APRIL 23rd, 2025 - BY COLETTE 'T HART

Last week, a powerful episode of Unshocked featuring Naomi Klein and Paris Marx ignited yet another round of public anxiety over AI. Their warnings are not unfounded: AI can be misused—to displace workers, strip social services, and even reinforce authoritarian systems. These are real threats that demand attention.

But it’s equally important to separate critique from fear-mongering, especially when we're dealing with a technology as transformative as AI.

At Idonea, we believe in confronting the risks—and embracing the opportunity.

Fear Isn’t a Strategy. Design Is.

The current conversation around AI often feels binary: it's either our savior or our downfall. But AI, like any tool, reflects the values of those who build it. It can be weaponized for control, or designed to uplift, empower, and include.

When we give in to fear, we risk abandoning the most critical work: building better systems. Ethical systems. Transparent systems. Human-first systems.

Yes, AI Is Being Misused. No, That’s Not the Whole Story.

Yes, AI has been deployed in ways that harm marginalized communities, fuel surveillance, and undermine democracy.

But that’s not the technology’s fault. That’s the result of who’s in the room designing it—and what incentives they’re driven by.

What if we changed that?

What if diverse teams built AI with intention—focusing on equity, trust, and access instead of speed, scale, and control?

What We’re Building at Idonea

At Idonea, we're developing a recruitment platform that removes bias instead of reinforcing it. Our technology anonymizes candidates, matches people based on skills and potential, and invites employers to engage ethically—with transparency and accountability built into every step.

We're not using AI to replace people. We’re using it to uncover hidden talent, eliminate discrimination, and build trust between humans and technology.

This is what it looks like when AI is designed for people, with people.

Let’s Have Smarter Conversations

The next time we hear sweeping statements about AI destroying democracy or replacing entire workforces, let’s pause and ask:

• Who benefits from that narrative?
• What alternatives are being ignored?
• And how can we create technology that serves us all?

The future of AI is still being written. It’s up to us to write it well.

👉 Join the waitlist and help shape a fairer future of work: idonea.ai

🔖 #AIforGood #ResponsibleAI #TechEthics #FutureOfWork #BiasFreeHiring #HumanFirstTech #AIethics #InclusiveInnovation #Idonea

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About the Author: Colette 't Hart is the Co-Founder and CEO of Idonea, a pioneering recruitment platform leveraging semantic ontology and AI-powered matching engines to eliminate unconscious bias and empower businesses to build diverse, high-performing teams. A seasoned tech entrepreneur, UX specialist, and DEI advocate, Colette has decades of experience transforming complex challenges into innovative, user-focused solutions. Passionate about redefining recruitment, she is committed to fostering equitable hiring practices and revolutionizing how talent and opportunity connect. Connect with her on LinkedIn.