The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters | The Curiosity Shop

In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown and Adam Grant use this year’s booed commencement speeches as a launching pad to explore the role of AI in our lives. They dig into what some of those commencement addresses were missing: moral imagination, emotional honesty, and real empathy for the graduates. Brené introduces the concept of being “smitten with what’s written,” the trap of polished AI output that looks good but fails to move anything forward, and unpacks why writing is a tool for thinking, not just communicating. Adam proposes that signing your name on AI-generated content is an integrity violation, and together they work through how to give feedback, set expectations, and stay human in the middle of a technological transformation. #BrenéBrown #AdamGrant #thecuriosityshop Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop About The Curiosity Shop: Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant are partnering on a new weekly podcast grounded in an unflinching commitment to learning and unlearning. At a time when public discourse rewards certainty over inquiry, The Curiosity Shop features two of the world's most sought-after experts on connection, change, and leadership making the case for slowing down, asking better questions, and embracing informed complexity over easy answers. Bringing together their left and right brain sensibilities — she’s a qualitative researcher; he’s a quantitative researcher — they explore some of the defining questions of our time, unpack the research reshaping how we live, lead, and love, and dive deep into the ideas, evidence, and cultural moments intriguing them the most. New episodes drop every Thursday. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Connect with The Curiosity Shop: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriosityshop/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1730985049 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oEPsPKDhPVoNNL7pH5db6?si=e2483abb4eed4b03 Connect with Brené Brown: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenebrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown/ Connect with Adam Grant: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammgrant/ X: https://x.com/adammgrant/ ============================= Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Curiosity Shop 3:04 The George Saunders Speech 7:03 The 5 Most Common Commencement Speech Themes 11:19 The Commencement Speeches Adam Loves 14:04 The Commencement Speech Booing Controversy 18:29 Moral Imagination & Empathy 21:24 How AI Leaders Should Give Better Speeches 26:03 What It Means to Be Human in the AI Era 28:54 Should Brené Write a Book on Storytelling? 33:16 The Problem With AI-Generated Work & "Work Slop" 39:45 Why Good AI Writing Can Fool Us 45:07 The Hidden Cost of AI Content 50:50 How to Give Feedback on AI-Generated Work 1:01:40 Adam Grant's AI Integrity Dilemma 1:10:33 Is Letting AI Think for You Dishonest? 1:20:03 Brené on Feeling Hollowed Out by AI Show Notes: https://thecuriosityshop.com/podcast/ai-commencement-speeches-and-why-human-thinking-still-matters/ Reclaiming Moral Imagination in the Age of AI | The Curiosity Shop https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop

Adam GranthostBrené Brownhost

Jun 11, 20261h 22mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: June 11, 2026
Duration: 1h 22m
Channel: The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this episode of The Curiosity Shop, Brené Brown and Adam Grant use this year’s booed commencement speeches as a launching pad to explore the role of AI in our lives. They dig into what some of those commencement addresses were missing: moral imagination, emotional honesty, and real empathy for the graduates. Brené introduces the concept of being “smitten with what’s written,” the trap of polished AI output that looks good but fails to move anything forward, and unpacks why writing is a tool for thinking, not just communicating. Adam proposes that signing your name on AI-generated content is an integrity violation, and together they work through how to give feedback, set expectations, and stay human in the middle of a technological transformation. #BrenéBrown #AdamGrant #thecuriosityshop Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop About The Curiosity Shop: Research professor Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant are partnering on a new weekly podcast grounded in an unflinching commitment to learning and unlearning. At a time when public discourse rewards certainty over inquiry, The Curiosity Shop features two of the world's most sought-after experts on connection, change, and leadership making the case for slowing down, asking better questions, and embracing informed complexity over easy answers. Bringing together their left and right brain sensibilities — she’s a qualitative researcher; he’s a quantitative researcher — they explore some of the defining questions of our time, unpack the research reshaping how we live, lead, and love, and dive deep into the ideas, evidence, and cultural moments intriguing them the most. New episodes drop every Thursday. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Connect with The Curiosity Shop: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriosityshop/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1730985049 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oEPsPKDhPVoNNL7pH5db6?si=e2483abb4eed4b03 Connect with Brené Brown: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenebrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown/ Connect with Adam Grant: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammgrant/ X: https://x.com/adammgrant/ ============================= Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Curiosity Shop 3:04 The George Saunders Speech 7:03 The 5 Most Common Commencement Speech Themes 11:19 The Commencement Speeches Adam Loves 14:04 The Commencement Speech Booing Controversy 18:29 Moral Imagination & Empathy 21:24 How AI Leaders Should Give Better Speeches 26:03 What It Means to Be Human in the AI Era 28:54 Should Brené Write a Book on Storytelling? 33:16 The Problem With AI-Generated Work & "Work Slop" 39:45 Why Good AI Writing Can Fool Us 45:07 The Hidden Cost of AI Content 50:50 How to Give Feedback on AI-Generated Work 1:01:40 Adam Grant's AI Integrity Dilemma 1:10:33 Is Letting AI Think for You Dishonest? 1:20:03 Brené on Feeling Hollowed Out by AI Show Notes: https://thecuriosityshop.com/podcast/ai-commencement-speeches-and-why-human-thinking-still-matters/ Reclaiming Moral Imagination in the Age of AI | The Curiosity Shop https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriosityShop

SPEAKERS

Adam Grant
host
Organizational psychologist and author known for evidence-based work and workplace/behavioral science.
Brené Brown
host
Research professor and author known for work on vulnerability, courage, leadership, and storytelling.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant, featuring Adam Grant and Brené Brown, AI, Commencement Speeches, and Why Human Thinking Still Matters | The Curiosity Shop explores commencement speech lessons meet AI’s moral and cognitive stakes today They dissect what makes commencement speeches memorable, arguing that timeless themes land only when delivered through fresh stories, moral clarity, and audience-centered intent.

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