The human side of AI: Professor Monica Tremblay highlights compassion and connection in Mary Talk

This year’s annual Women’s Weekend featured a thought-provoking “Mary Talk” from Monica Chiarini Tremblay, Hays T. Watkins Professor of Business at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Mary Talks, W&M's version of TEDx, spotlight alumnae, faculty, and staff as they share personal insights, big ideas, and bold perspectives on issues that matter to women, hopefully leaving audiences informed, inspired, and energized.

Professor Tremblay’s talk, titled “The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence: Empowering Change Through Technology,” illustrated how AI can bridge the gaps between data and human understanding, ultimately empowering people to intervene meaningfully in the lives of those who need help.

She began with the story of Chris, a boy whose repeated arrests were linked to untreated bipolar disorder. “Once that human story was understood, Chris didn’t go to prison. He got help,” Tremblay said. “All that information was available. Multiple agencies had pieces of Chris’s story. But no one could see the full picture. The data existed, but the human connection was missing.”

Her research demonstrates that AI doesn’t replace human judgment but amplifies it. By connecting fragmented data across systems, AI can reveal patterns of need, allowing timely interventions for vulnerable populations. Using process mining, Tremblay and her colleagues analyzed over 271,000 juvenile justice cases in Texas, uncovering heartbreaking trends: children with mental health needs were three and a half times more likely to become trapped in a “detention spiral,” often waiting months before receiving critical interventions.

“The AI gives judges evidence for what they already suspected — that the system was failing these children,” she explained. “We are giving them the data to push for change.”

Tremblay also shared insights from her work in Virginia during the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. By fostering trust between agencies and using AI-driven dashboards to track human needs, officials were able to deploy resources with precision, saving lives and preserving economic stability. “This is what human-centered AI looks like,” she said. “The question isn’t whether we have the technology. We do. The question is: Will we use it to see each other more clearly?”

Her message resonated with the Women’s Weekend audience: AI and technology are most powerful when they enhance compassion and human connection. As Tremblay emphasized, “The right question is: How can AI help us be more human? Kids like Chris are counting on our answer.”

Mary Talks like Tremblay’s showcase the expertise of Mason’s faculty and highlight the continued commitment to addressing pressing societal challenges with insight, empathy, and innovation.