What does an AI strategy with humans at the center look like?
Thoughtworks Technology Podcast
Thoughtworks
4.5 • 58 Ratings
🗓️ 16 October 2025
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Everyone knows an AI strategy is important — but how do you build one with humans at the center? That's a question Tiankai Feng, Thoughtworks Global Director for Data and AI Strategy, has been pondering ever since the publication of his 2024 book Humanizing Data Strategy. Now, just over a year later, he's outlined his thinking in a follow-up, Humanizing AI Strategy. With the subtitle "leading AI with sense and soul," it's a practical and thoughtful guide aimed at helping the industry rethink the way AI is embedded and leveraged across organizations.
In this episode of the Technology Podcast, Tiankai joins host Prem Chandrasekaran to discuss his new book. He explains why he wrote it, how it compares to his first book and discusses the framework it puts forward. Listen for a fresh perspective on AI in business and some practical strategies for leaders to bring purpose and conscience to AI initiatives.
Learn more about Humanizing AI Strategy: https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/books/humanizing-ai-strategy
Read a Q&A with Tiankai: https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/data-strategy/how-put-human-center-ai
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello everyone. |
| 0:09.0 | Welcome to yet another episode of the ThoughtWorks Technology podcast. |
| 0:13.5 | My name is Prem Chandar Shekran. |
| 0:15.1 | I'm one of the regular hosts on the podcast. |
| 0:17.4 | And today, I'm joined by Tiang Kai Feng, who is a thought worker who is written |
| 0:23.7 | two books now, one on humanizing data strategy and then the latest book that he's written |
| 0:30.7 | which just released a month ago on humanizing AI strategy. |
| 0:36.5 | And that's going to be the topic of our conversation today. |
| 0:40.6 | Hello, to Yang Kai. |
| 0:41.9 | Can you please introduce yourself? |
| 0:43.8 | Absolutely. |
| 0:44.3 | Hello, Pram. |
| 0:44.9 | It's great to be here. |
| 0:45.9 | I'm Kankai. |
| 0:46.6 | I currently work as a director for data and AI strategy on the global side. |
| 0:51.3 | And that means that we basically look into approaches and solutions for strategic and |
| 0:56.3 | governance problems around data and I have a big passion for the human side of data |
| 1:01.2 | I because I believe that most of the issues that we have in data and I are rooted in human |
| 1:06.0 | factors, right? |
| 1:06.8 | Like bad decisions, lack of knowledge, bad collaboration, all the things finally lead to things not working. |
| 1:13.1 | So I basically decided to write not one, but even two books about it. |
| 1:16.6 | Wonderful. So let's get straight into it. |
... |
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