Understanding the Why: Behavioral Science Meets Data & AI

Jez Groom — founder & CEO of Cowry Consulting and a pioneer in applied behavioral science — joins us on Designing Futures.

With 14+ years of helping global organizations from Amazon to HSBC understand human behavior, Jez explains why most decisions are non-rational, why intentions rarely translate into action, and how simple tweaks can shift behaviour in powerful ways.

This episode makes the case for behavioral intelligence — blending psychology, data, and AI — as a smarter path forward than “AI-first” thinking. Digital traces reveal what people do, but only behavioral science uncovers the deeper why: the subconscious, social, and emotional drivers behind choice. From psychometrics to biometrics, we explore how these methods are reshaping the way we design experiences that people actually follow through on.