AI and Behavioral Science in Public Policy with Laura de Moliere

In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, host Samuel Salzer is joined by Laura de Moliere, a behavioral scientist with deep expertise in applying behavioral insights to public policy. As the former head of behavioral science at the UK Cabinet Office, Laura has worked at the intersection of behavioral science and policymaking during some of the most high-stakes moments in recent history, including Brexit and COVID-19.

Samuel and Laura explore the evolving role of AI in behavioral science, reflecting on how AI can enhance decision-making, improve policymaking, and surface unintended consequences. Laura shares her AI “aha moment”—when she realized the potential of large language models to support policymakers in making more behaviorally informed decisions.

The discussion also covers the promises and perils of AI in behavioral science, the potential of synthetic users to test interventions, and the growing challenge of balancing AI’s capabilities with human biases and policymaking needs. The episode wraps up with a playful quickfire round, where Laura debates the use of AI in everything from tax optimization to gamified urinals.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of AI, behavioral science, and public policy, offering a nuanced and thought-provoking perspective on the future of AI in decision-making.

LINKS:

• Laura de Moliere:

• LinkedIn Profile

• INCASE Framework on Unintended Consequences

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 A Surprise Gift

05:38 Reflections on 2025

09:28 AI and Behavioral Science

19:29 Introducing Laura de Moliere

21:30 Start of Laura interview

33:08 Applying Behavioral Science to AI and Government

35:16 Behavioral Science and AI: Use Cases and Impacts

36:32 Understanding and Interacting with AI Models

47:43 Synthetic Users and Their Potential

01:01:08 Quickfire Round: To AI or Not to AI

01:06:35 Controversial Opinions on AI

--

Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Predictions for 2025: AI, AGI, and the Future of Behavioral Science with Jared Peterson

In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, host Samuel is joined by Jared Peterson, a behavioral scientist and expert in decision science at Nuance Behavior. Together, they explore some of the most pressing questions and exciting developments at the intersection of AI, behavioral science, and the future of human-centered design.

The conversation highlights key advancements from 2024, including the rise of multimodal AI, breakthroughs in AI agents, and the transformative use of AI in scientific research. Samuel and Jared share bold predictions for 2025, tackling questions like:

• Will AI agents become trusted coworkers?
• Can AI revolutionize science?
• And how should we navigate the hype surrounding artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

The discussion is packed with hot takes, nuanced perspectives, and thoughtful reflections, including Jared’s controversial prediction about the future of AI in predicting research replicability.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the rapidly evolving AI landscape and its implications for behavioral science, creativity, and society at large.

For questions or comments - email samuel@nuancebehavior..com

LINKS:

• Jared's website
• Jared's linkedin
• The Science of Context
• A Failure to Disagree

• 
  

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Meet Jared Peterson: Behavioral Scientist and AI Expert

01:01 – Reflections on 2024: Key Breakthroughs and Predictions

03:36 – The Multimodal Evolution of AI

10:06 – AI Surpassing Human Benchmarks

21:25 – The Rise of AI Agents and Synthetic Content

35:18 – Musical Turing Test: AI vs. Eurovision

43:26 –Predictions for 2025: AI Coworkers and Beyond

44:06 – AI Coworkers: The Future of Work?

51:11 – AI in Science: Revolutionizing Research

01:05:56 – The Hype and Reality of AGI

01:10:42 – Adoption Challenges and Future Predictions

01:25:40 – Final Thoughts and Controversial Predictions

--

Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Exploring Psychological Targeting and the Power of AI with Sandra Matz

In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel sit down with Sandra Matz, leading expert on psychological targeting and Associate Professor of Business at Columbia Business School.

As a computational social scientist, Sandra uses Big Data analytics and experimental methods to study human behavior, uncovering how psychological traits influence business outcomes like financial well-being, consumer satisfaction, and team performance.

The conversation covers how digital footprints from social media, GPS data, and more are leveraged to create psychological profiles, shaping everything from advertisements to decision-making. Sandra provides unique insights into the controversial Cambridge Analytica case and discusses the democratization of personalized content generation through tools like ChatGPT.

Whether you're curious about personality psychology, the ethics of data privacy, or the evolving role of AI, this episode is a must-listen.

LINKS:

• Sandra Matz:

  • Sandra's Website
  • Her New Book: Mindmasters

• Relevant Research and Resources:

  • Cambridge Analytica and the Evolution of Psychological Targeting
  • The Social Dilemma Documentary
  • Big Five Personality Model Explained
  • Moral Foundations Theory Overview

TIMESTAMPS: 02:03 – Personality Tests
09:23 – ChatGPT Gift Experiment
19:50 – Introducing Sandra Matz
21:35 – Understanding Psychological Targeting
24:27 – Real-World Examples and Implications
34:58 – Cambridge Analytica and Data Privacy
39:38 – The Social Dilemma and Personality Representation
41:19 – Understanding Personality Traits
43:49 – Dynamic Personality and Context
46:26 – AI's Role in Psychological Targeting
50:32 – Generative AI and Personalized Content
58:40 – Ethical Considerations and Future of AI
01:11:40 – Final Thoughts and Sandra’s New Book

--

Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠