Episode 71: Staying human with AI

CultureHealth
Written By Joanna Lepore
 

Listen here or wherever you pod:

Watch the video interview on YouTube:

Looking Outside is for curious people looking for a fresh take on familiar topics, in business and beyond.

Enough with the “Delving” – Staying Human in the Age of AI. Live from SXSW, Austin Texas 2025.

Is AI making us better or worse at communicating? On one hand, platforms like ChatGPT have unlocked the ability to instantly create and customize vast reams of messaging – emails, social posts, and more. But the telltale fingerprints of AI, from overused words like “innovative” and “delve,” its preference for middle-of-the-road conclusions, and its tendency to yap at length, are also hurting our ability to actually connect with our audience. In this panel, explore how both individuals and brands can be better communicators in the age of AI.

Panel:

  • Joanna Lepore - @lookingoutside  Host and foresight strategist

  • Ben Guttmann - Marketing executive and author

  • Usama Fayyad - Executive Director of Institute for Experiential AI at  @Northeastern  University

  • Moderated by Melina Palmer - Founder & CEO of The Brainy Business  @TheBrainyBiz 

This is a recording of a live panel that took place March 7, 2025 at SXSW in Austin, Texas in the Advertising & Brand Experience Track. Shared with with permission from SXSW. Edited for clarify.

Learn more about the panelists:

Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them, recently named best business book of 2023 by the IBPA Book Awards. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, Hachette Book Group, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands. His writing or his work can be seen in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ADWEEK, Crain's New York Business, and other outlets.

Usama Fayyad is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University. Previous roles include Global Chief Data Officer at Barclays Bank and Chief Data Officer at Yahoo. Usama has published over 100 technical articles on data science, AI/ML, and other topics, and holds more than 20 patents.

Melina Palmer is CEO of The Brainy Business, which helps companies around the world apply behavioral economics so customers buy and
employees buy in. She has written three bestselling books and hosts The Brainy Business podcast, which has more than 1.2 million downloads in over
170 countries. A consultant and keynote speaker, she also teaches applied behavioral economics via the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab and has
spoken at the largest indoor TEDx in the world, at TEDxPortland. She and her work have been featured in many outlets, including Inc and Psychology
Today.

Joanna Lepore is a global foresight strategist, extensively involved in the foresight and futures community. Jo is EVP of Foresight and Global Market Expansion Strategy at Dig Insights, Founder of Foresight Inside Group, a network for corporate foresight professionals, and Associated Partner with the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies. A prominent voice in corporate foresight, Jo established and expanded the foresight practice for McDonald's and Mars Wrigley within their global headquarters in the United States. As the ‘in-house futurist’, Jo pushed global leaders to think long term, building on 15 years brand-side experience in marketing and innovation. 

All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme song by Azteca X.

 
Joanna Lepore https://looking-outside.com
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