The Robots Aren't Taking Over: Codebaby's Christine Chubenko

In this episode of The ROCC Pod, we dive deep into the world of emotionally intelligent AI with Christine Chubenko of CodeBaby. Jon hosts solo while Lisais away, and together with Christine, we explore how AI is reshaping business efficiency, customer interaction, and our daily digital experience.

We begin by learning about CodeBaby, a platform that powers emotionally intelligent avatars capable of handling repetitive customer service tasks on behalf of businesses. These avatars go far beyond the likes of "Clippy" — they can smile, laugh, and emulate human responses, allowing businesses to provide 24/7 assistance that reflects their brand tone and values. Christine emphasizes that users maintain full control over their data and avatar behavior, which can evolve over time as the business grows or shifts.

Christine shares examples from retail and healthcare. In stores, avatars answer common customer questions, freeing up human staff to focus on higher-priority tasks. In medical practices, avatars or even holograms can offer patients a safe space to ask questions — particularly beneficial for older patients who may hesitate to speak directly to doctors. ("But they're so busy!")

As we discuss the broader AI landscape, Christine explains her career roots in computer science and AI, dating back to the 1990s. While the foundation of AI has remained rooted in pattern recognition and statistical models like k-nearest neighbor, the scale and sophistication of modern AI have exploded. She debunks the myth that AI is sentient — emphasizing that despite the human-like responses, these systems are still just machines built by humans with clear limitations and no true consciousness.

We explore how AI is already part of our everyday lives through Siri, Alexa, social media algorithms, smart appliances, and personalized streaming suggestions. Christine argues that AI’s role is to reduce tedious tasks — not replace humans entirely. Jobs that require emotional nuance, tactile presence, or creativity (like nurses or preschool teachers) remain well out of AI’s reach. Meanwhile, automation can fill gaps where businesses struggle to hire, like in food service or basic admin roles.

Christine also breaks down what makes AI emotionally intelligent: prompt engineering. It’s not just about asking a question; it’s about asking it the right way, setting the tone, and defining the persona you want the AI to emulate. For instance, telling ChatGPT to answer as a cardiovascular surgeon or in a humorous tone drastically alters the output.

To close, Christine encourages listeners who are curious about AI to simply sign up for a tool like ChatGPT and ask, “Where do I start?” That simple first step leads to powerful learning. She reminds us that while AI may seem intimidating, it’s just another tool — and it’s one we can all learn to wield effectively.

More:

Email Christine: [e-mail]

CodeBaby Website: https://www.codebaby.com/

Learn more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce: https://www.royaloakchamber.com/

Connect with our hosts:

Jon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - http://www.jagindetroit.com/

Lisa Bibbee from Century 21 Northland - http://soldbylisab.com/

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