In this Implementors episode, host Ted Wolf sits down with Dr. Jill Fain Lehman, Senior Project Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human–Computer Interaction Institute, for a thoughtful conversation on trust, ethics, and the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. Dr. Lehman draws on more than three decades of AI and HCI research to explain why trust is the defining challenge of AI adoption. She explores how transparency, explainability, and human oversight shape whether people accept or resist intelligent systems — especially as AI moves from experimentation into high-stakes decision-making. Ted and Dr. Lehman unpack the AI hype cycle, clarifying what today’s large language models can and cannot do, and why responsible implementation requires acknowledging limitations rather than overpromising capability. The discussion highlights the importance of ethical frameworks, thoughtful interface design, and maintaining human judgment in AI-driven workflows. The conversation also touches on Dr. Lehman’s novel Private I, which uses storytelling to explore AI consciousness and society’s relationship with intelligent machines. As organizations increasingly integrate AI into everyday work, this episode offers essential insight for leaders, technologists, and practitioners seeking to build trustworthy systems and foster meaningful, responsible human–AI collaboration in the years ahead.
