What Jason Barnard at BrightonSEO 2019 Revealed About Bias, Machine Learning, and the Dance Between Humans and AI
September 12-13,2019 - Jason Barnard attended BrightonSEO on September 13, 2019, he wasn’t just participating in one of the world’s leading SEO conferences - he was connecting ideas, people, and data that would later form the foundation of The Kalicube Process™.
Through a combination of interviews, data collaborations, and thought leadership, Jason used BrightonSEO 2019 to explore how brands could take control of their digital identity and teach Google - and, eventually, AI - who they are, what they do, and why they’re trusted.
Uncovering Bias in the Knowledge Graph
One of the central discussions Jason brought to BrightonSEO was around bias in the Knowledge Graph - how the very sources Google depends on, such as Wikipedia and Wikidata, are often skewed toward Western, English-speaking perspectives.
That imbalance shapes how entities, brands, and people are understood algorithmically.
Jason’s conversations during the event delved into how search engines build their understanding of the world, and how this bias could limit representation for non-Western entities. These early discussions became key to Kalicube’s long-term commitment to Understandability - the first phase of The Kalicube Process, which ensures that algorithms receive accurate, balanced, and context-rich information about brands.
The Authoritas Livestream - Turning Conversations Into Data
At BrightonSEO 2019, Jason collaborated with Authoritas, hosting a livestream and conducting a series of interviews with leading voices in SEO, branding, and data analysis.
Each discussion added a new layer to his research on how Google’s algorithms interpret and recommend entities.
Featured guests included:
- Ahmed Khalifa - on the importance of captions and subtitles for accessibility and SEO-friendly video publishing.
- Paul Bongers - exploring how SaaS startups can scale sustainably and optimize visibility in competitive spaces.
- Dixon Jones - discussing both the bias in the Knowledge Graph and his analytical model of the web in blocks, chunks, and fraggles through Majestic.
- Paul O’Donoghue - unpacking what “near me” searches and local intent reveal about user behavior and brand presence.
- Martha Van Berkel, Robin Allinson, and Dateme Tubotamuno - a roundtable on structured data, ontologies, and common-sense knowledge graphs.
- Paula Didone - reflecting on eCommerce and Amazon strategies with a realistic lens on brand competition.
These sessions, recorded live with Authoritas, were later released as part of Jason’s #SEOisAEO podcast series and across YouTube.
Meeting Andrea Volpini and the idea of “dancing with the machine”
BrightonSEO 2019 was also where Jason deepened his friendship with Andrea Volpini, founder of WordLift. They had met less than a year earlier, but it was at Brighton that they really started talking.
Andrea was building tools that structured data. Jason was mapping brand identities through search results. Both were fascinated by how humans and machines could learn from each other.
From those early chats came an idea Jason still uses today: the dance between humans and machines.
He describes it like this:
“AI gives you content, you correct it and give it back. The AI improves and returns it again. You correct it once more. It’s a dance - a back-and-forth between human and machine.”
It’s the concept now known as The Human in the Loop. At Kalicube, we call it dancing with the machine - the iterative loop that turns raw data into understanding.
His idea was simple yet visionary: search engines are recommendation engines, and brands must actively train them through consistent, structured, and truthful data across the web.
That vision became the core of Kalicube’s educational mission - teaching Google and AI who you are.
Collaborations with WooRank - Data Meets Brand Strategy
In parallel with BrightonSEO, Jason was also collaborating with WooRank, leveraging their datasets to analyze the anatomy of Brand SERPs.
WooRank featured his work on their website, crediting him for using their data to extract structured, meaningful insights about how brands appear in search results.
In another WooRank article, “SEO Advantages Over PPC,” Jason was cited as a partner, underscoring his view that Google’s organic results act as implicit recommendations of credibility and authority - an idea that remains central to Kalicube’s philosophy of Brand SERP optimization.
This acknowledgment further positioned him among the key global voices shaping SEO’s evolution into entity-based, reputation-driven search.
What 2019 Still Teaches Us in 2025
Looking back, BrightonSEO 2019 wasn’t just an event. It was a glimpse into today’s reality. Jason’s reflections remind us that bias, understanding, and reputation aren’t technical side notes - they’re the beating heart of modern digital strategy.
What started as conversations over seaside coffee has become a framework - The Kalicube Process - built to ensure that when AI “thinks fast,” it thinks right about your brand.
Because in a world where algorithms now decide who gets trusted, seen, and chosen, understanding isn’t optional. It’s everything.
