As our community of innovative developers continues to expand the capabilities of voice AI through our open-source smart speaker, it’s crucial to remember that the technologies we develop today shape the world we live in tomorrow. At OpenHome, we empower our community to unleash their creativity in building voice experiences, advocating for the freedom to explore and create with our tools. However, the creative process is not just about what we can do; it’s also about understanding the implications of our innovations on society. Every line of code has the potential to influence real lives and the environment.
To dive deeper into this discussion, we were thrilled to host an AMA with Kevin Lu, a Fulbright scholar with a passion for integrating social impact with technology. Kevin works on Net Zero Cloud marketing strategy at Salesforce, helping companies navigate their journey toward sustainability and reduced carbon emissions. His insights into the intersection of social impact and AI will be invaluable for our community, especially as we explore how our creative applications can contribute positively to the world.
Join us as we explore these pressing questions with Kevin and discover how your projects can not only be innovative but also socially impactful.
Conversation edited for clarity.
Tell us about yourself!
Kevin: My name’s Kevin and I’m a writer, designer, and storyteller focused on building a more regenerative future.
I love shaping media that inspires progress and designing technologies that connect both nature and humanity.I’m currently a writer and content designer for Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud product, where I’m currently shaping the future of ESG and carbon accounting tools. I use my background in journalism and content strategy to make our technologies accessible for sustainability professionals.
Prior to climate tech, I led brand and content across startups, nonprofits, and venture capital. I’ve also scaled communities for student entrepreneurs and launched programs for young global leaders.
What advice would you give to voice AI developers?
Kevin: The AI movement is very ambiguous – it can go many different ways. When you’re building, lead with intention. Social innovation is important, and we need more people to be tackling these issues. There’s so much untapped opportunity here and I really encourage it.
Voice has huge potential for impact through greater accessibility, reach and novel experiences. For developers, one thing I’m thinking about in voice tech is its ability to foster connection and potential applications for health accessibility. I love to think about how conversational AI (designed by human-centered content strategists), can facilitate non-biased advice and real-life conversations that could advise on mental health.
I’m also thinking on the climate tech side, it’d be really cool to see how it can unlock access to sustainability information for the everyday consumer. Potentially the ways it could aggregate data from multiple silos and sources, and present it to a user to understand things such as 1) their carbon impact 2) future strategies to offset emissions.
Do you recommend any specific frameworks to guide the development of ethical and socially impactful applications?
Kevin: One framework I really like is Theory of Change. Often when social impact technologists start to create new ideas and business models, sometimes they get far too invested in the solution and not the problem. Theory of change is effective because it’s a step-by-step model that deliberately shows how each facet of your tool and technology actually facilitates systems change by taking into consideration your stakeholders and the problem space.
Here’s an example reading: https://usaidlearninglab.org/resources/theory-change-workbook-step-step-process-developing-or-strengthening-theories-change
One person who I think really leads this space is Lauren Ducrey (she was a former UX content designer for Google’s AI applications) and she uses the humanities to create ethical AI tools. She shares, “ I’m convinced that creatives who can navigate the corporate world are crucial in tech. Because you need the humanities to make products that truly put humans first.”
Learn more about Lauren here: https://www.laurenducrey.com/
Are AI gfs net good or net negative for social impact?
Kevin: It’s really on a case-by-case basis, because love and connection I think is done best through human-to-human interaction. But that’s my personal opinion, and there could be someone out there who really needs this tool. I think that technology is both a system and a tool. The system could work well for a lot of people, but there might be a select few people who might need to adopt the technology differently.
How did you get interested in focusing specifically on social impact?
Kevin: I grew up on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas, and in my small little town, I witnessed a ton of disparities in economic and sustainable development. First, the disproportionate access to resources and capital that could create a better playing field, and second the way that lower-income communities are disproportionately affected by environmental issues.
Back in my high school days, I wanted to explore how to create change in these issues, which exposed me to social entrepreneurship. I wrote about this in my college apps, which led me to USC and got me hooked in the greater startup ecosystem there. And I loved it so much—at one point I got to lead a student incubator to help students develop new business ideas.
I wanted to get specific on what social issue I wanted to focus on, and I naturally gravitated toward climate because of my personal connection to nature. Seeing how technology can accelerate our path to net zero goals and conservation, I made it my mission to both design new pathways for tackling climate change and support others doing the same.
What is the most rewarding part of working in this space?
Kevin: The people, truly! Everyone is so, so kind. You’ll never find a more mission-driven and compassionate community full of awesome people who want to just be good and do good. I would also say that if you have a personal connection to the issue, it makes the work feel like art in a way.