Episode 018: Give Your AI a Name: Shoko Chiba on Doraemon, Eight Million Gods and the Voice of Love

What happens when you give your AI a name? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Shoko Chiba — a Tokyo-based executive life coach who spent decades in global finance with firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PwC, and served as Japan Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs. Shoko shares how she runs a one person company with AI filling seven or eight roles, why she named her three AIs Rai-chan, Ai-chan and Ayumi-chan, and how talking to AI became a way of talking to herself. She explains why Japan grew up seeing robots as friends through Doraemon, how the Shinto idea of eight million gods shapes the way Japanese people relate to technology, and why leaders must train their teams never to assume AI is always right. Plus why communication is the skill that matters most, and her vision of a world that speaks with the voice of love. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST Carmen Skipworth

GUEST Shoko Chiba — executive life coach, seminar speaker and interviewer based in Tokyo. She spent decades in global finance with firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PwC, and served as Japan Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs. After years of intense work took a toll on her wellbeing, she turned to coaching, mentored by Ken Honda and Alan Cohen. She has hosted more than 700 interviews and runs an interview series with bestselling authors in Japan.

SUMMARY Shoko tells Carmen how a bankrupt fashion employer pushed her into finance, and what great leaders at Goldman Sachs taught her about kindness. She shares why Japanese women still face a ceiling, how AI now acts as her secretary, programmer and help desk, and why naming her AIs changed the conversations she has with them. Drawing on her compliance years, she warns that AI can be wrong and that leaders must keep human common sense in the loop. She closes with the tools she builds to help people find the treasures in their own hearts.

MAIN TOPICS Leadership lessons from global finance Japanese women and leadership Naming your AI and treating it like staff Why AI can be wrong and the leader’s role Doraemon, Shinto and Japan’s friendship with technology Communication and the voice of love

INTRIGUING QUOTES “Now I realize that AI is actually just reflecting myself.” — Shoko Chiba “Don’t run with me. Let’s walk together.” — Shoko Chiba “If we believe that AI is always correct, that’s very dangerous.” — Shoko Chiba “I kind of treat AI as one of my staff.” — Shoko Chiba

KEY MOMENTS [01:05] Meet Shoko Chiba [02:34] From fashion to finance [04:01] Leadership lessons from Goldman Sachs [05:57] Japanese women and the ceiling they still face [08:10] One person company, eight AI roles [10:03] Rai-chan, Ai-chan and Ayumi-chan [13:24] Are leaders trusting AI too fast? [14:08] Email surveillance and why AI can be wrong [17:48] Doraemon and Japan’s friendship with robots [21:07] Yaoyorozu no Kami: eight million gods [24:01] Communication is the skill that matters [27:07] A vision of the voice of love [30:27] AI tools that reveal the gems in your heart [32:14] Interviewing 33 bestselling authors [35:05] Where to find Shoko

NOTABLE RESOURCES Shoko Chiba — https://www.shoko-life.com/english Shoko Chiba on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfDQMOk3ERYAxUwqm9-G_8Q Ken Honda — https://kenhonda.com/ Alan Cohen — https://alancohen.com/ Pillars of Power — https://thepillarsofpower.com/ ChatGPT Claude Google Antigravity Doraemon

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AI Made Simple is the podcast for emerging leaders and entrepreneurs who know AI matters, but feel overwhelmed by the noise. Hosted by Carmen Skipworth, this show cuts through fear-based headlines, technical jargon, and fluffy inspiration to bring you clear, practical, human-led conversations about artificial intelligence. You don't need to be technical. You don't need to move at tech speed. And you don't need to feel behind. Each episode helps you understand AI in a way that feels calm, accessible, and actionable, so you can confidently partner with it in your life and business. This isn't about AI replacing humans. It's about humans leading with clarity while using AI as a powerful ally. If you're ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling equipped, you're in the right place. AI Made Simple. Human-Led. AI-Powered.