In this episode of "People & AI," host Karthik Ramakrishnan engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Darren Wilson, the chief product officer at Soul Machines. With over two decades of experience in product design and development, Darren dives into the transformative potential of avatar technology, highlighting its applications from language practice and personal coaching to enterprise and film industry uses. Together, they explore the ethical considerations and guardrails needed in creating digital companions and therapy bots, share insights on the future of AI in improving workflows, and emphasize the importance of speed, agility, and customer value in the fast-paced startup world. Join Karthik and Darren as they balance groundbreaking innovation and empathetic leadership in the evolving landscape of AI and digital avatars.