INNER INTELLIGENCE

In this conversation of Inner Intelligence, I sit down with Taryn Southern, an artist, filmmaker, and creative technologist whose work explores the intersection of emerging technology and human potential. She created one of the first AI-composed pop albums and directed I Am Human, a documentary about people living with brain-computer interfaces.

We talk about how AI is changing the way we create, work, and express ourselves. Taryn shares her experience using AI as a creative collaborator and why she believes we may be entering a new renaissance of creativity, where people can bring together different skills, interests, and ideas in ways that weren’t possible before.

We also explore the questions that come with these possibilities: How do we maintain our own voice when working with AI? What happens to our sense of purpose as technology transforms work? And how do we develop the discernment and inner wisdom to know when technology is helping us—and when it’s taking us in the wrong direction?

We discuss why women’s voices matter in shaping emerging technologies and how greater access to AI tools could help more people participate, create, and bring their ideas to life.

At the heart of our conversation is a question: Can we embrace the creative possibilities of AI while staying connected to our own intelligence, values, and sense of self?

In this conversation

* AI as a creative collaborator and the future of artistic expression

* Finding and maintaining our own voice when working with AI

* The relationship between knowledge, creativity, and inner wisdom

* How technology is changing work and our understanding of purpose

* Why women’s participation in shaping AI matters

* Using AI to expand human potential without becoming dependent on it

About Taryn

Taryn Southern is an artist, filmmaker, and creative technologist working at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and human potential. She is known for her pioneering work with AI-generated music and for directing I Am Human, a documentary exploring the lives of people using brain-computer interfaces.

Connect with Taryn

Website: https://tarynsouthern.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarynsouthern/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarynsouthern

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TarynSouthern

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulwithnina.substack.com

In this episode of INNER INTELLIGENCE, I sit down with Dr. Karina Alexanyan, Founding Executive Director of the Positive Technology Institute, a nonprofit working to promote technologies that support human flourishing.

We talk about a different way of approaching innovation: What if we started by imagining the world we want to live in, and then asked how technology could help us create it?

We explore the possibilities and challenges of AI, from its potential to empower individuals and expand creativity to the questions it raises about human agency, trust, and responsibility.

We also talk about the human capacities we need to cultivate as technology advances, including curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and connection. And why creating a better future requires more than technological progress. It requires people coming together around shared values and taking action.

At the heart of our conversation is a question: How can we make sure technology serves humanity, rather than the other way around?

In this conversation

* Why ethical innovation and profitability can go hand in hand

* Starting with the world we want to create, rather than the technology we can build

* Human agency and our ability to shape the future of AI

* Curiosity, creativity, and the human skills that matter in an increasingly automated world

* How AI can empower individuals while also creating new challenges

* The importance of diversity, trust, and human connection

* Moving beyond fear toward a more hopeful vision of the future

About Dr. Karina Alexanyan

Dr. Karina Alexanyan is the Founding Executive Director of the Positive Technology Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting technologies for human flourishing, with a focus on sovereignty, well-being, and abundance.

She has worked at the intersection of technology, social science, and social impact throughout her career, including research at Harvard’s Berkman Center, work at Stanford, and collaborations with organizations such as Partnership on AI, All Tech Is Human, and Internet Safety Labs.

Through the Positive Technology Institute, Karina brings together researchers, innovators, and funders who want to develop technology that benefits people and the planet.

One of the institute’s initiatives is the Positive Technology Pledge, a commitment to creating and supporting technologies that contribute to human flourishing. The pledge is open to individuals who want to be part of a growing community working toward a more positive technological future.

Connect with Dr. Karina Alexanyan

* Positive Technology Institute:

https://www.positivetechinstitute.org

* Read and sign the Positive Technology Pledge: https://www.positivetechinstitute.org/pledge

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinaalexanyan

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulwithnina.substack.com

In this conversation of Inner Intelligence, I sit down with Lyle Maxson, founder of Above, an AI wearable designed to help people notice patterns in their conversations and relationships.

We talk about what Lyle calls benevolent technology, how Above works, and whether AI can help us become more aware of the ways we show up in everyday life.

We explore the questions that come with that possibility: privacy, trust, AI companionship, and the difference between receiving support from a tool and becoming dependent on it. We also talk about the human capacities we may need to cultivate as technology moves faster—attention, discernment, empathy, and connection.

At the heart of our conversation is a question: Can technology help us grow while bringing us closer to ourselves and each other?

In this conversation

* What benevolent technology means to Lyle

* How Above reflects patterns in conversations and relationships

* Privacy, trust, and the values behind AI tools

* AI companionship, coaching, and human connection

* Awareness, discernment, and emotional skills in the age of AI

* Bringing what we learn from technology into everyday life

About Lyle

Lyle Maxson is the founder of Above. Before building Above, he worked on games and immersive experiences focused on well-being. His work explores how technology can support awareness, personal growth, and more connected relationships.

Connect with Lyle

* Website — Above⁠

* Instagram — @lylemaxson⁠

* LinkedIn — Lyle Maxson⁠

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulwithnina.substack.com

In this first conversation of Inner Intelligence, I sit down with Caverly Morgan — teacher of awakening, author, and founder of Peace in Schools.

We talk about the conditioning that shapes how we see ourselves, what happens when we begin to question the stories we’ve inherited, and the difference between knowing something intellectually and experiencing it directly.

We explore self-criticism and self-compassion, our relationship with technology, the difference between information and wisdom, and why learning to return to our own direct experience may matter more than ever.

At the heart of our conversation is a simple question: Who are we, really?

In this conversation

• Who we are beneath our conditioning

• Self-criticism and self-compassion

• Knowledge, wisdom, and direct experience

• Where we look for answers — outside ourselves and within

• Our relationship with AI and technology

• Attention, embodiment, nature, and human connection

• What it means to remember who we really are

About Caverly

Caverly Morgan is a teacher of awakening, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder. Her practice began in 1995 and included eight years of training in a silent Zen monastery. She is the founder of Peace in Schools and the author of The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together and A Kids Book About Mindfulness.

Connect with Caverly

* Website — Caverly Morgan: caverlymorgan.org⁠

* Substack — Caverly Morgan

* Instagram — @caverlymorgan

* Book — The Heart of Who We Are

* Free contemplative journal + meditations: Free journal⁠

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulwithnina.substack.com