Mostly Human with Laurie Segall

Parenting has always been messy. AI is trying to make it frictionless. In this debut episode of Mostly Human, longtime tech journalist Laurie Segall explores the human side of our rapidly evolving technological world with "Millennial Parent Whisperer," Dr. Becky. The clinical psychologist and founder of Good Inside talks about what happens when kids grow up in a world of shortcuts — where answers are instant, validation is constant, and discomfort can be avoided altogether. Laurie and Dr. Becky explore how AI is reshaping emotional development, the importance of “hard moments” in young lives, and how parents can tackle some of today’s trickiest problems from AI companions to deepfakes. But they also talk about how AI can be used for good and how the scariest-seeming tech threats become less intimidating when you simply focus on the human emotion behind it. Dr. Becky is here to give parents — and humans of all shapes — the scaffolding to face whatever comes next in tech (and life).
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We’re living through one of the most extraordinary tech accelerations in human history. But too often, it can feel like tech is happening to us. Longtime tech journalist Laurie Segall is here to change that. Her new podcast, Mostly Human, explores the intersection of tech and humanity—offering a bridge to the future, one where we all benefit from innovation. Each week, Laurie brings you first-hand experiments with new trends, investigations into the darker corners of the internet, and rare-access interviews with both news-making tech titans and the people you don’t know yet—but should. Through immersive, in-depth conversations about the future, she tackles some of the defining questions of our time—leaving you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you. Mostly Human is tech through the most important lens: the human one. Find new episodes every Thursday right here in this feed, starting March 26, 2026.
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Our new hyperconnected lifestyles have revealed weaknesses in the technology we use every day. But new problems lead to new solutions. That’s where innovation comes from. Phil Libin is probably best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Evernote. These days he heads up a company called All Turtles, whose latest project mmhmm wants to save us all from the Zoom-apocalypse and revolutionize how we will work in the future. Phil sets a high ethical bar for the creators of new technology, including himself: It’s their responsibility to think about the intentional and unintentional impact of their products, he says. Not just the impact on the technology’s users, but also on people who don’t use it at all…
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Show Notes
*All Turtles
*mmhmm
*The Gray Area Newsletter #1, featuring Phil Libin

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Facebook has ambitious plans for virtual reality. And Andrew “Boz” Bosworth is in charge of it all. He says we’ve only scratched the surface of how VR and AR technology will transform society. So what does that future look like? How do you make virtual interaction feel as natural as in-person interaction? How do you prevent harassment, without prohibiting intimacy? How will virtual spaces change the way we work? The way we learn? The way we play? And when it comes to your virtual self - who owns your identity? As Facebook dives head first into the next technological frontier, will they manage to avoid the mistakes of their past?

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Douglas
Engelbart 
Facebook
Horizon
Facebook
Project Aria 
Codec Avatar

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What happens to our civil liberties when an algorithm is used by law enforcement to make an arrest? Even more concerning, what happens when that facial recognitiontechnology is racially biased? As we enter an age of ubiquitous surveillance, it’s minorities - especially people of color - who are disproportionately affected. The ACLU has recently filed a complaint on behalf of a Black man who was wrongfully arrested dueto faulty police facial recognition tech. It’s the first case in the US, but it’s unlikely to be the last because, according to the ACLU - the tech often can’t tell Black people apart. The organization that has been fighting for civil rights protections forover 100 years, is now calling on lawmakers nationwide to stop law enforcement use of facial recognition technology. For Susan Herman, it’s an extraordinary time to be president of the ACLU. Over the years, the American Civil Liberties Union has fought forfree speech, reproductive rights, and privacy. But as technology continues to muddy the waters, the tradeoffs become more complicated. Where do we draw the line between security and privacy? Herman says we must act now.————————————Show Notes
ACLU
People Power
Robert Williams’ Op-ed in The Washington Post



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