Navigating the Nuances of AI and Climate Action with Kate O'Neil
Season 5: Episode 4
Trigger Warning: This conversation contains content on suicide.
Host Eric Benson speaks with Tech Humanist Kate O’Neill to explore how technology, empathy, and bold thinking can spark real climate action. From strategic optimism to future-ready solutions, Kate shares powerful insights on bridging AI, tech, and sustainability. Whether you're in climate, tech, or just want to make a difference, this episode will leave you energized and ready to act**.**
About our guest
Kate O'Neill is a digital innovator, chief executive, business writer, and keynote speaker.
As founder and CEO of KO Insights, she leads a strategic advisory firm that improves human experience at scale — particularly in data-driven, AI-led, and algorithmically-optimized interactions.
Her clients and audiences include Adobe, the cities of Amsterdam and Austin, Cambridge, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Etsy, Getty Images, Google, Harvard, IBM, McDonald's, Microsoft, the United Nations, Yale, and Zoom. Before founding KO Insights, Kate was one of the first 100 employees at Netflix, a technologist at Toshiba, and founder of the groundbreaking analytics firm, [meta]marketer.
Her work has earned widespread recognition. She was named "Technology Entrepreneur of the Year," a "Power Leader in Technology," and a "Woman of Influence." Google featured her in their global campaign for women in entrepreneurship, and Thinkers50, the premier global ranking of management thinkers, included her on their list of the World's Management Thinkers to Watch and shortlisted her for their Distinguished Award for Digital Thinking.
Her insights have been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and WIRED, and she has appeared as an expert tech commentator on the BBC and NPR. Known for making complex topics relatable, Kate is a sought-after keynote speaker who has addressed hundreds of thousands of audience members at conferences and corporate events worldwide.
She's authored six books, including four on business strategy and technology: Tech Humanist, Pixels and Place, A Future So Bright, and What Matters Next.
Links mentioned in this episode
No matter where we work, every job is a climate job now
Social Media
Music in this episode
Nature sound effect by bbc.co.uk – ©2023 BBC
Climify Theme Song by Casual Motive
The Season 5 Climify Team
Eric Benson (Host)
Bhavna Bhavanishankar (Experience Researcher and Multisensory Educator)
Adam Dziaba (Researcher)
Jacqui Himmel (Multimedia Journalist and Scriptwriter)
Tyler Mayfield (Designer)
Brianna Regione (Social Media Strategist)
Climate Design Assignments
At the end of each episode, we ask our guests what their ideal climate design project would be. They have four weeks with a class full of design students. We translated their response into a project brief that you can use for your class.
