The theme of the Artificiality Summit 2026 is Unknowing. We start with five speakers—David Wolpert, Caleb Scharf, Wakanyi Macharia-Hoffman, Gašper Beguš, and Nina Beguš—whose work converges on a single finding: the uncertainty surrounding AI is permanent, not a phase.
In this episode, Dave interviews Helen about her recent article in Quartz, “Are AI ethicists making any difference?” Some of the topics we explore include:
Why is there a rush to hire AI ethicists in the tech industry?
What do AI ethicists do?
Why are people skeptical and what is “ethics washing” and “ethics bashing?”
What does Jacob Metcalf of Data & Society mean by saying that ethics is “the vessel which we use to hold our values?”
What does Josh Lovejoy of Microsoft mean by saying that ethics need not be seen as a philosophical add-on “but as just good design?”
What are AI checklists and why is their use good practice?
Dave Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. He previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Apple, CRV, Macromedia, Morgan Stanley, Quartz, and ThinkEquity.
Helen Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. She previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Meridian Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric, Quartz, and Transpower.
