Nell Watson on How AI Is Already Rewiring Us

In this thought-provoking episode, Gary A. Bolles sits down with Nell Watson—Singularity University faculty member, AI ethicist, and president of the European Responsible AI Office—for a wide-ranging conversation on the exponential future of artificial intelligence and the ethical design challenges that come with it.

Nell shares how a childhood steeped in engineering and science fiction shaped her vision for a more human-centered technological future. She reflects on lessons from the Titanic, the ethics of design, and how our values often lag behind our innovations.

Together, they explore:

• Why the real danger of AI isn’t Terminator—it’s the psychological and social rewiring already underway.
• How AI will soon become a “supernormal stimulus”—deeply engaging, ever-present, and emotionally irresistible.
• What it means to build AI that uplifts rather than addicts, inspires rather than replaces.
• The importance of embedding ethics not as an afterthought but as a design foundation—much like safety standards in aviation or food.
• How we must prepare children and society to thrive in a world where AI companions may one day be more influential than human ones.
• Why learning to “be a beginner again” is one of the greatest skills we’ll need in the AI age.

Nell offers a hopeful vision—if we’re wise enough to teach AI to make us better, not just more efficient.