In the second episode of our Hybrid Intelligence podcast we continue exploring the theme of Optimism. I was delighted to have a conversation with designer, technologist and author Pete Trainor. Pete is an active mental health campaigner, speaks globally on a number of topics including Ai, ethics and technology: his 2020 TEDx talk being a fine example. He also chairs the Ai think tank for British Interactive Media Association. His book Hippo: Human Focused Digital was is a best seller and takes a philosophical look at design and technology.
Pete has recently become CEO of Vala Health, a digital healthcare company. This is a leadership transition that traditionally not many creatives and designers make and we touch upon that topic here. Our conversation also takes place amid the rapid adoption telemedicine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are fascinating times for Vala Health and healthcare in general. Pete believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is for healthcare what the 2008 Financial Crisis was for banking: a watershed moment that will lead to innovation and an intense period of collaboration.
As you’ll hear, Pete’s career and work provide numerous entry points and interesting perspectives for a conversation around optimism. For example, one of his guiding philosophies is “don’t make things better, make better things”, which I describe as “applied optimism”. With so much to talk to Pete about, our conversation, unsurprisingly, takes us through a diverse set of topics such as the challenges of healthcare innovation, minimum viable personality, whether an optimistic mindset can be cultivated and that being optimistic means being realistic. We hope you enjoy the episode!
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Lee Sankey
Founder
6th May 2020
