What happens when data knows us better than we know ourselves? In this raw and riveting conversation, John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro sit down with Andy Russell — a former architect of data-driven persuasion — to expose how AI, behavioral profiling, and social media algorithms can hijack human desire, threaten our agency, and reshape our civilization. But there’s hope: what if the same power that manipulates us can be used to heal us?

This episode lays bare the disturbing origins of persuasion tech, how it was used in politics and commerce, and what it will mean when AI takes the driver’s seat. Andy shares his personal reckoning, his brush with death, and how he’s dedicating the rest of his life to restoring dignity and meaning to the human experience — with spiritual urgency.

Andy Russell is a serial entrepreneur and former insider in data and media technology. After helping build some of the very tools that now shape persuasion online, he experienced a profound moral and existential crisis. He now advocates for radical transparency, decentralized AI, and human-centered design as a pathway toward societal healing.

Christopher Mastropietro is a philosophical writer who is fascinated by dialogue, symbols, and the concept of self. He actively contributes to the Vervaeke Foundation.

Sundae Labs aims to build tools and systems that foster a healthier relationship between humanity and technology.

Notes:

(0:00) Introduction to the Series
(1:00) Andy Russell’s Journey — From Data Pioneer to Whistleblower
(4:00) The Origin of Data-Driven Persuasion Tech
(6:30) Persuasion and Political Weaponization — The 2016 Turning Point
(9:45) How Data and Emotion Drive Modern Media Campaigns
(13:30) “Turning Humans into Puppets”: Behavioral Influence at Scale
(15:30) Personal Collapse — Andy’s Reckoning with His Role
(18:00) Between Frodo and Boromir: Can Anyone Wield the Ring?
(23:30) Toward a Better Future — Rational Hope and Distributed AI
(28:00) Scarcity, Hoarding, and the Death of Trust
(33:00) Can Social Media Unite Rather Than Divide?
(36:00) AI as a Tool for Healing and Transformation
(40:30) Free Will and the Power of Influence
(47:00) Hacking the Human Soul — Fear, Desire, and Belief
(51:00) The Ethics of Deep Behavioral Nudging
(58:00) From Suffering to Forgiveness: The Power of Redemption
(1:05:00) Andy’s Story of Survival and Purpose
(1:10:00) Building the Fellowship — Why This Fight Matters
(1:15:00) Final Reflections and the Role of Virgil

Connect with a global community devoted to human flourishing.

The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to the pursuit of wisdom and advancing our collective capacity for meaning. Join the mission: https://vervaekefoundation.org

Explore transformative practice and reflection through Awaken to Meaning: https://awakentomeaning.com/

Support John Vervaeke’s ongoing work: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke

Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned:

The AI Dilemma (Tristan Harris)
Cambridge Analytica
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Plato’s Republic
Dante’s Divine Comedy
Oppenheimer Syndrome
The Rwandan Genocide and Forgiveness
Ho’oponopono (Hawaiian Forgiveness Practice)
Sundae Labs
Free Will, Desires, and the Meaning Crisis
Personalized AI vs. Centralized Persuasion Tech

Hacking Humanity: Data, Desire, and the Future of Free Will

Dr. John Vervaeke