The Future of Tech Is Human: A Conversation with Erin Rollenhagen
- Sarah Burt
- Sep 3
- 2 min read
What if the most powerful thing about AI isn’t the code behind it, but the people it’s meant to serve?
In our latest episode of Artificial Impact, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erin Rollenhagen, founder and CEO of People Friendly Tech, to explore one of the most important questions in our evolving digital landscape: How do we design technology that actually supports human wellbeing?
This conversation cracked open something big. We didn’t geek on machine learning or software development (though we definitely could have). We talked about trust. Emotion. Mental health. The lived experience of using tech in high-stakes, deeply human moments.
We talked about people.
AI, Emotion & Ethical UX
Erin’s career story is the kind of thing you’d want to hand to every young woman stepping into tech: thoughtful, gutsy, values-led, and driven by a deep desire to build tools that help people feel seen. Her work lives at the intersection of AI, user experience, and wellness, and she brings a perspective that’s refreshingly grounded in the emotional realities of being human.
We explored:
Why UX isn’t just visual design, it’s psychological design
What users really expect from AI (hint: perfection and fairness)
How tech can support emotional safety and decision-making
Why feedback loops are the backbone of smart product development
What collaboration looks like in future-forward product teams
The huge opportunity for women in the AI and software space
And honestly? The whole convo felt like a reality check and a deep breath at the same time. Maybe it's Erin's soothing nature and subtle intellect that rings of lived experience and integrity.
This Is What We Mean by “Artificial Impact”
I started this podcast from a deep place of curiosity and care, for the world we’re building, and the way we live inside it. I believe AI is a mirror. A reflection of our consciousness, our ethics, and our collective evolution. This series is for the seekers and builders, for the makers, mothers, mentors, students, and storytellers who want to use technology with intention. It’s for those who feel the quiet pull to live and create with more clarity, more trust, and more presence in an increasingly complex world.
Erin reminds me that innovation without empathy is just noise. But when you pair cutting-edge tech with ethical clarity and user-centered design? You get something meaningful. Something with impact.
And isn’t that what we’re all here for?
🎧 Listen to the episode now Available on Spotify.
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