29:23 Why the book is called The AI Ultimatum 31:35 The three phases of AI transformation 35:09 Why phase one took one company two full years 37:38 The dot-com parallel and the 25 year transformation 39:38 Good-enough computing and the shift to open weights 42:12 Watts and wafers: the real limit on AI 44:09 Why Steve does not believe in an AI bubble 45:39 China, open weights and recursive self-improvement 48:58 Which AI tools Steve actually uses 50:03 Advice to a younger Steve starting out today About the guest Steve Brown is an AI futurist, keynote speaker and author who works with boards and leadership teams on AI transformation. He spent over a decade at Intel, including Intel Labs, and was later an in-house futurist at Google DeepMind in London. Last year he delivered 55 talks across three continents. His book, The AI Ultimatum, argues that leaders have no choice about embracing AI, and no excuse for doing it irresponsibly. Connect with Steve Brown Website : https://www.stevebrown.ai Book - The AI Ultimatum : https://a.co/d/02PkQvjc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futuresteve/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  7. Episode 52: Why Neuroscientist refuses brain transplant with Dr Marcelo Bigliassi

    · with Marcelo Bigliassi

    Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi, neuroscientist at Florida International University and Chief Scientist at NeuroSmart Mykel Salomon sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi with a real human brain on the table between them, and asks the question everyone is circling around: if brain chips became mass available tomorrow, would you get one? The answer is a flat no, and the reason has nothing to do with the technology. Bigliassi spends his days building machine learning models of the brain, so when he says the organ running your life cannot be replicated, it comes from the data side of the argument, not the sentimental one. Along the way he explains what stress actually is and how to run its four phases, why brain size has nothing to do with intelligence, why he thinks the PhD itself is at risk, and why the single biggest threat of AI is not job loss but something he calls rationale building. If you have ever wondered whether the machines are catching up to us, this hour is the reality check. YouTube chapters 00:00 The Question Nobody Answers Honestly 01:38 Meet Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi 02:51 What Is The Human Brain? 04:54 Good Stress vs Bad Stress 07:39 The Four Phases Of The Stress Cycle 09:57 Does Brain Size Mean Intelligence? 13:13 It Runs 24/7 On A Piece Of Steak 16:24 Brain Chips And Your Subconscious 19:19 Why AI Did Not Move The Curve 24:27 Why The PhD Is At Risk 26:09 How The Brain Adapts Within Hours 30:10 Gut Feelings And Why Bad Beats Good 34:09 Rationale Building, The Real Threat 40:03 What Your Sleep Score Gets Wrong 44:28 When AI Becomes Your Doctor 47:41 Pick Three Things, Drop The Rest 50:34 Social Media Is A Drug 54:39 Would You Put A Chip In Your Brain? 57:18 There Is Always A Cost 1:03:16 If You Need Motivation, Do Not Go 1:07:55 You Are Not Supposed To Feel Happy 1:12:13 Healthspan Over Lifespan 1:15:53 The Next Frontier In Brain Science 1:19:26 Final Message About the guest Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi is a newly tenured neuroscientist at Florida International University and Chief Scientist at NeuroSmart. His work sits at the intersection of psychophysiology and data science, decoding what happens inside the brain and body under stress, effort and performance using brain imaging, wearables, EEG and machine learning. He runs 30 plus studies across the globe and builds the neural network models in his own lab, which is what makes his skepticism about brain chips worth hearing: he is not an outsider warning about AI, he is one of the people building it. recovered, and why the wearable is probably wrong. Connect with Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelo-bigliassi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigliassi/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  9. Episode 50: Why Your AI Problem Is Really a Leadership Problem with Minyang Jiang

    · with Minyang (MJ) Jiang

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Minyang Jiang, Chief Strategy Officer at fintech leader Credibly, to unpack why most AI rollouts fail before they even start. MJ makes the case that adopting AI is not a technology problem but a leadership and change management problem, and that the way you frame it decides everything. Call it cost-cutting, and your people hear layoffs. Call it growth and they start building with you. She shares hard-won lessons from years of leading AI transformation, including why she runs a "Skunk Works" innovation lab, why she expects most small AI projects to fail, and why real learning only happens through friction. If you lead a team and feel stuck on AI adoption, this conversation gives you a clearer, more human path forward. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why framing AI as cost-cutting quietly destroys employee trust, and what to say instead - What "lazy leadership" looks like and the three ways leaders fall into it - Why cost savings alone is a weak strategy that any competitor can copy - How to build AI culture through small teams, real projects, and permission to fail - Why AI adds complexity instead of just automating, and what that means for your people - The metrics that actually matter for AI, including learning and proficiency, not just output Chapters 0:00 — AI-first strategy vs. real company strategy 0:59 — Why leaders resist AI: unclear purpose and low trust 2:26 — “Lazy leadership” and what it really means 6:04 — Empowering teams vs. mandating AI 7:34 — Why cost-cutting alone is a weak AI strategy 11:03 — Honest leadership and building AI strategy from culture 12:30 — AI adds complexity, not just automation 16:35 — Managing agents vs. monitoring anomalies 19:01 — The hidden work of learning AI 24:21 — How to measure AI learning, not just output 26:40 — Free access, experimentation, and learning what AI is for 30:12 — Skunk Works, culture, and four years of iteration 39:43 — How AI changed the work of junior and senior engineers 43:23 — Why AI may increase demand for originality 45:31 — Efficiency vs. differentiation in AI adoption 48:27 — What trust looks like operationally with AI 53:20 — Advice for individuals learning AI 54:13 — What CEOs should stop doing immediately 55:00 — What policymakers should focus on 56:24 — Advice to a younger generation learning in the AI era Connect with Minyang Jiang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minyang-jiang-6981a148/ Website: https://www.credibly.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #AIAdoption #DigitalTransformation #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AI #AIPodcast #Leadership #Technology #Robotics #Neuroscience #HumanCenteredAI #TechLeadership #AIandHumanity

  10. Episode 49: Your Expertise Is an Asset — Here’s How to Monetize It with Dan Pratl

    · with Dan Pratl

    In a world where anyone can generate a resume, a portfolio, a voice, or a whole reputation in seconds, the real question is no longer who can produce something, but who can prove it. In this episode, Mykel Salomon sits down with Dan Pratl, founder and CEO of Quadrant, to talk about why verification is becoming the most valuable resource we have. Drawing on a career that spans the SEC, open source software, crowdfunding, and crypto, along with a personal medical crisis that exposed how broken incentives fail real people, Dan makes the case that expertise is now an asset class. He explains how portable, verified proof of your work could replace the dying resume, why our intellectual property systems no longer fit the AI era, and how a bottoms-up approach can let individuals own and monetize their credibility instead of handing it to centralized platforms. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why "who can produce it" is being replaced by "who can prove it" as AI floods the world with high-quality noise - How treating expertise as an asset class lets people own, control, and get paid for their credibility - Why the resume and old-style social proof (ex-Google, ex-Meta, top schools) are losing their meaning - How gradual disclosure and trade secrets can protect creators before ideas ever reach the patent stage - Why trust has to be portable to work as a real market, instead of being locked inside platforms like LinkedIn or Upwork - What individuals, companies, and policymakers should start doing now to prepare for verified expertise Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the future of trust and verification 00:16 The reliance on resumes and AI's role in judgment 01:14 Guest introduction: Dan Pratt and his background 02:10 Dan Pratt's career journey and the origins of Quadrim 03:05 Building the next era of value with intention 04:34 Personal story: Healthcare crisis and system failures 07:25 Quadrim's approach to proving expertise as an asset class 09:28 Infrastructure for capturing and sharing work 11:55 Monetizing expertise and creating an open market 12:52 Verification as a trust-building mechanism in the future 15:48 AI's impact on verification and trust systems 19:19 The importance of human judgment and reputation 22:21 The failure of traditional IP systems in the AI era 36:33 Secrets, trade secrets, and structured disclosure 39:53 Building new architectures for trust and decentralization 44:52 Advice for individuals on proving and protecting expertise 46:55 Policy recommendations and future considerations Connect with Dan Pratl: Website: https://quadron.tech/ X: https://x.com/QuadronAI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpratl/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #CareerGrowth #AIforEveryone #FutureOfWork #AIAdoption #DigitalTransformation #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AI #AIPodcast #Leadership #Technology #Robotics #Neuroscience #HumanCenteredAI #TechLeadership #AIandHumanity

  11. Episode 48: AI Makes Everyone Average. A Harvard Scientist on Staying Irreplaceable

    · with Alexandra Samuel

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Harvard-trained social scientist and technologist Alexandra Samuel to explore a fresh take on AI at work, one that skips the fear and the hype. Alexandra shares how the technology finally caught up to a prediction she made 30 years ago, why the real story of AI is about people and economics rather than the tools themselves, and how the neurodiversity movement offers a powerful lens for understanding our own strengths. The conversation gets refreshingly honest about the pull of AI, from late-night vibe coding sessions to the strange joy of doing twelve things at once, and lands on practical habits for staying grounded, embodied, and true to yourself. If you have ever wondered how to use AI as a real collaborator without losing what makes you human, this one is for you. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the biggest questions about AI are about economics and human behavior, not the technology itself - How to find your "off center" human skills, the places where you sit far from the middle of the curve and can't be replaced by a machine - What the neurodiversity movement teaches all of us about working with different kinds of brains and thinking styles - How AI can pull you out of your body and why that embodied awareness matters for creativity and well-being - Three simple habits for a healthier relationship with AI: set a clear intention, notice what is happening in your body, and pack your week with real human connection - What Alexandra wants policymakers to actually do before making decisions about the future of AI Chapters 00:00 The Human Protocol: Embracing AI for a Human Workplace 01:53 The Evolution of Technology and Human Connection 05:11 Patterns in Technology: Optimism vs. Reality 09:47 Intentionality in AI: Designing for Humanity 12:22 Defining Human Experience: What Should We Keep? 16:43 AI as a Collaborator: Changing Perceptions 19:10 Democratization of AI: Access and Opportunity 21:30 Human Skills in the Age of AI: Beyond Interpersonal Skills 22:30 Understanding Human Skills in the Age of AI 24:58 Leveraging AI for Creativity Without Losing Humanity 26:53 The Impact of AI on Well-Being and Creativity 34:45 Navigating AI Use: Habits for Healthy Engagement 37:40 Policy Recommendations for AI Safeguards 40:53 Advice for the Next Generation in an AI World Connect with Alexandra Samuel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awsamuel/ Website: https://www.alexandrasamuel.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #CareerGrowth #AIforEveryone #FutureOfWork #AIAdoption #DigitalTransformation #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AI #AIPodcast #Leadership #Technology #Robotics #Neuroscience #HumanCenteredAI #TechLeadership #AIandHumanity

  12. Episode 47: Your Wisdom Is Your Superpower Against AI w/ Ted Yang

    · with Ted Yang

    In this episode, Mykel Salomon sits down with Ted Yang, MIT engineer, entrepreneur, former finance executive at Bridgewater and Citadel, and author of Ageless Peak Performance. Together they challenge the popular story that AI is here to replace people. Ted makes the case that AI is a cognitive tool built by humans that can actually extend your best years rather than end your career. They explore why raw speed peaks in your twenties but judgment keeps growing with age, why experience may be the ultimate AI advantage, and how anyone can move from casually poking at chatbots to truly adopting AI as a teammate. The conversation covers mentorship, education, job displacement, and the difference between doing more and doing better. The big takeaway is simple: it's early, no one is an expert yet, and it's not too late to start. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why your judgment and experience become more valuable with AI, not less, since raw speed fades but wisdom and pattern recognition grow with time - The difference between using AI to get answers versus using it to actually learn, and why one makes you weaker while the other makes you sharper - How to shift from being a casual AI user to a real AI adopter who works with the tool like a teammate - Why peak performance in the AI age is about quality and intention, not just producing more output - How AI can act as a personal mentor and tutor that is available around the clock, patient with your questions, and customized to how you learn - Practical, low pressure ways to get started even if you feel behind, intimidated, or worried about looking foolish Chapters 00:00 The Danger of Misusing Tools and Human Agency 00:22 AI Revolution and Its Impact on White-Collar Work 00:55 Introduction to Human Protocol and Performance in the AI Era 01:25 The Concept of Ageless Peak Performance 03:49 How AI Changes the Performance Curve 05:13 AI as a Cognitive Enhancer for Smarter Performance 06:06 Extending the Best Years with AI 07:01 The Role of AI in Maintaining Youthful Performance 08:15 Changing Career Arcs and the Future of Work 09:08 AI and Job Displacement: Myths and Realities 11:02 Using AI as a Mentoring and Learning Tool 12:25 AI as an Equalizer in Mentorship and Education 13:30 The Evolving Nature of Human-AI Collaboration 15:11 AI as a Tool for Cognitive Extension 16:18 The Trade-offs of Technological Advancement 17:19 Personalized Learning and AI Tutoring 19:26 The Protocol and Discipline of AI Use 21:17 Becoming an AI Adopter and Superpower Development 23:05 Transforming Leadership and Organizational Structures 24:25 Starting with Experimentation and Building Confidence 28:47 Experience as the Ultimate AI Advantage 33:11 Balancing Speed and Judgment in Performance 40:44 Redefining Human Performance in the AI Age 44:29 The Role of Authenticity and Quality in Communication 46:09 The Illusion of Quantity and the Value of Quality 53:27 Rethinking Education for the AI Era 55:10 The Evolution of Work and Education Models 57:37 Advice to Younger Self: Embrace Opportunities and Learning 59:41 How to Connect with Ted Yan Connect with Ted Yang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedsensei/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #CareerGrowth #AIforEveryone #FutureOfWork #AIAdoption #DigitalTransformation #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AI #AIPodcast #Leadership #Technology #Robotics #Neuroscience #HumanCenteredAI #TechLeadership #AIandHumanity

  13. Episode 46: The Real Reason AI Projects Backfire in Organizations

    · with Ryan Drumheller

    AI is moving fast, but most companies are failing to adopt it well, and the reason usually has nothing to do with the technology itself. In this episode, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Ryan Drumheller, a 20-year IT veteran and founder of StellarHorn Group, to talk about what leaders are getting wrong about AI adoption and why it always comes back to people. Ryan shares real stories from the field about companies that rushed AI rollouts without a strategy, tied it to employee KPIs, or used it as cover to cut costs, and why those decisions backfire. They dig into why communication, trust, and involving your team early make or break AI adoption, and why bad leadership gets exposed faster than ever in this new era. If you're a leader trying to figure out how to bring AI into your organization without losing your people along the way, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why AI adoption fails most often because of people problems, not technology problems - What leaders consistently underestimate about rolling out AI in their organization - Why forcing AI adoption through KPIs backfires and how to build real buy-in instead - How to identify your internal AI champions and why involving them early changes everything - Why clean data and a clear governance plan matter more than which AI tool you pick - How bad leadership is getting exposed faster in the AI era, and what to do about it Chapters 00:00 AI exposes leadership gaps 00:07 The necessity of human leadership in AI 00:29 Leadership clarity influences AI adoption 02:03 Ryan's background in IT and leadership 03:24 The importance of strategic AI implementation 06:08 Common misconceptions about AI handling everything 07:28 The dangers of rushing AI deployment 08:19 Strategy is key to successful AI projects 10:32 Clear communication reduces fear of AI 12:15 Treat AI projects as human-centric initiatives 13:07 The pitfalls of 'set it and forget it' approach 15:08 The importance of organizational preparation 16:02 Managing change and human reactions 17:11 Addressing fears and resistance to AI 19:08 The high failure rate of AI projects 20:04 The impact of leadership on AI success 21:43 The role of communication in AI adoption 23:11 The risks of short-term thinking in AI 25:22 Leading with transparency and trust 28:58 AI as an amplifier of human capability 34:05 Bridging the leadership gap in AI transition 36:45 The importance of continuous management post-implementation 53:00 Advice to a younger self about AI Connect with Ryan Drumheller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-drumheller/ Website: https://www.stellarhorn.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  14. Episode 45: Why Founders Become the Bottleneck—and How to Scale Past It | Blake Erickson

    · with Blake Erickson

    Most companies don't fail because demand disappears, but because the founder and the systems cannot handle the growth they worked so hard to create. Blake Erickson, co-founder of Scaling.com and co-author of The Science of Scaling, joins Mykel Salomon to explain the difference between growth and scale, and why founders often become the bottleneck inside their own business. Blake shares lessons from door-to-door sales, product-market fit, leverage, leadership, trust, and exponential growth. The episode is a practical conversation for founders and operators who want to move from doing everything themselves to building the capacity, people, systems, and focus required to scale. CHAPTERS 00:00 Growth is not the same as scale 01:48 What door-to-door sales teaches about people and discipline 05:31 Why selling remains a human advantage 06:09 Growth vs. scale 08:22 Why 2-to-10 can be easier than 2-to-3 10:18 What revenue really proves about product-market fit 11:44 The 80/20 rule for scaling a business 12:35 Why founders become the bottleneck 15:25 From company engine to company architect Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #Entrepreneurship #Scaling #Leadership #Founders

  15. Episode 44: The AI Capability Gap: Why Humans Are Falling Behind | James Garner

    · with James Garner

    AI is advancing faster than most people and organizations are learning how to use it. In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon talks with James Garner about the widening AI capability gap—the divide between what artificial intelligence can do and what humans are ready to understand, adopt, trust, and apply. James explains why this technology shift is different from earlier waves, what happens as AI moves beyond chatbots into agents and orchestration, and why the biggest risk may be leaving people behind. The conversation explores AI literacy, education, responsibility, adoption, and the practical steps leaders can take to build human capability alongside increasingly powerful systems. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN • What the AI capability gap is and why it is widening • Why AI adoption is moving faster than human learning and readiness • How the shift from chatbots to AI agents raises the learning curve • Why the capability gap affects people across ages, industries, and roles • How fear, mixed institutional messages, and poor guidance slow adoption • Why AI literacy should focus on responsible use, not just technical skill • How leaders can help people build confidence and capability instead of falling behind CHAPTERS 00:00 The real risk: the human capability gap 01:13 James Garner’s path from construction to AI and data 04:07 What the AI capability gap actually means 06:28 Why AI agents raise the learning curve 08:34 The gap cuts across age groups and industries 11:12 Why institutions are sending mixed signals about AI 14:20 Using AI to deepen learning instead of replacing it 15:26 Responsibility and AI literacy ABOUT THE GUEST James Garner is an AI and data leader working at the intersection of real-world operations, AI deployment, agent orchestration, and organizational adoption. With a background outside traditional technology roles, he brings a practical perspective on how companies and individuals can close the gap between rapidly advancing AI capabilities and human readiness. Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #AILiteracy #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AIAgents

  16. Episode 43: AI, Content Repurposing, and Building Community with Ben Albert

    · with Ben Albert

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with marketer and podcaster Ben Albert to talk about staying human while building with AI. Ben shares how he beat content burnout by repurposing years of his own work into a simple daily email, why he believes community is the one strategy AI cannot replace, and how he turns conference keynotes and podcast episodes into custom songs to boost memory and connection. The conversation moves from practical AI workflows to bigger questions about creativity, trust, and what creators should protect most in a world where almost anything can be faked. In this episode, you'll learn: - How to repurpose your existing content into a consistent, low effort newsletter instead of always chasing new ideas - Why building a real community beats chasing likes and viral posts on social media - A step by step way to turn talks and podcasts into songs that help people remember your message - How to let AI handle the heavy lifting of writing while your own voice and ideas stay at the center - Why your flaws and small mistakes are part of what makes you human and worth following - What creators, tech leaders, and policy makers should each focus on as AI keeps moving fast Chapters 00:00 The Power of Community in Content Creation 02:54 Navigating AI and Content Repurposing 06:05 Building Trust Through Community Engagement 09:03 AI as a Tool for Content Efficiency 12:00 The Intersection of AI and Music 17:45 Creativity and Authenticity in the Age of AI 28:00 Protecting Human Creativity and Community 35:56 Advice for Navigating the Future with AI Connect with Ben Albert LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realbenalbert/ Website: https://realbusinessconnections.com/ Connect with Mykel Salomon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykelsalomon/ Website: https://thehumanprotocolgroup.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  17. Episode 42: Why Ambition Without Gratitude Leads to Burnout | Jack Wagoner

    · with Jack Wagoner

    vWhy can achievement look successful on paper and still feel empty? In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon sits down with Jack Wagoner to explore the hidden cost of ambition without gratitude—and why high performers can burn out even while they appear to be winning. Jack shares how his own experience as a high-achieving teenager, entrepreneur, and podcast host forced him to rethink success, fulfillment, dopamine, presence, and the pressure to keep chasing the next milestone. The conversation offers a practical, human-first way to pursue meaningful growth without making achievement the price of feeling enough. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN • Why achievement and fulfillment are not the same thing • How high performers get trapped in a cycle of chasing the next win • Why dopamine and instant gratification can distort our definition of success • How gratitude and ambition can coexist without creating complacency • Why presence matters when you are constantly focused on the next milestone • How to recognize when your goals are driven by identity, pressure, or expectation • A healthier framework for pursuing growth without burning out CHAPTERS 00:00 Why achievement can still feel empty 01:30 Jack Wagoner’s story and the gratitude + ambition framework 03:43 The gap between achievement and fulfillment 07:33 Why high performers keep chasing the next win 09:48 Ambition without burnout 13:00 Presence, gratitude, and enjoying where you are 15:16 Why you can be dissatisfied and still grateful ABOUT THE GUEST Jack Wagoner is the host of The Grateful Podcast and a speaker focused on the relationship between gratitude, ambition, performance, and fulfillment. After experiencing success at a young age without the sense of fulfillment he expected, he began studying how high achievers can pursue meaningful goals while still appreciating the life they have now. Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #Burnout #Leadership #Gratitude #HighPerformance

  18. Episode 41: Science Under Attack: Can We Rebuild Public Trust? | Pres., NY Academy of Sciences

    · with Nicholas B. Dirks

    When trust in science declines, society doesn't become freer. It becomes more fragile. In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Nicholas B. Dirks, President & CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences and former Chancellor of UC Berkeley, to examine why public confidence in science and expertise has eroded, and what it will take to rebuild it. From the long American history of skepticism toward science to the communication breakdowns of the COVID era, the rise of AI-fueled misinformation, and the real-world fallout of frozen research funding, Dirks makes the case that science is not a fixed set of truths but a deeply human process of discovery, one that earns trust through humility, transparency, and connection rather than dogma. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why distrust in science isn't a new phenomenon, and how it has resurfaced in roughly 20 to 30 year cycles throughout American history, from the Scopes trial to today. - What the "follow the science" messaging of early COVID got wrong, and why communicating the process of discovery builds more trust than declaring fixed facts. - How AI is accelerating both scientific breakthroughs and the spread of misinformation, and why that makes the question "who do you trust?" harder than ever. - The real stakes behind the roughly 5,300 NIH and NSF grants frozen or canceled in 2025, and the risk of discouraging an entire generation of young scientists. - Why so much of modern life, from the iPhone to vaccines to synthetic insulin, traces back to federally funded basic research, and what's lost when that pipeline is cut. - How the idea of "retail science" can rebuild public trust the same way "retail politics" wins elections, by meeting people where they are and telling a human story. - Why science doesn't recognize borders, and how international collaboration and open science make discovery stronger for everyone. Chapters 00:00 The Fragility of Trust in Science 07:05 The Impact of COVID-19 on Public Perception 14:43 Communication Challenges in Science 19:56 Connecting Science with Humanity 26:31 The Importance of Storytelling in Science 27:51 The Impact of Funding on Scientific Research 35:27 Concerns for Young Scientists 37:03 The Dual Nature of Scientific Progress 38:29 The New Social Compact for Science 41:20 The Mutual Obligations of Science and Society 43:18 International Collaboration in Science 48:08 Safeguards for AI Development Connect with Nicholas B. Dirks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dirks-84a1ab149/ Website: https://www.nyas.org/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  19. Episode 40: Reinvent Yourself Before AI Does It For You with Nikki Barua

    · with Nikki Barua

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with entrepreneur and reinvention expert Nikki Barua for an honest conversation about what it really takes to stay human while building the future with AI. Nikki shares the through line of her own life, from immigrant outsider to corporate leader to founder, and makes the case that the hardest part of reinvention is not learning new skills but unlearning the identity that made you successful in the first place. Together, they unpack why AI is the great equalizer, why your career should be treated like a portfolio rather than a ladder, and how to shift your sense of worth from effort to impact. The result is a grounded, optimistic roadmap for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the pace of change and wants to reinvent themselves before the world forces them to. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the real skill of reinvention is unlearning, not learning, and how clinging to your past identity quietly keeps you stuck - How to make authenticity your superpower instead of copying others to fit into rooms that were never yours - Why AI is the great equalizer that removes the access barriers of knowledge, resources, and relationships - How to shift where you attach your value, moving from hard work and effort to real impact - Why your career is a portfolio of competencies to mix and match, not a linear ladder to climb - How to spot and tune out outdated career advice from people who peaked in the pre-AI era - Why "curiosity over credentials" is the new measure of who stays relevant - How to reframe AI overwhelm with a sense of play and adventure rather than fear - What stays irreplaceably human: creativity, imagination, empathy, and resilience - Why this moment marks the end of the industrial revolution and a return to being human beings instead of human doings Episode Chapters: 00:00 Stop Doing Old Work 01:01 Podcast Intro and Guest 02:11 Nikki’s Reinvention Story 04:10 Fitting In vs Authenticity 06:34 AI as Great Equalizer 10:45 Outdated Advice and Curiosity 12:30 Identity Traps in Careers 13:58 What Human Reinvention Means 17:16 Playful Mindset for AI Change 19:25 Let AI Take Tasks 21:10 Corporate Worth and Impact 22:51 Career as a Portfolio 24:24 Think Like the Market 25:11 AI Drives Entrepreneurship 26:55 Lower Barriers to Build 28:16 Emotional Cost of Change 32:00 Optimism Through Disruption 34:19 Robots and Higher Value Work 36:09 UBI and Finding Purpose 39:53 Human Advantage in AI Age 43:47 Advice for People and Companies Connect with Nikki Barua LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua/ Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  20. Episode 39: The AI Future Nobody's Talking About: Trust as Infrastructure

    · with James Robson

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with James Robson, former data protection officer for the UK Labour Party, Founder & CEO of Datus Longevitus, to challenge the idea that data protection is a barrier to progress. Drawing on a decade of GDPR work, James argues that governance is what actually enables innovation, comparing data safeguards to the brakes on a car that let you drive faster, not slower. The conversation moves from the differences between US and European approaches to privacy, to practical ways individuals can protect themselves online, to inspiring real-world examples of data used for public good, including a King's College London study on cash grants for people experiencing homelessness. James and Mykel also confront the darker side of the AI era, from echo chambers and self-radicalization to addictive algorithms and the erosion of critical thinking, before landing on a hopeful vision of trusted data intermediaries and an ethical, transparent future where trust becomes the real infrastructure. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why compliance and data protection can be the condition for innovation rather than its enemy, using the brakes-on-a-car analogy - How storytelling skills translate into understanding data systems and getting people excited about ethical data use - The key philosophical difference between US data law (consumer-focused) and European GDPR (human rights-focused) - Practical steps individuals can take to protect their data, including ad blockers, password managers, and rejecting cookies and trackers - What rights GDPR gives you to request your data, and how that compares to the US patchwork like the CCPA in California - How connecting datasets responsibly can improve outcomes in social care, education, problem gambling, and homelessness prevention - The technical safeguards that make data sharing safe, including end-to-end encryption, immutable ledgers, and the UK's Five Safes framework - Why echo chambers can quietly radicalize people and how dependence on AI threatens independent and critical thinking - The link between addictive algorithms, screen time, and mental health, including recent rulings against Meta and Google - What a trustworthy data future could look like, from trusted data intermediaries to ethical trust scores and nutrition-label-style transparency - Concrete advice for individuals, AI leaders, and governments navigating data responsibility and AI regulation Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Data Governance 05:00 Data Protection as an Enabler of Innovation 10:01 Understanding Data's Role in Organizations 14:47 GDPR: A Barrier or a Blueprint for Innovation? 19:49 Protecting Ourselves in the Age of AI 24:58 Data for Public Good: Real-World Applications 27:39 Data Oversight and Ethical Use 29:22 Addressing Homelessness with Data 33:11 Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences 35:35 Concerns About Echo Chambers 41:39 The Role of Trust in AI 46:29 The Future of Trusted Data Intermediaries 49:24 Advice for Individuals Navigating AI 51:30 Guidance for AI Company Leaders 53:30 Regulatory Recommendations for Governments Connect with James Robson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-james-robson/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  21. Episode 38: How to Tell Your Story and Stay Relevant in the Age of AI with Sabine Hutchison

    · with Sabine Hutchison

    In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Mykel Salomon sits down with Sabine Hutchison — author, speaker, and founder of the Ripple Network — to explore what it really means to stay human in a world being rapidly reshaped by AI. Sabine draws from her diverse career, her work empowering women to find their voice, and her own hard-won lessons on identity, reinvention, and self-advocacy. Together, they challenge the myth of the straight career ladder, celebrate the messy middle of growth, and make a compelling case for why knowing yourself and being able to tell your story may be the most powerful skill anyone can develop in the age of artificial intelligence. In this episode, you'll learn: - Reinvention without drama: practical steps and persistence - The importance of storytelling and authentic communication - Navigating the in-between spaces and embracing discomfort - The role of mentorship and sponsorship for women in leadership - The impact of AI on careers and the importance of human skills - Feedback as a gift: how to give and receive effectively - The power of pauses and slow speech in public speaking - Balancing efficiency with quality and well-being in work Connect with Sabine Hutchison LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabinehutchison/ Seuss+ - https://www.seuss.plus/ The Ripple Network Platform - https://theripplenetwork.com Sabina Hutchinson's Book - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sabina+Hutchinson+book Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  22. Episode 37: The Discipline Protocol: Self-Leadership in the Age of AI w/ Dusty Holcomb

    · with Dusty Holcomb

    What does it take to lead others when you have not yet learned to lead yourself? In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Dusty Holcomb, a leadership coach with 28 years of executive experience, to explore the discipline behind great leadership. Dusty unpacks why self-leadership is the foundation of every high-performing team, how discipline is not punishment but alignment, and why the rise of AI is not a threat to human leaders but a mirror that exposes and sharpens them. From homeschooling roots and managing a 350-person operation at age 23, to building a personal AI chief of staff for daily reflection, Dusty delivers raw, actionable wisdom on how leaders at every level can build internal clarity, develop intentional daily habits, and master delegation to thrive in a rapidly changing world. What You'll Learn in This Episode - Why self-leadership is the foundation of all great leadership and how your internal discipline directly shapes the trust, respect, and performance of your team - The mindset shift every new leader needs to make when transitioning from individual contributor to leading and developing other people - How imposter syndrome shows up even at the CEO and senior executive level and what the most self-aware leaders do to manage it - Why the skills that earned you a promotion are not always the skills that will keep you successful in your new leadership role - The simple daily calendar audit practice that helps leaders identify one task to delegate and convert it into a real growth opportunity for their team - How artificial intelligence can sharpen your leadership rather than replace it, and what it looks like to use an AI chief of staff for daily reflection, gain assessments, and better decision-making - The five questions every leader must help their team answer to move people from doing the minimum to bringing their full effort and purpose to their work - How to write your own personal rules of engagement in under an hour to clarify your values, set expectations for yourself, and invite genuine accountability from the people around you Dusty is offering The Human Protocol listeners exclusive access to the Rules of Engagement Playbook, along with a complimentary DISC personality assessment — a $500 executive-level tool he uses with clients. It’s a practical resource designed to help you apply the self-leadership principles discussed in this episode. Access it free at myrulesofengagement.com. Connect with Dusty Holcomb LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustyholcomb/ Website: Arqus Group - https://arcqusgroup.com/ Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  24. Episode 35: Your Voice Is Intellectual Property: How to Stay Human in the AI Era | Alex Sanfilippo

    · with Alex Sanfilippo

    In the AI era, your voice is more than expression—it is intellectual property. In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon talks with Alex Sanfilippo about why your stories, ideas, relationships, lived experience, and point of view become more valuable as synthetic content becomes easier to create. This conversation goes far beyond podcasting. Alex shares how he built PodMatch by listening for a real community problem, why human relationships still create the strongest business opportunities, and how creators and leaders can use technology without outsourcing their identity. If AI can replicate content, the advantage becomes the experience, judgment, trust, and voice only you can bring. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN • Why your voice and lived experience function as intellectual property • How Alex identified the problem that became PodMatch • A four-step framework for finding meaningful business opportunities • Why community listening beats building from assumptions • How podcasting can become a long-term archive of ideas, expertise, and trust • Why human relationships remain a durable advantage in an AI-driven world • How to use AI without flattening your personal brand or voice CHAPTERS 00:00 Your voice is becoming intellectual property 01:28 Alex’s path from corporate leadership to podcasting 05:33 What Alex saw missing in podcasting 06:36 The four-step framework for finding a real business problem 07:34 How PodMatch started by listening to podcasters 09:05 Why relationships still drive innovation 11:15 Finding purpose when you do not know what is next 13:17 Asking the uncomfortable questions that create clarity ABOUT THE GUEST Alex Sanfilippo is an entrepreneur, podcaster, and founder of PodMatch, a platform that connects podcast hosts and guests. After a 15-year corporate career, he moved into full-time entrepreneurship and has built his work around helping podcasters create better relationships, grow sustainable shows, and solve real problems inside the podcasting ecosystem. Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt #TheHumanProtocol #PersonalBrand #Podcasting #HumanConnection #AI

  26. Episode 33: Transformation Isn’t What You Think | AI, CX, and Real Change w/ Sarah Caminiti | S2E16

    · with Sarah Caminiti

    In this episode, we challenge one of the most misunderstood ideas in business today: transformation. Most people think transformation means starting over. Burning everything down. Reinventing from scratch. But as Sarah Caminiti, Head of Business Transformation, explains, that’s not transformation, that’s destruction. Real transformation is quieter. It’s slower. It’s built on momentum, small wins, and strong foundations. It’s about rearranging what already exists, not replacing it. We go deep into what actually drives change inside organizations, from leadership behavior to team dynamics to the role of AI. Because the truth is, AI will not fix broken systems. It will expose them. If your foundation is weak, your processes unclear, or your culture misaligned, technology will amplify every gap. This conversation is a practical and human look at transformation across three dimensions: personal, structural, and technological. We explore why most transformation efforts fail, how leaders can create real momentum, and what it takes to build systems that actually work. We also unpack the biggest misconception in today’s AI-driven world: that transformation is fast, easy, and automated. It’s not. It requires clarity, ownership, and intentional design. The biggest takeaway is simple: transformation does not happen in announcements. It happens in the work no one sees. If you are leading change, building teams, or navigating AI in your organization, this episode will challenge how you think about progress, leadership, and what it really means to evolve. 00:00 Intro – The truth about transformation 01:05 Welcome to The Human Protocol 01:45 Meet Sarah Caminiti – Head of Business Transformation 04:00 Career journey and CX foundations 07:50 What people get wrong about transformation 08:10 Metamorphosis vs real transformation (Transformers analogy) 10:30 Why transformation happens through momentum, not big moves 11:40 The problem with performative transformation (LinkedIn vs reality) 13:15 “I am because we are” – The power of collaboration 16:20 The three pillars: personal, structural, tech transformation 17:15 What leaders must shift first (taking up space) 19:30 Transparency, communication, and trust in leadership 23:30 Why assumptions destroy transformation efforts 26:20 The importance of clear requirements and communication 27:40 Why most teams skip the foundation 28:50 AI is not plug-and-play – the real work behind it 30:00 Building and maintaining a strong operational foundation 32:00 Why AI needs ownership, maintenance, and strategy 33:30 The future of roles and preserving human expertise 35:00 What leaders should ask before adopting AI 37:00 Where AI makes sense (and where it doesn’t) 39:30 Designing experiences, not just automations 41:10 How to create momentum in burned-out teams 43:00 Small wins, focus time, and building confidence 45:00 Why leaders must embrace failure as data 47:20 Incentives and noise sabotaging CX 49:30 Final advice – Trust your skills and build with intention Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  27. Episode 32: Most AI Failures Don't Start With the Code. They Start With the Contract w/ Rory O'Keeffe | S2E15

    · with Rory O'Keeffe

    In this episode, we break down why AI deployment is not just a tech decision, it is a legal, commercial, and risk decision. Rory O'Keeffe, Commercial & AI Lawyer, shares how most failures do not come from the code itself, but from the contracts, the assumptions, and the lack of clarity around data. Founders often rush into AI tools thinking they are buying software, when in reality, they are taking on a new layer of risk. If you cannot clearly explain where your data goes, you are not deploying AI, you are outsourcing control. We also dive into what founders consistently miss, from weak contract terms to misunderstanding how data is used, stored, and even reused to train models. Rory explains why things like anonymization, auditability, and explainability are not just legal language, they are critical safeguards. The conversation highlights real examples of how AI can go wrong, not because of bad intent, but because of poor inputs, lack of oversight, or blind trust in automation. It is a reminder that AI is a tool, not the decision-maker. This episode is also a practical playbook for founders navigating AI. From asking the right questions before signing contracts to planning your exit before you even start, the focus is on staying in control. The biggest takeaway is simple, AI will not replace you, but someone using AI better than you might. The advantage goes to those who understand both the technology and the responsibility that comes with it. Tune in and learn how to deploy AI with clarity, protect your business, and make better decisions in a fast-moving world. -- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:05 Most AI failures start in the contract, not the code 02:10 Welcome to The Human Protocol 03:20 Rory O’Keefe – Irish lawyer, founder of RMLK Legal & Beyond the Fine Print 05:40 What founders misunderstand: AI vs automation vs robotics 08:20 Eyes wide open — rushing AI can cripple your company 10:50 Most common contract mistake: Click-through terms & data use clauses 13:40 “We will anonymize your data” — what that really means (and the risks) 17:10 GDPR, CCPA & global privacy laws every founder must know 20:30 Auditability & explainable AI — can they show where it went wrong? 24:10 Agentic AI horror story: Booking a hotel with voice cloning & credit cards 28:50 Power of prompting + why “how” matters more than ever 32:40 Data privacy & security in law firms — on-prem, private instances & hyperscalers 37:20 IP ownership: Who owns prompts, outputs & generated content? 42:10 Indemnification, liability & who pays if AI causes harm 47:30 Termination & exit clauses — avoid tech debt & lock-in 52:10 Human in the loop: Left-brain data vs right-brain critical thinking 56:40 Advice to younger Rory & every founder in the AI era Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  28. Episode 31: Building Online Safety in the Age of AI w/ Kalie Nitzsche | S2E14

    · with Kalie Nitzsche

    In this episode, we talk about digital deception in the age of AI and why online trust is becoming one of the most urgent problems we face. Kalie Nitzsche shares the painful personal story that led her to build Fuzzy Technologies after discovering that someone she trusted had created a synthetic identity and lied about nearly everything. What started as heartbreak turned into a mission to help people protect their identity, verify who they are talking to, and stay safer in a world where scams, impersonation, and deepfakes are growing fast. We also get into what Fuzzy is building and why it matters now. From portable identity verification to monitoring name, image, and likeness online, the goal is to give people more control over their digital presence. This conversation also opens up a bigger issue, how AI can be used for harm just as easily as it can be used for protection. Kalie explains why ethical AI, human oversight, and accountability are no longer optional, especially when online fraud is scaling at a pace most people still do not fully understand. This episode is also about leadership, grit, and what it takes to keep going when the path is uncertain. Kalie shares what it has been like building as a woman founder, raising capital, making hard pivots, and leading through rejection. It is a reminder that trust, both online and in ourselves, is something we have to actively protect and rebuild. Tune in and learn why the future of AI is not just about innovation, but about whether we can still trust what we see and who we are becoming online. Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  29. Episode 30: AI for Good: Fighting Dementia with Dignity, Play, and Purpose w/ Bruce Elliot | S2E13

    · with Bruce Elliot

    In this episode, we talk about how AI can be used to support people living with dementia in a more human way. Bruce shares how Memory Lane Games started from a simple idea, turning memories into games to help people reconnect and communicate. What they found is that the biggest barrier is not memory loss itself, but frustration. When experiences are simple, familiar, and personal, people begin to open up, share stories, and engage again. We also explore how AI is helping scale this impact. From creating personalized games in minutes to building an AI companion that listens, responds, and adapts to emotions, the goal is not automation, but connection. The system can detect emotional cues from voice, guide conversations toward positive memories, and even capture short moments of joy that families can receive and listen to. This creates a new way for families to stay connected, even when communication becomes difficult. This conversation is a reminder that dementia is not just about memory loss. It affects communication, confidence, and relationships. AI, when used with intention, can help bring back dignity, connection, and small moments of joy. It does not replace human care, but it supports it in ways that were not possible before. Tune in and learn how AI for good can help people reconnect, communicate, and feel human again. -- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:05 Welcome to The Human Protocol podcast 01:55 Bruce Elliott intro – From dot-com to Memory Lanes Games 03:20 How old family photos sparked Memory Lanes 05:40 The frustration barrier in dementia & how games help 08:40 Errorless learning & gentle game design 11:40 From caregiver play to solo AI conversations 15:20 Detecting 48 emotional cues from voice (joy, nostalgia, agitation) 19:00 Sundowning – Redirecting agitation with personalized stories 23:40 Capturing the 45-second “magic memory” for families 28:10 AI companion that listens, redirects & brings joy 32:50 Data privacy, guardrails & building trust with vulnerable users 37:20 Simple ideas + AI = powerful impact for good 42:10 The loneliness epidemic & why voice is the new UX 47:00 Future of conversational AI for dementia & beyond 51:40 Final message – AI for Good needs more champions Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  30. Episode 29: The Real Reason Enterprise AI Projects Stall w/ Larissa Schneider Unframe | S2E12

    · with Larissa Schneider

    In this episode, we break down why most AI projects fail, not because of the technology, but because of how they are managed. Larissa Schneider, Co-Founder and COO of Unframe, shares that the real gap is not in the models, but in execution. Many companies jump into AI without clearly defining the business problem they want to solve. Strategy decks look good, but when it comes to operations, projects stall. If there is no clear goal, no defined ROI, and no trust in deployment, AI will not deliver real value. We also talk about what actually works in enterprise AI. Start with the problem, not the tool. Measure outcomes. Focus on workflows that are broken, manual, or slow. The companies that succeed are not the ones chasing every new AI product, but the ones building systems that fit their business, their people, and their existing tech stack. There is also a strong reminder that AI is not just about automation. It requires alignment between IT and business teams, clear governance, and people who understand how to use it effectively. This conversation is a reality check for leaders. AI is not magic. It is a tool that only works when paired with clear direction, strong execution, and trust. The companies that treat AI as a business solution, not just a trend, are the ones that will move from idea to real impact. Tune in and learn what it really takes to deploy AI in the enterprise and get results that matter. -- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro – The real gap in AI projects 00:12 Why business owners must expect ROI from AI 00:24 Deploy AI with trust or don’t deploy at all 01:12 Most enterprise AI pilots stall – here’s why 01:40 Welcome to The Human Protocol podcast 02:08 Why enterprise AI fails: organization, not technology 02:35 Larissa Schneider introduction – Co-founder & COO of Unframe 03:36 From Nutanix to cybersecurity to founding Unframe 04:24 Where real AI projects are failing in 2025 05:02 Stop buying hype tools – solve actual business problems first 06:40 Build vs Buy vs Consultancy – what actually works 09:15 The danger of strategy decks without operational reality 12:30 Common failure: no clear success criteria for pilots 15:50 How governance, risk & politics kill AI adoption 19:20 Real-world trust & security barriers in enterprises 23:40 Why most “cool” AI demos never scale 27:10 The power of starting small with high-priority pain points 31:50 AI agents – current reality vs future hype 36:20 Foundational models vs wrapper apps – where the value really is 40:10 Anthropic, cloud code, co-works – what matters right now 43:50 Guardrails for AI – what policymakers should focus on 46:00 Balancing regulation without killing competitiveness 47:48 When is efficiency enough? – The human side of AI 48:30 Final advice – start with your real business pain 48:53 Closing & call to action for AI leaders --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  31. Episode 28: Don't Be Scared of AI. Be Scared of the Competitor Using It w/ Roberto Martinez | S2E11

    · with Roberto Martinez

    In this episode, we break down what AI really means for business owners today. Not the hype, not the headlines, but the real work behind it. Roberto Martinez, Founder & CEO of Braven Agency, shares why most small businesses feel left behind and how the gap is not about tools, but about clarity. It starts with knowing your pain points, your goals, and having simple processes in place. Without those, AI will not fix anything. It will only expose what is already broken. We also talk about what actually works. Start small. Fix one problem. Use AI to improve workflows, reduce time, and lower costs. The businesses winning today are not the ones chasing every new tool, but the ones using AI to make their operations better. At the same time, there is a real risk that many ignore. Most data breaches are caused by human error, not technology. If you do not have clear systems and security protocols, your business is more exposed than you think. This conversation is a reminder that AI is not about replacing people. It is about how people think, build, and adapt. The ones who take action, test, and learn will move forward. The ones who wait will fall behind. Tune in and learn how to start using AI in a way that actually moves your business forward. -- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 01:06 - Reality Check: Small Businesses Don’t Need an AI Lab or Big Budget 01:49 - Guest Intro: Roberto Martinez – Google Coach & Small Business AI Advisor 02:29 - Roberto’s 10+ Years Helping SMBs Scale with AI 03:50 - Biggest Disconnect Between AI Headlines vs Small Business Reality 04:17 - “Slow… Then All at Once” – Why You Must Start Using AI Now 05:30 - 3 Key Areas: Own Your Data, First-Party Strategy & Cybersecurity 07:31 - How to Approach Small Businesses: Start with Pain Points or Goals 09:36 - Why Processes & SOPs Are AI’s Best Friend 11:09 - Real Example: Hostel Onboarding Manual → AI-Powered Experience (NotebookLM) 13:26 - Low-Hanging Fruit Strategy: Start Small for Quick Wins 15:33 - Marketing Agency Case: Cut Logo Design Time from 25h to 6-7h with AI 17:47 - What NOT to Do with AI: Protect IP & Avoid Cybersecurity Risks 20:03 - Data Privacy Warning – Most Breaches Are Human Error 22:42 - The Walled Garden Approach: Own Your Customer Data & Experience 24:13 - Predictive Analytics: Delight Customers Like Four Seasons 27:30 - How to Prove ROI to Skeptical Small Business Owners 29:40 - Start Small, Show Fast Value & Use Real Testimonials 31:54 - Why AI Slop & Bot Comments Are Killing Social Engagement 34:35 - Unit Economics, Lead Costs & KPIs – Let AI Benchmark for You 37:43 - Human Element Still Wins: Authenticity Beats Generic AI Content 41:05 - Final Advice for Business Owners Not Using AI Yet 42:30 - Step-by-Step: Write Pain Points + Goals + SOPs Then Ask AI 45:08 - Advice to Younger Self: Start, Make Mistakes, Don’t Fear Failure --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  32. Episode 27: The AI Paradox: What AI Reveals About Us w/ Ty Givens | S2E10

    · with Ty Givens

    AI is not the solution. It is the mirror. In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon sits down with Ty Givens to unpack a hard truth about AI in customer support, CX, and leadership. As more companies rush to adopt AI automation, chatbots, and AI agents, many are finding that AI does not fix broken systems. It exposes them. From messy workflows and weak documentation to unclear escalation paths and poor ownership, this conversation shows what leaders need to face before they can scale AI the right way. Ty Givens shares real-world lessons from years of experience in support operations, CX leadership, AI deployment, and scaling teams. She explains why AI in customer service still needs human judgment, why leaders must become more technical, how poor documentation creates weak AI outcomes, and why the future of support will depend on curiosity, execution, and accountability. This episode is for anyone leading customer experience, customer support, operations, AI transformation, or service strategy. Key Topics: - Why AI exposes broken processes instead of fixing them - The truth about AI in customer support and CX - Why leaders need to become more technical in the AI era - How bad documentation leads to bad AI answers - What companies get wrong when deploying AI agents and chatbots - Why ownership and accountability matter more than ever - Where human support still matters most - How to build the right foundation before scaling AI automation -- TIMESTAMPS 00:57 Ty Givens introduction & career journey 03:59 Founding CX Collective – helping leaders build better 04:37 AI pressure in CX & support teams today 05:31 What really breaks when you deploy AI? 07:58 Real client story – sales vs support AI bots 13:00 Why leaders must understand frontline work in AI era 18:00 Programming systems is now part of leadership 22:40 Curiosity VS pretending to be strategic 28:00 How AI exposes burnout & unclear escalation paths 33:20 Don't automate broken processes – fix them first 38:50 Humans should handle complex, meaningful problems 43:10 CSAT often drops after AI rollout – here's why 48:20 Customers don't care if it's AI or human – they want fast, correct answers 52:40 Transparent AI vs pretending it's a person 57:37 Final advice to younger Ty: stay curious --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  33. Episode 26: Beyond Virality: What It Really Takes to Build Apps That Last w/ Jonathan Maxim | S2E9

    · with Jonathan Maxim

    In this episode, we break down why going viral is not the same as building something that lasts. Jonathan Maxim shares that in the AI era, building an app is easier than ever, but getting real users, keeping them engaged, and turning that growth into a real business is still the hard part. A million views can still lead to very few downloads. That is why founders need to stop chasing vanity metrics and start focusing on what actually matters, product strength, user value, monetization, and a system that encourages people to share. We also talk about the mistake many founders make early. They try to do everything at once. They want virality, ads, referrals, sales, and funding before the foundation is ready. Jonathan explains why growth needs to be built in stages, and why the first goal is not fame, but learning. Once you get enough users, you can start seeing what works, what people value, and what makes the business sustainable. Free growth sounds exciting, but if the business cannot make money, it will not last. This conversation is also a reminder that the path of building is rarely glamorous. It gets repetitive, uncertain, and sometimes boring. But that is where real businesses are made. The founders who stay with the work, learn through mistakes, and keep going are the ones who eventually build something meaningful. Tune in and learn what it really takes to grow an app, build sustainable traction, and create something that lasts. -- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro – Why most AI-built apps still fail 00:45 Viral reach vs real downloads – the harsh numbers 01:30 What actually makes an app go viral (it’s not social media) 02:10 The referral engine – the real secret to sustainable growth 03:20 Free vs paid – why “free forever” rarely works long-term 03:55 Welcome to The Human Protocol podcast 04:20 Jonathan Maxim intro – launched 300+ apps since 2014 05:40 The 5-stage launch process: product → marketing → sales → virality → capital 07:50 Why virality is stage 4, not stage 1 09:20 AI makes shipping easy – but attention & retention are still hard 11:10 Reverse-engineering viral content works for apps too 13:40 Build referral incentives that users naturally share 15:30 Ads vs organic – how to use both in a virtuous cycle 17:50 Focus on one constraint at a time (don’t boil the ocean) 19:40 Why investors want 10,000 users – statistical significance & profitability 22:10 The 10,000-user milestone unlocks everything 24:30 Patience & long-term thinking beat chasing spikes 27:50 The power of consistent small improvements & not quitting 30:10 AI levels the playing field – no coding needed anymore 32:40 Build good AI apps (meditation, therapy, music) to outweigh the bad 35:20 Pursue your purpose – impact compounds over time 38:10 Learning from coaches & courses – one insight can 2x revenue 41:30 Persistence beats perfection – Joe Rogan took 10 years 44:10 Final message: take the first step, even if it’s hard 46:20 Jonathan’s free training offer – DM @itsjmaxim 47:10 Closing & call to action for founders --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  34. Episode 25: Why Execution Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI w/ Drew Carmichael | S2E8

    In this episode, we break down what it really takes to build a business in the AI era. Drew Carmichael shares how AI has lowered the barrier to entry, but at the same time raised the standard for execution. Anyone can access tools today, but very few can build systems, stay consistent, and turn effort into real results. His journey shows that success is not about age or experience, but about taking action, adapting fast, and learning through failure. We also talk about what actually drives growth. Focus on one thing. Keep it simple. Build systems that remove manual work and create efficiency. From automation to AI tools, the goal is not to overcomplicate, but to solve real problems. There is also a strong reminder that not all AI use leads to better outcomes. Poor use of AI can lower quality, reduce trust, and hurt conversions. The human element still matters, especially when building relationships and communicating value. This conversation is a reality check for anyone starting or scaling a business. There is no shortcut. It takes focus, consistency, and the willingness to push through challenges even when things are not working. The people who stay committed, keep learning, and continue to execute are the ones who build something that lasts. Tune in and learn how to go from idea to execution, use AI the right way, and build a business that actually grows. -- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro – AI lowered entry, raised execution bar 00:27 Real story: 100+ massage guns rejected by Amazon 01:15 How setbacks led to Shopify success 01:55 Advice for starting a business in 2025 02:15 Welcome to The Human Protocol podcast 02:35 Drew Carmichael intro – young founder building with AI 03:20 Why age doesn’t equal experience anymore 04:50 Discipline over hacks in AI era 07:30 From e-commerce failures to multi-brand success 11:40 Building systems that scale without losing trust 15:20 The real cost of “AI makes it easy” mindset 19:10 Execution beats ideas every time 23:40 How young founders are outpacing veterans 28:10 Balancing speed with long-term character 32:50 AI tools vs human discipline & character 37:20 Handling massive setbacks & pivots 42:10 Advice for 20-somethings starting today 47:30 Why character compounds more than code 52:10 The future belongs to intentional builders 57:40 Tough moments hit everyone the same 01:00:45 Final thoughts – stay human in AI world --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  35. Episode 24: The BIGGEST Mistake Veterans Make When Seeking HELP | S2E7

    · with Rob Greene

    Finding healing is not always a straight path — and sometimes true recovery happens beyond conventional therapy. In this episode (S2E7) of The Human Protocol, we explore the powerful story of Rob Green, a US Navy veteran who faced deep trauma, PTSD, and personal loss, and ultimately discovered healing through alternative approaches and connection with nature. After struggling with traditional mental health systems and medication-focused treatment, Rob began searching for deeper meaning and holistic healing methods. Through forest therapy (Shinrin-yoku), mindfulness, and immersive experiences in nature and community, Rob transformed his life and learned the power of presence, resilience, and self-discovery. This conversation explores mental health, trauma recovery, alternative healing strategies, and how stepping away from constant digital noise can help reconnect us to ourselves. 👉 If you are interested in emotional resilience, personal growth, and new perspectives on healing, this episode is for you. 🎧 Watch now and explore a different path to healing and transformation. #mentalhealth #ptsdrecovery #healingjourney #alternativetherapy #NatureHealing #forestbathing #shinrinyoku #mindfulness #emotionalwellness #resilience #selfdiscovery #veteranstory #mentalhealthawareness #personalgrowth #futureofwork #HealingBeyondTherapy #futureofwork #HumanProtocolPodcast #podcastepisode #traumahealing #holistichealing #innerhealing --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  36. Episode 23: The Future of Career Growth, Leadership, and AI w/ Carlee Wolfe | S2E6

    · with Carlee Wolfe

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon sits down with Carlee Wolfe to explore how artificial intelligence, workplace change, and shifting career expectations are reshaping the way people think about success. Traditional career ladders are no longer the only path forward. Promotions and job titles still matter, but today’s professionals also need clarity, adaptability, curiosity, and confidence to grow in a fast-changing world. Mykel and Carlee talk about how AI is transforming hiring, talent management, leadership, and professional development. They explore why problem-solving, human judgment, and self-awareness are becoming even more valuable as technology takes over more routine tasks. This conversation also looks at how professionals can stay grounded in their identity and purpose while navigating new tools, new expectations, and new definitions of growth. Whether you are building a career, leading a team, hiring talent, or rethinking your next move, this episode offers practical insights on how to grow in a more intentional and human-centered way. If you want to understand the future of work without losing sight of what makes growth meaningful, this conversation is for you. --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  37. Episode 22: AI Is Great at "How." But Not "Why." | Moving AI From Pilot to Production w/ Ian P Cook | S2E5

    · with Ian P. Cook

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, we explore what it really takes to move AI from a promising idea into something that works in the real world. Ian P Cook joins the conversation to break down the gap between a successful proof-of-concept and a production-ready AI system that can actually deliver value at scale. It is one thing to build a demo. It is another to ship AI that performs reliably, integrates into business workflows, and holds up in production. This conversation looks at the practical side of AI deployment, from building strong production pipelines to avoiding the common mistakes teams make when trying to scale machine learning systems. Ian shares insights on what often goes wrong, why many AI projects stall after the prototype stage, and what teams need to think about if they want their models to work beyond the lab. The episode also touches on architecture, operational readiness, and the real-world decisions that separate experimentation from execution. Whether you are an AI engineer, startup founder, data scientist, product leader, or tech operator, this episode offers a grounded look at how to build AI systems that do more than impress in a demo. If you want to understand how AI moves from proof-of-concept to production, this conversation gives you a practical framework for making that happen. --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  39. Episode 20: Why Community Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI of AI w/ Scott Tran | S2E3

    · with Scott Tran

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, Mykel Salomon sits down with Scott Tran, founder of Support Driven, to explore what it really means to build a community in the age of AI. As technology continues to reshape how we work and communicate, this conversation highlights a powerful truth: community is not just where we belong, it is where we grow. Scott shares the story behind Support Driven, how it started as a simple podcast and evolved into a global community for support professionals. The discussion dives into what makes a community thrive, why it should serve its members first, and how meaningful relationships drive long-term success more than tools or products ever could. It is a reminder that growth does not come from scale alone, but from consistency, trust, and genuine connection. They also explore how AI is transforming customer support, creating both opportunities and noise. In a world flooded with automation and content, the real advantage comes from human relationships and thoughtful engagement. Whether you are building a community, leading a team, or navigating your career, this episode offers practical insights on how to stay grounded, build trust, and grow something that lasts. --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  40. Episode 19: S2E2 - Choose To Be Your Own Champion w/ Dorice Horenstein

    · with Dorice Horenstein

    S2E2 - Choose To Be Your Own Champion w/ Dorice Horenstein In Episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with global thought leader Dorice Horenstein to explore what it truly means to become your own champion in a world increasingly shaped by stress, burnout, and rapid technological change. This powerful conversation dives into positive intelligence, self-awareness, and the importance of building inner strength to navigate modern challenges. Dorice shares her inspiring journey from education to becoming a global voice on leadership and personal development, highlighting how authentic human intelligence remains irreplaceable — even in the age of AI. Together, they discuss the role of empathy, community, and meaningful connection in shaping a balanced and fulfilling life, while examining how social media can influence self-perception and personal growth. Key topics include: ✅ Positive intelligence and daily practices for mental resilience ✅ Balancing life challenges and preventing burnout ✅ The impact of AI on humanity and human values ✅ Authentic leadership and self-championship ✅ Social media’s effect on identity and confidence ✅ The importance of empathy, connection, and community-driven futures This episode offers practical insights for leaders, professionals, and anyone seeking clarity, balance, and purpose in today’s fast-changing world. #thehumanprotocol #DoriceHorenstein #positiveintelligence #selfleadership #personalgrowth #mindsetmatters #emotionalintelligence #leadershipdevelopment #humanpotential #mentalwellbeing #futureofwork #innerstrength #personaltransformation #selfawareness #growthmindset --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  41. Episode 18: S2E1 - Turning On Machines: What AI Adoption Really Requires from Today’s Leaders w/ Zac Engler

    · with Zac Engler

    Summary In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon engages with Zach Engler, Chief AI Officer at C4 Technical Services, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on leadership, work, and society. They explore the importance of understanding AI, the need for self-reflection, and the future of work in an AI-driven world. Zach shares insights from his journey in AI, the trifurcation of work, and the role of agentic thinking in adapting to new technologies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of preparing organizations for AI, the implications for government policy, and the need for individuals to embrace change and self-discovery in the face of rapid technological advancement. Takeaways AI is not replacing humans, but changing the nature of leadership. Understanding AI is crucial for effective leadership in the modern era. Self-reflection is essential to navigate the impact of AI on personal and professional life. The future of work will involve a trifurcation of tasks between AI, humans, and a combination of both. Organizations must adopt a crawl, walk, run approach to AI implementation. The societal impact of AI will be profound, affecting all sectors of work. Agentic thinking will be vital as AI becomes more autonomous. Governments need to consider ethical implications in AI development and deployment. Individuals should focus on their identity beyond their job roles in an AI-driven world. The future will require a balance between technology and preserving human culture. Chapters 00:00 Navigating the AI Era: Leadership Challenges 02:54 Zach Engler: A Personal Journey into AI 06:06 The Evolution of AI: From Concept to Reality 09:05 AI's Impact on Work, Life, and Relationships 11:57 The Power of Agency in AI Development 14:49 Agentic Thinking: The Future of Work 17:50 Trifurcation of Work: AI, Humans, and Collaboration 20:56 Preparing for the AI-Driven Future 23:47 The Race for AI Supercomputing 26:56 The Future of AI: Predictions and Possibilities 33:53 The Importance of AI Leadership 39:16 Navigating the AI Landscape 42:29 Turning On Machines: A Historical Perspective 51:53 Embracing AI: Messages for Individuals and Organizations 58:28 The Future of AI and Humanity --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  42. Episode 17: AI Can Copy Your Face—But Not Your Brand | Joe Fang

    AI can generate a polished headshot in seconds. But can it communicate who you actually are? Executive portrait photographer and brand strategist Joe Fang joins Mykel Salomon to explore personal branding, authenticity, trust, and the growing value of human context in a world of synthetic images and automated content. Joe explains why AI headshots have a legitimate use—but should not replace the creative process, human story, or emotional context behind a meaningful professional brand. The conversation explores confidence, imperfection, creativity, and why standing out as yourself may become more important as it gets easier to manufacture a perfect-looking identity. CHAPTERS 00:00 What is truly “you” when AI can generate your image? 01:26 Who Joe Fang is beyond the bio 04:00 Where AI headshots fit—and where they do not 05:29 Why your real image carries human context 06:14 Building trust through authenticity 07:44 Why standing out matters more than fitting in 10:19 How AI can improve the creative process 11:11 The emotion and story behind a powerful image 14:47 The growing trust problem with synthetic content 15:43 Why imperfection is part of authentic personal branding #TheHumanProtocol #PersonalBranding #Authenticity #HumanConnection #AI --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  44. Episode 15: Ep #15 - Scaling Ethics: Architecture, Accountability, and the Future of Leadership w/ Ryan Roberts

    · with Ryan Roberts

    Takeaways Ethics must be integrated into the architecture of AI systems. Curiosity drives innovation and leadership. AI poses risks that require proactive architectural planning. Measuring AI ethics is crucial for accountability. Most businesses fail due to lack of architectural foresight. The Architecture Maturity Index helps identify vulnerabilities. Contingency planning is essential for business survival. Leadership should focus on systems that support ethical decision-making. Government must regulate data collection to prevent information asymmetry. Future leaders must understand AI's implications for society. Summary In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon engages with Ryan Roberts to explore the intersection of ethics, architecture, and leadership in the age of AI. They discuss the importance of integrating ethical considerations into the design of AI systems, the need for accountability frameworks, and the role of curiosity in driving innovation. Ryan shares insights on the Architecture Maturity Index, a tool for identifying vulnerabilities in organizations, and emphasizes the necessity of contingency planning for business survival. The conversation also touches on the responsibilities of government in regulating AI and the importance of preparing future leaders to navigate the complexities of AI ethics. Chapters 00:00 The Ethics of AI and Leadership 02:28 Curiosity and Personal Growth 05:25 Understanding Ethical Architecture 10:00 The Importance of Accountability in AI 15:34 Measuring AI Ethics and Accountability 19:10 The Role of Human Oversight in AI 24:14 Architecting for Success in AI 29:36 The Future of Ethical Leadership 30:58 Understanding AI's Impact on Leadership 34:41 The Architecture Maturity Index Explained 40:39 Scaling: More Than Just Revenue 46:59 Designing for Failure: The Importance of Contingency Planning 51:46 Future Leadership in the Age of AI 54:42 Government's Role in AI Regulation 58:08 Advice for the Next Generation on AI --------------------------- Thinking about implementing AI in your business? Download Mykel Salomon's free 10-Step AI Strategy & Execution Roadmap to clarify the business problem, identify the right opportunities, decide what should remain human, and move from idea to execution. Clarity first. Tools second. Humans always: https://dub.sh/thp-roadmap-yt Technology is changing quickly. The human questions matter just as much. Subscribe to The Human Protocol newsletter for weekly perspectives on AI, leadership, work, and what it means to stay human while building the future: https://act-3-agency.link/thp-news-yt

  45. Episode 14: Ep #14 - Recruit to Retain in the Age of AI w/ Janice Litvin

    · with Janice Litvin

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon and guest Janice Litvin discuss the evolving landscape of recruiting in the age of AI. They explore the importance of maintaining human connections in recruitment, the role of AI in streamlining processes, and the critical need for companies to focus on retention by fostering a supportive workplace culture. Janice shares insights on how to rehumanize recruitment, the significance of psychological safety, and offers practical advice for job seekers and HR leaders alike. The conversation emphasizes that while technology can assist in finding talent, it is ultimately the human element that sustains relationships and drives success in organizations.

  46. Episode 13: Ep #13 - The Capacity Gap: Unlocking Human Potential in the Age of AI w/ Philippe Mesritz

    · with Philippe Mesritz

    The conversation explores the critical need for businesses to adapt to the AI landscape. Philippe Mesritz emphasizes the importance of training teams across various functions to thrive in an AI-driven world. He warns that failure to embrace AI will lead to obsolescence, highlighting the evolving roles in sales, customer success, and support as they integrate AI technologies.

  47. Episode 12: Authenticity Is the Human Advantage AI Can’t Replicate | Tom Cox

    · with Tom Cox

    In the episode "Authenticity Is the Human Advantage AI Can’t Replicate," host Mykel Salomon discusses authenticity's critical role in leadership with Tom Cox, founder of Vertical Motion. They explore how authenticity and empathy are increasingly valued as technology advances, underscoring the idea that AI, despite its capabilities, cannot replace the intrinsic qualities that make us human. Tom emphasizes the importance of human connection and authenticity as tools that will become even more valuable in the AI-driven future.

  48. Episode 11: Ep #12 - Leading Human: Developing Leaders in the Age of AI w/ Alisha (Ali) Joseph

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon engages with Alicia Joseph, a leadership development expert, to explore the evolving landscape of leadership in the age of AI. They discuss the importance of empathy in leadership, the necessity of adapting to AI's impact on work, and the significance of real-time feedback and coaching. Alicia shares her journey into leadership, emphasizing the importance of purpose over title, and offers practical advice for organizations and individuals navigating the integration of AI into their operations. The conversation highlights the need for a human-centric approach in leadership, especially as technology continues to advance.

  49. Episode 10: Ep #10 - Brave Conversations: AI, Change, and the Human Side of Work w/ Neal Travis

    · with Neal Travis

    🎧 What does it take to lead with courage in an era of AI and constant change? In this episode of The Human Protocol, Mykel Salomon sits down with Neal Travis to explore the human side of transformation , from vulnerability and adaptability to communication and trust. Together, they unpack how leaders can hold brave conversations that spark clarity, reshape culture, and guide teams through uncertainty. 💡 If you’ve ever wondered how to stay human while navigating the future of work, this conversation is for you.

  50. Episode 9: Ep #9 - Ideas You Didn’t Know You Had: AI and the Future of Content w/ Andrew Rios

    · with Andrew Rios

    In this episode of the Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon and guest Coach Andrew Rios discuss the intersection of AI and human creativity. They explore how AI can serve as a tool for idea generation, content creation, and amplifying creativity while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a personal touch in the content produced. The conversation also touches on the cautious navigation of AI technology, the role of businesses and governments in implementing AI, and the personal journey of finding one's voice through technology.

  51. Episode 8: Episode #8 - The Responsibility Protocol: Guiding AI with Human Intent w/ Kenji Hayward

    · with Kenji Hayward

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon and guest Kenji Hayward discuss the transformative impact of AI on customer support. They explore the importance of leading AI responsibly, the need for continuous learning, and the significance of maintaining the human element in AI interactions. Kenji shares insights on how to integrate AI effectively, emphasizing the importance of upskilling teams and leveraging data for proactive support. The conversation highlights the evolving roles in customer support and the necessity for leaders to embrace AI with a mindset focused on quality and customer experience.

  52. Episode 7: You Can’t Automate What You Don’t Understand: The Human Intelligence Behind Financial Fluency

    · with Jay Nathan

    In this episode of the Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon engages with tech executive Jay Nathan to explore the critical intersection of leadership, financial literacy, and the evolving role of AI in business. They discuss the importance of understanding financial metrics for effective leadership, the nuances of unit economics, and how AI can enhance efficiency without replacing human decision-making. Jay shares valuable insights for new leaders in tech, the significance of cash flow over revenue, and the potential risks of the current AI bubble. The conversation emphasizes the need for practical learning in conferences and the importance of solving real problems with technology.

  53. Episode 6: Episode #6 - The 2-Person Startup Revolution: AI, Agents, and Human Vision w/Bradley Friemel

    · with Bradley Friemel

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon engages with tech visionary Bradley Freemel to explore the intersection of AI, entrepreneurship, and the future of startups. They discuss the rise of fractional CTO roles, the impact of AI on lean startups, and the importance of human creativity in an AI-driven world. Bradley shares insights on how startups can leverage AI to enhance their operations and the challenges that come with it. The conversation also touches on the responsibilities of AI companies, the role of policymakers, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

  54. Episode 5: Episode #5 - Resilience & Efficiency: The Human Advantage in the Age of AI w/ Sam Chandler

    · with Sam Chandler

    In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon engages with customer retention expert Sam Chandler to explore the intersection of AI, resilience, and human connection. They discuss the importance of resilience over efficiency in the age of AI, the psychology behind customer engagement, and how AI is reshaping customer expectations. The conversation emphasizes the need for empathy in customer support, the role of storytelling in maintaining human connection, and the importance of trust and transparency in AI interactions. Sam shares valuable insights on preparing for the future of work with AI, offering advice for individuals, companies, and governments on navigating this evolving landscape.

  55. Episode 4: Episode #4 - The Human Upgrade: The Discipline of Reinvention in the Age of AI w/ Amir Khawaja

    · with Amir Khawaja

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon engages with Amir Khawaja, a distinguished engineer and leader in AI and technology. They discuss the importance of adaptability and discipline in the age of AI, the evolving roles within organizations, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI governance. Amir emphasizes the need for empathy in leadership and the significance of critical thinking as a vital skill in navigating the future with AI. The conversation also touches on the role of government in regulating AI and the implications of technology on society.

  56. Episode 3: Episode #3 - Learn AI or Be Led by It: Why AI Literacy Matters for Everyone w/ Tiffany Whitener

    · with Tiffany Whitener

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon and guest Tiffany Whitener discuss the importance of AI literacy for everyone, emphasizing that understanding AI is crucial for personal and professional growth. Tiffany shares her journey with AI, illustrating how it has transformed her daily life and work. The conversation covers the impact of AI on jobs, the necessity of responsible AI development, and the importance of data privacy. Tiffany encourages listeners to embrace AI as a tool for enhancement rather than a replacement, highlighting the need for diverse voices in AI development and the role of leadership in fostering AI adoption. The episode concludes with advice for various stakeholders, including non-users, tech leaders, and governments, on how to navigate the evolving landscape of AI.

  57. Episode 2: Episode #2 : The Rise of Campfire Communities

    · with Nate Brown

    In this episode, host Mykel Salomon converses with Nate Brown about the evolution of communities in an AI-driven world, emphasizing the shift from performative engagement to purpose-driven micro-communities, or "campfire communities." These intimate spaces foster genuine learning, leadership, and loyalty, counterbalancing the alienation that burgeoning technology can cause. As AI continues to integrate into various facets of life, the conversation stresses the importance of cultivating spaces where people can foster belonging and shared purpose, suggesting that these communities are essential to maintaining humanity's core values amidst technological disruption.

  58. Episode 1: Episode #1 : Redefining the role of the Tech Leader in the Age of AI Disruption

    · with Renard Henry

    In this episode of The Human Protocol Podcast, host Mykel Salomon engages with Renard Henry, Head of IT at Toyota Connected, discussing the evolving role of IT leaders in the age of AI. Renard shares his journey from New Orleans to becoming a technology executive, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and leadership. The conversation explores the shift of IT from a support role to a strategic partner, the impact of AI on future job roles, and the necessity of balancing technological efficiency with human connection. Renard also provides insights on the skills needed for the future workforce and the importance of governance in AI implementation.