Programming Computers or Programming People?

In this episode, we talk to Dr. James Guszca, the Chief Data Scientist at Deloitte USA and a visiting fellow at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences. Jim is a renowned expert in behavioral economics and data science with more than twenty years of experience in data, machine learning, and ethical aspects of AI. During his career, he built some of the first algorithms for the largest insurance companies, held several professorship positions, and published prolific studies on the intersection of human behavior, data, and AI. In this podcast, we focus on the confluence of behavioral insights, machine learning, data science, and AI. We talk about nudges, the value of personal data to individuals, the possibility of aligning corporate interests with the interests of individuals, building new applications that would rely on customer data, and nudge people to make better decisions. Jim explains how Nobel prize-winning behavioral scientists developed the theories of smart disclosures and data ownership to help consumers get better insights and improve their behavior. We talk about the significance of choice architecture and defaults in helping individuals make better decisions about their lives. This podcast is full of practical examples from insurance and health care domains as well as the societal value of data generated by various smart IoT devices and wearables.