In the rush to automate, something essential is at risk of being lost: us.
But across procurement, energy, healthcare, data ethics, and enterprise AI, a new wave of innovators is pushing back, not against AI itself, but against the idea that it must come at the expense of human judgment, context, and care.
In this five-part interview series from AI Frontier Network, we hear from founders, technologists, and strategists who are building AI that respects the people it’s meant to serve. From agentic workflows to explainability, permissioned data to healthcare empathy, each of these leaders is solving urgent problems with a deeply human lens.
Kevin Frechette: Origins of Fairmarkit and the Rise of Agentic Procurement
What if AI could automate tedious procurement tasks, without erasing the people who do them?
Kevin Frechette, co-founder of Fairmarkit, is reimagining procurement with “agentic” AI: systems that proactively assist buyers while preserving human oversight. In this candid conversation, Frechette shares Fairmarkit’s origin story, the early friction of AI adoption, and why engineers should build with domain experts, not just for them.
Darren Kimura: Energy AI and the Human-Centered Venture Mindset
As a clean tech pioneer turned venture capitalist, Darren Kimura has long believed in solving for both impact and scalability.
This episode charts Kimura’s journey from developing energy-saving tech to backing AI ventures that prioritize human-centered design. He addresses the challenges of bringing ethical products to market and explains why truly transformative innovation always begins with empathy.
Charlie Silver: Why the Next AI Wave Will Be Fueled by Permissioned Data
Charlie Silver, founder of Permission.io, wants to flip the script on the data economy.
In his view, the next generation of AI won’t just require more data, it will demand better data: permissioned, transparent, and user-consented. Silver outlines the economic incentives, privacy frameworks, and technical shifts required to achieve this, and explains why trust, not just scale, will define the future of intelligent systems.
Joy Dasgupta: Building Safe Enterprise AI at Global Scale
As AI spreads across global enterprises, Joy Dasgupta is making sure it doesn’t outpace responsibility.
A leader in enterprise AI strategy, Dasgupta shares the playbook for deploying scalable, explainable systems inside complex organizations. From working with regulators to aligning C-suite goals, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the intersection of trust, compliance, and innovation.
Autumn Kyoko Cushman: Fixing Healthcare with AI and Human-Centered Design
Autumn Kyoko Cushman doesn’t just design AI for healthcare; she designs with patients in mind.
In this moving episode, Cushman unpacks what it really means to humanize digital health. From broken workflows to clinician burnout, she explains how AI can support, not replace, the human care system. Her call for compassionate, inclusive design is a timely reminder: the most advanced technology is useless if it can’t meet people where they are.
These aren’t just conversations about AI. They’re blueprints for building a future where intelligence, artificial or otherwise, never loses sight of its most important input: humanity.
Explore the full series at AI Frontier Network
