TDL Perspective: The Future of Preferences
“I think the biggest questions in neuroscience that haven’t been answered yet are going to be huge drivers of what we decide to do as a species with technology.”
Foreword
The TDL Perspectives project is an ongoing series of interviews with thought leaders who are involved in our mission of democratizing behavioral science. We pick out specific insights that are at the frontier of current events in behavioral science, whether that means applications that plug our insights into various industries or theoretical discussions about the contentious frontier of current research. If you have thoughts about these discussions, have the expertise you’d like to share, or want to contribute in some way, feel free to reach out to Nathan at nathan@thedecisionlab.com.
Introduction
Today, Sekoul Krastev, a Managing Director at The Decision Lab, sits down with Nathan to discuss artificial intelligence and the future of human choices. We zoom in on the intersection between AI and behavioral science to understand how the decision-making landscape undergoes periodic transitions and what can be done to make the world a better place in this context. We deconstruct the various ways that people in relevant fields think about human and machine cognition. Then, we look to the future of technology to understand how these different understandings of decision-making inform potential solutions to current problems.
About the Authors
Dr. Sekoul Krastev
Dr. Sekoul Krastev is a decision scientist and Co-Founder of The Decision Lab, one of the world's leading behavioral science consultancies. His team works with large organizations—Fortune 500 companies, governments, foundations and supernationals—to apply behavioral science and decision theory for social good. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from McGill University and is currently a visiting scholar at NYU. His work has been featured in academic journals as well as in The New York Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg. He is also the author of Intention (Wiley, 2024), a bestselling book on the science of human agency. Before founding The Decision Lab, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group and Google.
Nathan Collett
Nathan Collett studies decision-making and philosophy at McGill University. Experiences that inform his interdisciplinary mindset include a fellowship in the Research Group on Constitutional Studies, research at the Montreal Neurological Institute, a Harvard University architecture program, a fascination with modern physics, and several years as a technical director, program coordinator, and counselor at a youth-run summer camp on Gabriola Island. An upcoming academic project will focus on the political and philosophical consequences of emerging findings in behavioral science. He grew up in British Columbia, spending roughly equal time reading and exploring the outdoors, which ensured a lasting appreciation for nature. He prioritizes creativity, inclusion, sustainability, and integrity in all of his work.
About us
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I was blown away with their application and translation of behavioral science into practice. They took a very complex ecosystem and created a series of interventions using an innovative mix of the latest research and creative client co-creation. I was so impressed at the final product they created, which was hugely comprehensive despite the large scope of the client being of the world's most far-reaching and best known consumer brands. I'm excited to see what we can create together in the future.
Heather McKee
BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST
GLOBAL COFFEEHOUSE CHAIN PROJECT
OUR CLIENT SUCCESS
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By launching a behavioral science practice at the core of the organization, we helped one of the largest insurers in North America realize $30M increase in annual revenue.
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By redesigning North America's first national digital platform for mental health, we achieved a 52% lift in monthly users and an 83% improvement on clinical assessment.
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By designing a new process and getting buy-in from the C-Suite team, we helped one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world reduce software design time by 75%.
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Reduction in Client Drop-Off
By implementing targeted nudges based on proactive interventions, we reduced drop-off rates for 450,000 clients belonging to USA's oldest debt consolidation organizations by 46%
