Artificial intelligence is transforming how we live, work, and think at a pace that is faster than most of us can keep up with. However, in Pittsburgh, one nonprofit is working to ensure that as we innovate, we also consider the consequences. The Partnership to Advance Responsible Technology (PART), founded in 2018, helps organizations and citizens alike understand and consider AI and other emerging technologies in a manner that is safe, equitable, and community-minded.
At the helm is Squirrel Hill resident Lance Lindauer, a consultant and strategist with a background spanning national security, innovation architecture, and public policy.
Before co-founding PART, Lindauer was affiliated with the RAND Corporation and served as an adjunct professor at La Roche University. He’s also accepted research appointments at the University of Cambridge in Britain and the Technical University of Munich in Germany, a sign that the global tech community is paying attention to what’s happening in the Pittsburgh region.
Here, Lindauer explores the impact of AI on our cognitive futures, the evolution of careers, the role of government and community — and why he believes Pittsburgh is uniquely positioned to lead the global conversation around responsible technology.
Lance Lindauer Takes Us Through the Ins and Outs of Responsible AI in Pitttsburgh
How do you foresee AI impacting our collective cognitive futures? In what ways might it enhance, and diminish, thinking skills?
It’s a double-edged sword. It has the potential to both enhance and diminish our thinking. On the enhancement side, I view AI as a valuable tool that can increase productivity, boost creativity, alleviate cognitive burden, and facilitate informed decision-making. On the diminishing side, and this is where the double-edged sword metaphor comes in, you can draw a parallel to the rise of social media. If used responsibly, social media can be a great way to stay connected, share information, and synthesize events. But it also brought challenges like disinformation, echo chambers, and increased stress levels. AI has similar risks.
With AI, you have to ask: What are the inputs? What datasets is it trained on? As importantly, you need to cross-check its outputs with other sources and with your own thinking. You can’t assume that whatever it says is automatically correct or what you want to hear.
How will AI impact the future of software engineering as a viable career choice? What careers might be better bets?
It’s already transforming the profession. While AI can generate some code, it still struggles at understanding the unique business components behind that code, such as strategic planning or performing backend human processes like auditing. So “humanin- the-loop” structures will still be necessary. That means humans are involved throughout the process, from inputs to assessing outputs, to pushing buttons, to ultimately making decisions.
In terms of careers, AI is moving at the speed of light, especially over the past three to five years. Even within the last year, there was a widely advertised profession called a “prompt engineer,” a specialist trained to ask the right questions of generative AI systems and refine those prompts. That was all the rage as a way to use AI effectively. A few months later, it feels passé because we, as a population, are figuring it out quickly on our own. We’re all becoming prompt engineers in some way.
When I think about careers in the future, I try to reframe the question: Instead of asking “What career should I bet on?” I ask, “How do I better bet on myself?” And the answer to that is: start learning. Explore how to understand AI, how to use it more effectively, and how to embrace it.
Where do you see the balance between tasks AI can handle and those that require distinctly human skills?
This is a hot topic right now, especially around entry-level jobs. Will we still need paralegals to summarize documents? What about basic accounting roles or early scientific processes? Artificial intelligence can handle most data processing, discovery, or basic research.
But here’s how I frame it: AI isn’t going to take your job. But someone who knows how to use AI better than you might. We need to lean into AI as an enhancement tool. I like to call it a “qualitative calculator.”
We still teach kids math even though we have calculators. Similarly, we still need to teach reading, writing, argumentation, and all the cognitive fundamentals, even though AI can do some of that for us. It’s about how we use the tool, not whether the tool exists.
Pittsburgh long billed itself as a hub for robotics and AI. What opportunities are here for local workers and businesses? How do we keep the benefits from flowing only to the biggest players?
This is one of the foundational components of our organization. Back in 2018, when we started having early conversations about what would become the Partnership to Advance Responsible Technology, the question was: How do we leverage Pittsburgh’s powerful assets and collaborate to develop emerging technologies responsibly?
Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods. How can we ensure this innovation ecosystem benefits more than just five of them? We don’t want to deepen divides between the haves and have-nots.
From the ground up, there are many ways for people to get involved. At PART, we run school programs and community events. But we’re not alone. Numerous nonprofits and universities are undertaking significant work in robotics, manufacturing, education, life sciences, and other fields. From the top down, businesses and governments can also capitalize on opportunities. A recent McKinsey study revealed that AI adoption among companies remains significantly lower than I’d expect, even by 2025.
Ultimately, we need to ask not only how we prevent benefits from flowing just to the most prominent players, but also how we prevent them from going only to the fastest players — the ones who raise their hands first and figure out how to move quickly. As a region, we still have a lot of work to do, both bottom-up and top-down, to make the most of what AI could mean for Pittsburgh.
Pessimists have warned about the catastrophic risks of AI, including the possibility that advanced systems could act in ways humans can’t control. How do you weigh in on the risks?
Now that I’ve been in this space for many years, I tend not to give too much oxygen to the doomsday or Terminator-style scenarios anymore. I prefer to frame things more constructively and positively.
AI has the potential to act in ways we don’t fully understand yet. That’s why building informed and collaborative risk management frameworks is so essential, whether it’s at the government level, in businesses, or within community groups. You also have to consider that risk is relative. What feels risky to one sector, country, or industry might not seem that way to another. There’s a lot of nuance in how we define and measure risk across different environments.
At PART, one of our biggest priorities is helping organizations bake responsible technology practices into the cake as early as possible, not just at the end. That means starting at the research and development phase, through deployment, and continuing into governance. Risk management needs to be an ongoing, integrated part of the process, not an afterthought.
What would you say to skeptics who believe AI is more buzz than substance?
Some people think of AI as being intelligent, and that’s misleading. It’s really incredibly advanced statistical modeling. But make no mistake; this isn’t a fad.
I tell people: Don’t act like an ostrich and bury your head in the sand, hoping it will pass. AI isn’t going away, and pretending it will only disadvantages you.
What role should governments and communities play in ensuring AI is used responsibly? And who defines “responsibly”?
At PART, we made a deliberate choice to use the word “responsible” instead of “ethical.” Ethics can be subjective. What’s ethical for one company or culture might not be for another. But no one argues in favor of being irresponsible.
Responsible technology is good technology. As for government and community roles, there are two key aspects: convening and legislating. Use your power to bring people together, hear all voices, and shape policy that reflects real concerns. I’m a big believer in empowered innovation. That means not regulating it to death, but also not turning a blind eye. We can’t let private entities regulate themselves. That’s not sustainable.
What’s the mission of PART and what key issues are you focused on?
We use research, education, and consultation to ensure the responsible development, deployment, and governance of AI, from early R&D through implementation.
Lately, we’re focused on two main areas: first, bringing technology education into schools and communities in a focused, practical way. Second, connecting relevant Pittsburgh stakeholders to global partners. I’ve been living overseas building these relationships, and I’m excited to bring ideas back home and share Pittsburgh’s energy with the world.
What do your new roles with Cambridge and the Technical University of Munich mean for your work here in Pittsburgh? How do you see Pittsburgh contributing to the international conversation around AI, ethics, and policy?
It really reinforces PART’s original ambition of positioning Pittsburgh as a global leader in responsible technology. It also shows that the world sees value in what our region offers. I’m often the first person from Pittsburgh others have met, and they’re genuinely interested in what’s happening here beyond, say, football. Spending time now in London, Cambridge, and Munich, I see myself as the tip of the spear, bridging Pittsburgh’s ecosystem with global partners and bringing those connections back home.
What’s one “known unknown” about AI that excites you the most?
I’m most excited about AI’s potential to be harnessed for good, tackling global challenges like climate change, poverty, healthcare, and even national defense. If we collaborate and use it responsibly, AI could put rocket fuel behind efforts PART has been chipping away at for years, like education. Too often, people jump to doomsday scenarios, but the positive possibilities are as powerful and still largely untapped.
What first sparked your interest in artificial intelligence, and what holds your interest today?
I don’t have a tech background. I’m not a computer scientist or mathematician. But while I was at RAND, two of PART’s co-founders, Dan Law and Kenny Chen, invited me into early conversations about responsible tech. What started as a coffee club grew into something bigger. I’d seen firsthand how technology could shape public policy while working for the U.S. Treasury, and I was drawn in by the potential to do it responsibly. That still drives me today.
What do you like to do to unwind after a day of thinking about the future of humanity?
Hanging out with my family. My wife, Dr. Laxmi Shah, is a neurologist here in town, and we have an 8-year-old daughter, Pari, plus our dog, Peanut. Whether it’s cooking, traveling, or being outside, that’s all I want to do when the laptop’s closed.
As a Squirrel Hill resident, what are your go-to local spots?
I’m always at Commonplace Coffee on Forbes, usually working. And we go to Waffallonia way more than we should for waffles and ice cream. Outside Squirrel Hill, we love Mad Mex in Shadyside and Bakery Square. We’re also regulars at Delanie’s and Margaux for coffee and treats.
What’s the most “Pittsburgh thing” about you?
Even though I grew up in West Virginia, my dad’s from Pittsburgh, so I’ve been a die-hard Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates fan since birth. Also, and I didn’t realize this was a Pittsburgh thing, but I avoid going through tunnels or over bridges unless I absolutely have to. I live in Squirrel Hill, work in Oakland, and if someone suggests meeting in Mt. Lebanon, I’m like, “Why don’t we meet in Miami, basically?”
How can people get involved with PART?
The first word in our name is “Partnership,” and I mean that sincerely. I want to work with every individual, school, nonprofit, company, and government agency that is interested in engaging on these issues. Visit our website (responsibletech.ai), find us on social media, or reach out to me on LinkedIn. Let’s build something great together, responsibly.
Story by Daniel Casciato