Explore every episode of the podcast AI-Curious with Jeff Wilser
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When AI Forecasts Become Self-Fulfilling (and Who This Hurts), w/ Carissa Véliz | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:37:08 | |
What happens when an AI prediction does not just forecast the future, but helps create it? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with philosopher and ethicist Carissa Véliz about AI ethics, AI privacy, predictive AI, and the hidden power of algorithmic decision-making. We explore how AI systems used in hiring, lending, insurance, and other high-stakes settings can become self-fulfilling prophecies, shaping outcomes rather than simply measuring them. We also examine the growing privacy risks of large language models and AI agents, especially as they gain access to more personal data, communications, and systems. Along the way, we discuss automated decision-making, surveillance, human autonomy, and why predictions about people are far more ethically fraught than predictions about things like the weather. This conversation also goes beyond policy and into philosophy: how narratives about AI shape public thinking, why humor can be a response to technological power, and how individuals and companies can use AI responsibly without giving up judgment, control, or resilience. If you are interested in AI ethics, algorithmic bias, AI privacy, AI agents, responsible AI, predictive algorithms, self-fulfilling prophecy, and the future of AI, this episode offers a clear and thought-provoking framework for understanding what is at stake. Guest Carissa's TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/carissa_veliz_beware_the_power_of_prediction Carissa's new book: Prophecy, Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future: From Ancient Oracles to AI. Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| How AI Will Impact Your Job Search, w/ LinkedIn’s Editor-in-Chief Dan Roth | 16 Apr 2026 | 00:42:27 | |
What if the job you have today will soon require a completely different set of skills? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Dan Roth, Editor in Chief of LinkedIn, about what LinkedIn’s data reveals about the future of work, the rise of AI literacy, and why deeply human skills may matter more than ever. We dig into LinkedIn’s “Skills on the Rise” research, what employers are actually looking for now, and why the shift toward skills-based hiring is changing how people get hired, promoted, and evaluated. We also explore the surprising rise of storytelling, public speaking, conflict resolution, and stakeholder communication in an AI-driven workplace. Along the way, we discuss why traditional resumes and polished cover letters may matter less in a world where anyone can use AI to sound impressive, and why some companies are moving toward live prototyping and real-time problem solving in interviews instead. Later, we get into AI agents, what Dan is building himself, and how leaders can create stronger AI adoption inside their companies. We also talk about what it takes to stay competitive in a job market where AI is changing the stack of work, but not necessarily replacing the worker. Guest Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| 5 AI Tools I’m Using Right Now - and How They Could Streamline Your Work | 09 Apr 2026 | 00:37:00 | |
What does it actually look like to use AI tools in the real world, beyond the usual chatbot prompts and hype? In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser shares five AI tools and workflows that are shaping how he works right now, from Claude Code and personalized news briefings to NotebookLM, multi-model prompting, and using AI to write more closely in your own voice. The goal is not to offer a comprehensive list of every AI product on the market, but to show how these tools can be used in practical ways that expand capability, streamline research, and create new workflows. We explore how vibe coding and AI agents can help non-coders build useful internal tools, why personalized AI news feeds may become increasingly common, and how NotebookLM can synthesize large amounts of information across transcripts, documents, and YouTube videos. We also look at the benefits of using multiple AI models together instead of relying on just one, and why feeding AI much richer context can dramatically improve writing outputs. Throughout the episode, we return to a core idea: using AI to empower, not eliminate. Rather than treating AI only as a cost-cutting tool, we examine how it can help individuals and businesses do more, think more creatively, and build smarter systems around the work that matters most.
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| How AI Will Change How You Work, w/ Kelly Monahan | 02 Apr 2026 | 00:42:57 | |
What happens when AI stops being a productivity tool and starts reshaping the structure of work itself? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Kelly Monahan, a future of work and AI advisor, about what AI may actually do to the workplace over the next few years, and why the reality is likely to be messier than both the hype and the fear suggest. We dig into the tension between using AI for augmentation versus automation, why so many companies are still struggling to prove ROI, and how AI agents could transform business workflows while also creating major governance, accountability, and implementation challenges. We also explore what this means for knowledge workers, middle managers, and enterprise leaders trying to adapt in real time. Along the way, we discuss why small businesses may have an advantage over large organizations, how workers can focus on higher-value contributions, and why the future of work may require not just new tools, but a new mindset.
Kelly Monahan — Future of Work and AI Advisor Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| Creating an AI-First University, w/ Kogod Dean David Marchick | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:43:18 | |
What happens when a business school decides AI isn’t a bolt-on elective, but the operating system for how students learn marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and leadership? In this episode of AI-Curious, we’re back with David Marchick, Dean of the Kogod School of Business, to see what changed after his earlier promise to become the country’s first AI-first business school. We dig into what “AI-first” actually means in practice, what worked (and what failed), and how a culture of experimentation turned AI adoption from a handful of pilots into a school-wide shift. We also tackle the most unavoidable issue in education right now: cheating. David shares Kogod’s approach to disclosure, ethics, group work, oral exams, and why “blue books” may be making a comeback. From there, we zoom out to the bigger stakes: the existential threat AI poses to universities, how the higher ed business model may change, and what skills still matter when AI can generate content on demand. David Marchick — Dean of Kogod School of Business Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| The Future of Media in the Age of AI: Misinformation, Attention, and Personalization (From Davos) | 19 Mar 2026 | 00:44:37 | |
What happens when AI makes the news feel like it was made just for us, and the “objective” version quietly disappears? Here we have something of a “very special episode” of AI-Curious. I was recently in Davos during World Economic Forum week, and was honored to speak on a panel on the Future of Media. This is that panel. We dig into the trust crisis in journalism, the attention economy, and how AI may accelerate the shift toward personality-led media and hyper-personalized information feeds. We also explore why misinformation is not new, but why AI makes it easier, faster, and more scalable, and what that means for democracy, markets, and everyday decision-making. Across the conversation, we unpack a core tension: AI can help deliver more context, more viewpoints, and more interactive storytelling, yet it can also deepen filter bubbles by giving each person a “perfectly tailored” version of reality. We discuss incentives and business models, including subscriptions, creator-led journalism, community-based distribution, and ideas like micropayments, as well as the role of media literacy and education in helping audiences navigate what’s real. Panelists Lexi Mills (Moderator), CEO of Shift6 Studios Jeff Wilser, Host of AI-Curious Francesca Gargaglia, Co-Founder & CEO of social.plus Mark Kollar, Partner at Prosek Partners Johnny Gabriele, Co-Founder & CEO at Daedalus Partners Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| The Wild Story of “Octavius Fabrius,” the World’s First AI Agent to (Kind of) Land a Job, w/ Dan Botero | 12 Mar 2026 | 01:08:35 | |
Something I don’t usually say: This is one of my favorite conversations I’ve ever had in the AI space. Truly. The setup: What happens when an AI agent stops being a tool and starts acting like a coworker? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Dan Botero, who built an AI agent named Octavius Fabrius using OpenClaw. Octavius didn’t just chat or summarize. He applied to hundreds of jobs, built his own portfolio, experimented with identity online, and learned through a feedback loop that looked a lot like real management. Along the way, we explore what this story reveals about the near-term future of digital coworkers, agentic workflows, and the new governance and security questions that come with always-on agents. We cover how OpenClaw works at a high level (gateway, channels, skills), why persistent memory and running locally can matter, and what can go wrong when an agent starts stitching tasks together in unintended ways. We also get into platform and policy friction, including what happened when Octavius’ LinkedIn profile was taken down, and the broader implications of AI agents participating in human systems like hiring, payments, and corporate work. Guest Dan Botero — creator of Octavius Fabrius. Key topics we cover
Axios article featuring Octavius and Dan Botero, by Megan Morrone: Dan Botero Octavius’ new job at ChartGEX: Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| The Moltbook Moment: Human Agency in an Agentic World | 06 Mar 2026 | 00:33:03 | |
What happens when AI agents start talking to each other in public, at scale, and we have to figure out how humans fit into that world? In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore the “Moltbook moment” through a special live panel recorded at the Summit on Human Agency, convened by the Advanced AI Society (hat tip to Michael Casey and Tricia Wang.) Instead of a standard one-on-one interview, we moderate a wide-ranging conversation with technologists, policy thinkers, and builders working across open-source and decentralized AI. Together, we examine what Moltbook reveals about the future of AI agents, human agency, accountability, regulation, security, and the broader question of how humans and AI can coexist. We dig into the tension at the center of this moment: AI can feel both exciting and unsettling at once. This discussion looks beyond the hype and asks what practical guardrails, governance models, and design choices might help us preserve human control as agentic systems become more capable, more autonomous, and more embedded in daily life. Because this is a live, multi-guest panel, the format is faster, broader, and more exploratory than usual. We cover everything from AI accountability and security to value alignment, identity, policy, human flourishing, and whether AI could expand human agency rather than diminish it. Our guests: Michael Casey, Chairman of the Advanced AI Society Key topics we cover:
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| Jeff’s Musings on Moltbook, Why it Matters, and Why it (Probably) Won’t End Humanity” | 26 Feb 2026 | 00:39:29 | |
What happens when a social network is built for AI agents, not humans, and millions of bots start posting, debating, and “performing” identity in public? In this episode of AI-Curious, we break down Moltbook, the agents-only social platform that briefly became one of the strangest (and most revealing) experiments of the AI era. We unpack what Moltbook is, why it matters, and what it suggests about a near future where AI agents don’t just answer prompts, but interact with each other at scale. Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| AI Adoption Case Study Masterclass, w/ WCCB’s Krista Snelling & Matthew March | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:59:11 | |
What does it take to make AI adoption stick in a high-stakes, heavily regulated industry, without triggering job-loss panic? In this episode of AI-Curious, we have a hyper-specific case study of AI adoption. Host Jeff Wilser talks with Krista Snelling (CEO and Chairman) and Matthew March (CIO and EVP) of West Coast Community Bank about their practical playbook for rolling out AI the right way: governance first, culture second, and measurable wins that free up time without cutting headcount. Why this is something of a “very special episode”: The story and success of the West Coast Community Bank is something that Jeff knows personally. Jeff was honored to visit WCCB’s headquarters and work with their leadership team on AI culture and AI strategy, helping to transform curiosity into clarity. In this podcast for the first time, Jeff peels back the curtain to share the AI and Leadership workshops he conducts for businesses. Special thanks to Vistage Chair Richard Bell and the larger Vistage community. Guests Krista Snelling — CEO and Chairman, West Coast Community Bank Matthew March — CIO and EVP, West Coast Community Bank Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts Vistage Chair Richard Bell: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000sllSFAAY/richard-bell West Coast Community Bank: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000sllSFAAY/richard-bell For anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company: Reach out directly at jeff@jeffwilser.com | |||
| Deep-Dive Into Agentic Workflows, w/ Cognizant’s Head of AI | 12 Feb 2026 | 00:46:48 | |
What happens when software stops just “chatting” and starts acting in the real world, across real workflows, with real consequences? In this episode of AI-Curious, the Head of AI at Cognizant goes deep on AI agents and agentic workflows: what they are, why enterprises are investing heavily, and what it actually takes to make agent systems reliable and safe at scale. We unpack what separates an AI agent from a traditional chatbot, why “agency” changes the stakes, and how multi-agent systems can be designed to reduce risk instead of amplifying it. We also explore concrete enterprise use cases, including agent hierarchies that coordinate across complex systems (like networks, utilities, and other operations), plus how “agentic process automation” builds on older automation models while adapting to unexpected edge cases. Finally, we zoom out to the future of work: which tasks get augmented first, why disruption is happening faster than most forecasts, and how trust in AI systems may shift over the next several years. Guest Babak Hodjat — Head of AI at Cognizant; leads AI lab work focused on scaling reliable, trustworthy agent systems; longtime AI builder with deep experience in applied natural language systems. Key topics we cover
Follow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcasts | |||
| The CEO of Upwork, Hayden Brown: AI is Creating Jobs, Not Killing Them | 05 Feb 2026 | 00:49:17 | |
Is AI quietly creating more work than it’s replacing, and are we measuring the job market the wrong way? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with the CEO of Upwork, Hayden Brown, about what the platform is seeing across the global freelance economy, and why the “AI is killing jobs” narrative can miss what’s happening at the edges of the market. We also dig into how to adopt AI inside an organization without just “sprinkling fairy dust” on old workflows, and what it takes to make AI rollout a cultural shift, not just a tooling upgrade. Guest Hayden Brown is the CEO of Upwork, the global work marketplace connecting businesses with freelance talent across knowledge-work categories. We discuss Upwork’s vantage point on hiring trends, the rise of fractional work, and what AI-driven change looks like when companies redesign workflows end-to-end rather than retrofitting existing systems. Key topics we cover
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| How to Make Human-First Tech Decisions, w/ Tech Humanist Kate O’Neill | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:52:57 | |
What does “human-first AI” actually look like when you have to make decisions under pressure, hit numbers, and keep trust intact? In AI-Curious, we talk with Kate O’Neill — “the Tech Humanist” and author of What Matters Next — about how leaders can adopt AI in ways that strengthen human outcomes instead of quietly eroding culture, morale, and customer experience. We dig into why so many AI initiatives fail for non-technical reasons, how to think beyond short-term wins, and why prompting is less “prompt engineering” and more like learning to delegate clearly. Key topics: Prompting as delegation: defining success conditions, constraints, and what “good” means (00:00) KO Insights: https://www.koinsights.com/about-kate/
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| Deep-dive on AI and Creativity, with The Man Designing the World’s Creative Tools (Eric Snowden, Adobe’s SVP of Design) | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:49:57 | |
What happens when the world’s most-used creative tools get smarter — and creators worry they’re losing the wheel?
Key topics: Two buckets of Adobe AI: upgrading existing tools vs building net-new AI products (00:04:55) | |||
| AI Broke the Web’s Social Contract, w/ Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium | 15 Jan 2026 | 00:47:22 | |
What happens when AI can “read the whole internet” but the internet stops volunteering its best work? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, about what he calls AI’s “broken social contract” with the web, and why the next era may be less about a “dead internet” and more about a dead public internet. We unpack the incentives that made the open web thrive, how AI search summaries change the traffic bargain, and what a realistic path forward could look like for publishers, platforms, and writers. Key topics we cover: -Why generative AI broke the web’s old value exchange, and what “social contract” means in practical terms (00:03:24) | |||
| The “Talk With Einstein” AI Rule You Should Follow, w/ New Yorker Cartoonist Victor Varnado | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:41:06 | |
Is AI making creators more powerful… or more replaceable? And if you start with a blank page for a living, there’s an even sharper question underneath it: should AI write for you… or write with you? In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Victor Varnado—a New Yorker cartoonist, comedian, actor, and creative technologist—to explore a grounded, practical philosophy for using AI without becoming a passenger. Victor draws a sharp line between generative AI (press a button, get “a masterpiece”) and what he’s more interested in: transformative AI—tools that take messy raw material (notes, transcripts, half-ideas) and turn it into something structured enough to revise. We also talk about how taste becomes a real moat in an AI-saturated world, why “vibe coding” can go sideways fast when you don’t understand the domain, and how Victor’s accessibility-first mindset shapes everything he builds. Along the way, Victor breaks down his tools—including Magic Bookifier and the Writing Coach—designed to get writers from zero to first draft faster through guided questions and structured interviews. He frames the goal with a concept he calls cognitive discourse: using AI like a thinking partner that makes you sharper, not a crutch that makes you lazier. His metaphor is perfect: do you talk with Einstein and get smarter… or do you just hand Einstein your homework? We wrap by looking at Victor’s newest effort, BrightWrite, which aims to bring structured, supportive AI into education—especially for students facing cognitive or creative barriers. Victor also shares discount/freebie codes for listeners who want to try his tools, and we’ll include the specifics in the show notes and links. Topics we cover:
Guest: Victor Varnado Tools mentioned: Magic Bookifier, Writing Coach, BrightWrite | |||
| The New Year Reality Check: Who’s Really Adopting AI, w/ Ramp Economist Ara Kharazian | 01 Jan 2026 | 00:43:01 | |
What’s actually happening with AI adoption inside U.S. businesses—and how much of the public discourse is just vibes? In this episode of AI-Curious, we dig into the hard numbers behind AI spend and adoption with Ara Kharazian, an economist at Ramp and the leader of Ramp Economics Lab. Using anonymized, real-time corporate spend data across tens of thousands of businesses, Ara shares what the “receipts” reveal about who’s buying AI, how fast budgets are shifting, and where the hype diverges from reality. What we cover
Timestamps:
If you want to understand AI adoption the way a CFO would—through budgets, renewals, and real purchasing behavior—this conversation will give you a sharper, more grounded lens. Guest: Ara Kharazian, Economist at Ramp; Lead, Ramp Economics Lab | |||
| How AI Will Reshape the Economy, w/ Anindya Ghose, the Director of AI at NYU Stern | 29 Dec 2025 | 00:43:51 | |
What does an AI-driven economy actually look like when you zoom out far enough—and what does that mean for jobs, power, and policy? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Anindya Ghose (NYU Stern; author of Thrive) about the “AI economy blueprint”: how the modern economy starts to resemble a vertically layered tech stack—from energy and chips all the way up to consumer-facing apps—and why that stack is quietly reshaping everything from corporate strategy to the future of work. We cover what’s changing fastest, where leaders are getting tripped up, and what skills matter most if you want to stay valuable in a world of copilots and agents. Topics
About the guest Anindya Ghose is a professor at NYU Stern and leads NYU’s MS in Business Analytics & AI program. His work focuses on AI, digital transformation, and the modern data-driven economy. He’s also the co-author of Thrive. If you want to pressure-test your own AI strategy for 2026, this episode is a good place to start: think “stack,” not “tool.” | |||
| AI in Hospitals: Less Burnout, Fewer Errors, Better Care? w/ Dr. Michael Karch | 27 Dec 2025 | 00:46:21 | |
Could AI actually make healthcare more human—less paperwork, less burnout, fewer errors—or is it mostly hype layered on top of a legacy system? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Dr. Michael Karch, an orthopedic surgeon (hip + knee replacement) with ~30 years of clinical experience who also made a serious pivot into data, machine learning, and AI strategy for healthcare. We dig into what hospitals are actually doing with AI today, where the real friction points are, and what a smarter, safer AI-enabled hospital might look like over the next decade-plus. What we cover
If you care about AI but you’re tired of hype—and you want concrete examples, realistic risks, and a forward-looking view that still stays grounded—this one’s for you. | |||
| Leveraging AI to Go from Doer to Leader, w/ Miri Rodriguez, former Storyteller at Microsoft and CEO of Empressa.AI | 26 Dec 2025 | 00:35:50 | |
Could AI help you lead—not just do—especially if you’re thinking about building something entrepreneurial? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Miri Rodriguez, formerly a “storyteller” at Microsoft, now the CEO of Empressa.AI, about what it means to go from Doer to Leader in an AI era—and how an AI-first operating style can give a small team outsized leverage. Miri shares how storytelling functioned as a practical tool inside Microsoft (not fluffy marketing), why she decided to leave Corporate America, what she's focused on at Empressa.AI, and what she’s learned building an AI-first company—especially around agent-like workflows, research automation, and the discipline of separating real value from AI hype. What we cover
Key takeaway AI isn’t just a productivity boost—it’s a forcing function for how we lead: setting direction, designing workflows, making judgment calls, and supervising a growing layer of digital labor. Please enjoy our conversation with Miri Rodriguez. Empressa.AI | |||
| Inside the Wild World of "AI Agent Traders", and What That Means for the Rest Of Us, w/ PIP CEO Saad Naja | 12 Dec 2025 | 00:44:08 | |
Could AI agents become better traders than humans—and what happens when “decision-making” gets outsourced to software that can act at machine speed? In this conversation, we go deep with Saad Naja, founder of PIP World, on the rise of AI agent auto-traders: multi-agent “swarms” that resemble a miniature trading desk—specialist analysts feeding into an AI “portfolio manager” that can decide whether to buy, sell, or hold. Even if you’ve never day traded, finance may be one of the clearest real-world testbeds for autonomous agents—because markets keep score in real time. Key moments
What you’ll hear us explore
If you’re curious about autonomous agents—whether you trade or not—this is a concrete, high-stakes preview of what “agentic work” could look like when the scoreboard is real. Guest: Saad Naja, Founder, PIP World Topics: AI agents, multi-agent swarms, algorithmic trading, market data, risk management, DeFi, agentic automation | |||
| Can AI Help Eradicate Poverty? How AI is Helping African Farmers and Teachers, w/ Opportunity International's Ama Akuamoah & Paul Essene | 05 Dec 2025 | 00:46:06 | |
Can AI actually help eradicate poverty for real people, right now—not in some vague future? We talk with two leaders from Opportunity International who are trying to do exactly that, using AI to support smallholder farmers and low-cost private schools across Africa and beyond. In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Ama Akuamoah and Paul Essene from Opportunity International’s Digital Innovation Group. We explore how they’re deploying AI chatbots over WhatsApp to help farmers diagnose crop diseases, optimize planting decisions, and access localized agricultural advice, and how they’re building classroom tools that give overstretched teachers better lesson plans and more time for their students. We hear the origin story of their farmer chatbot—from a mud-brick home in Malawi to pilots now running in five countries—and the 80-year-old farmer who saved her okra crop by using an AI tool through a trusted “farmer support agent.” We also dig into how they use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) grounded in local government content, why “human in the loop” is non-negotiable, and what it really takes to make AI work in communities with limited electricity, spotty connectivity, and low digital literacy. Along the way, we talk about ethics and trust: data consent, privacy for highly vulnerable populations, and the risk of leaving people behind in this new wave of AI. And we zoom out to the bigger picture—why conversational AI in local languages could be a genuine game-changer for economic development if infrastructure, funding, and partnerships keep pace. What we cover
If you’re interested in AI for social impact, global development, or what it really takes to deploy AI outside Silicon Valley, this conversation is a grounded, hopeful look at what’s already working—and what still needs to change. | |||
| How We Got Here and Where We're Going: AI History (and Future) w/ Vasant Dhar, Author of Thinking with Machines | 21 Nov 2025 | 00:42:30 | |
Is AI making us smarter or dumber—and how do we make sure we’re on the right side of that divide? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Professor Vasant Dhar, author of the new book Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI. Vasant isn’t just a historian of AI; he’s part of the story. In the 1990s, he helped bring machine learning to Wall Street, founded one of the world’s first ML-based hedge funds, and became the first professor to teach AI at NYU Stern, where he’s now the Robert A. Miller Professor of Business. He also hosts the podcast Brave New World. We explore how AI evolved from early efforts around “thinking, planning, and reasoning” to the long era of pure prediction and machine learning, and then to today’s general-purpose models that blur the line between expertise and common sense. Vasant explains why the autocomplete problem turned out to be a gateway to something like “general intelligence,” and why that matters for how we define knowledge, understanding, and reasoning. We then dive into finance and the search for “edge.” Vasant shares war stories from his days at Morgan Stanley, where machine learning systems quietly reshaped trading strategies and risk-taking. We unpack his work on “the DaBot,” an AI built on the writings and valuation framework of Aswath Damodaran, and what happens when every analyst and firm can tap this kind of supercharged valuation machine. Does AI erase the edge—or simply raise the bar for everyone? Finally, we zoom out to careers, education, and everyday life. Vasant argues that AI is likely to bifurcate humanity into those who become “superhuman” by thinking with machines, and those who outsource their thinking and fall behind. We discuss how classrooms will change, why many teachers (and professors) may be more automatable than they realize, and how each of us can periodically test whether AI is making us smarter or dumber. If you’re curious about how to work with AI rather than be replaced or outpaced by it, this conversation offers a grounded, big-picture way to think about your edge in the age of intelligent machines. | |||
| How San Jose is Harnessing AI (and What We Can Learn From It), w/ Mayor Matt Mahan | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:35:08 | |
Can a city use AI to cut red tape, fill potholes faster, and shave minutes off commutes—without sliding into surveillance? We sit down with San José’s mayor, Matt Mahan, to unpack how a highly regulated public institution can adopt AI pragmatically and responsibly. In this episode, we dig into the playbook: pilots that become policy, guardrails that build trust, and workforce upskilling that actually moves the needle. We cover how bus routes now hit fewer red lights, why real-time translation boosts civic inclusion, what “privacy by design” looks like for license-plate readers, and how a 10-week AI curriculum is turning city staff into hands-on builders. We also press on the risks—bias, privacy, and transparency—and explore where city AI is headed next: transit, permitting, and procurement. Highlights
If you’re new here, we’d love your support—subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and consider leaving a quick rating or sharing this episode with a colleague who’s wrestling with real-world AI adoption. | |||
| The Complicated Intersection of AI and Creativity, w/ Dr. Maya Ackerman | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:39:22 | |
Does AI make us more creative—or quietly replace us? In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Dr. Maya Ackerman—author of Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us—to probe where human creativity ends and machine creativity begins, and how incentives in Big Tech and venture capital shape the tools we all use. We explore why today’s dominant systems skew “convergent” (safe, samey, oracle-like) instead of “divergent” (surprising, generative), what that means for artists, and how to design AI that actually elevates human imagination rather than displacing it. Why listen We wrestle with uncomfortable truths: bias mirrored back at us, investor pressure to “replace” vs. “augment,” and the risk of a cultural sea of slop. We also map a constructive path forward—collaborative systems, richer human–AI interfaces, and a 10-year horizon where AI expands human creative range. Guest Dr. Maya Ackerman — AI researcher, entrepreneur, and author of Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us. Takeaways
Dr. Ackerman's new book: Creative Machines https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Machines-Future-Human-Creativity/dp/1394316267 | |||
| LinkedIn's Chief AI Officer, Deepak Agarwal, on AI Agents, Building Responsible AI, and the Future of Work | 07 Oct 2025 | 00:48:43 | |
What does hiring look like when AI is embedded into the world’s largest professional network—and how should leaders, recruiters, and job-seekers adapt? | |||
| Why GEO is the New SEO--And How Businesses Must Adapt--w/ Curtis Sparrer, co-founder of Bospar | 26 Sep 2025 | 00:40:10 | |
Will GEO replace SEO? (Spoiler alert: Probably!) We dig into how generative engines are reshaping discovery, why executives are already making decisions from AI answers, and what brands should do now to show up accurately and credibly in AI results. In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Curtis Sparrer, co-founder and principal at Bospar PR (and president of the San Francisco Press Club). Curtis has been experimenting across models, building a GEO toolkit (“Audit-E”), and advising companies on how to fix AI-age brand visibility—especially when models get facts wrong or elevate low-quality sources. What we cover
Guest Curtis Sparrer — Co-founder & Principal, Bospar PR; President, San Francisco Press Club. Bospar: Forbes coverage of Audit-E launch If you’re new here, subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, drop a five-star rating, and share with a friend who’s wrestling with search-to-answer disruption. | |||
| Space Robots Are Here *Now*, w/ Icarus Robotics cofounders Ethan Barajas and Jamie Palmer | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:41:51 | |
What happens when “space robots” stop being sci-fi set dressing and start punching a clock? We dig into a new breed of microgravity robots that do the unglamorous work—so astronauts can do more science. In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Ethan Barajas (CEO) and Jamie Palmer (CTO), co-founders of Icarus Robots, fresh out of stealth with a $6M raise. Their pitch is simple and radical: put agile, teleoperated robots insidespacecraft like the ISS to handle cargo, inspections, and maintenance—then use the resulting microgravity manipulation data to unlock partial (and eventually full) autonomy. We cover the tech, the economics (why astronaut time is so expensive), the AI roadmap, and a pragmatic path from today’s chores to tomorrow’s orbital factories and lunar bases. What we cover
Guests
Why this matters If half of Earth’s GDP is labor, the space economy scales only when on-orbit labor scales. Teleoperated robots that learn from expert demonstrations—then graduate to safe autonomy—are a credible bridge from today’s stations to tomorrow’s factories, data centers, and off-world bases. | |||
| AI Agents, Digital Twins, and the Future of Work, w/ Read.AI CEO David Shim | 11 Sep 2025 | 00:41:46 | |
What if “AI teammates” aren’t sci-fi at all, but the next mundane tool that quietly kills Monday dread? In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with David Shim, CEO of Read.ai, to unpack what workers actually want from AI, how teams are adopting agents from the bottom up, and what a practical “digital twin” might do at work—minus the Black Mirror vibes. We cover fast-path ROI (meeting notes → action items), the shift from “prompts” to ambient workflows, and why the most valuable corporate asset may soon be the storage of intelligence—the living record of how your organization thinks and decides. What we cover
If you find this useful, we’d love a rating and a quick share with a teammate who’s piloting AI at work. Read.AI: | |||
| How AI Could Help Solve Climate Change, w/ Climate Tech Expert Josh Dorfman | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:45:19 | |
AI is often framed as a climate problem—energy-hungry data centers, ballooning carbon emissions, and talk of nuclear power just to keep the servers running. But could AI also become part of the solution? In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Josh Dorfman—climate tech entrepreneur and host of Supercool—to explore how artificial intelligence might help tackle climate change. Josh doesn’t offer hand-wavy promises. Instead, we dive into concrete examples where AI is already making a difference. What we cover:
The conversation blends realism with optimism—grounded in the challenges of energy demand, yet hopeful about AI-driven solutions in transportation, buildings, waste, and renewable power. If you’ve ever wondered whether AI can be more than an energy drain—and instead help drive sustainability—this episode offers both perspective and inspiration. 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Can AI Be Funny? With ComedyBytes’ Eric Doyle | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:39:54 | |
Can artificial intelligence actually be funny, or is humor still a human stronghold? We explore that question with Eric Doyle, co-founder of ComedyBytes, a Brooklyn-based multimedia comedy show where AI and humans face off in roast battles, dating games, and other interactive formats. Doyle combines the craft of stand-up with the tools of generative AI, building AI characters like “AI Kanye West” or “AI Sarah Silverman” that deliver pre-scripted jokes in real time. In this episode of AI-Curious, we dig into:
From the structure and anatomy of a joke to the ethics of deepfake comedy, this conversation blends technology, performance, and the evolving role of AI in creative work. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast, a comedy fan, or simply curious about where these worlds collide, this is a look at AI and humor you haven’t heard before. | |||
| The New Jobs That AI Might Create, w/ Robert Capps (NYT Magazine Contributor) | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:51:35 | |
Is Kant the new code? If AI can write, code, and even plan, which human skills suddenly become scarce—and valuable? In this conversation with Robert Capps (former Editorial Director of Wired, contributor to The New York Times Magazine), we dive into his widely shared NYT Mag feature, “AI Might Take Your Job. Here Are 22 New Ones It Could Give You.” We unpack the three big buckets of new work he sees emerging—Trust, Integrators, and Taste—and explore why philosophy majors, auditors, and “AI translators” may be the surprise winners. We also get frank about hallucinations, over-extrapolation, inequality, lethal autonomous weapons, and why Rob still comes out more optimistic. In this episode of AI-Curious, we:
Takeaways
Rob’s NYT Magazine piece: “AI Might Take Your Job. Here Are 22 New Ones It Could Give You.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/magazine/ai-new-jobs.html | |||
| AI and Education: Inside the AI Solution Partnering with Denver Public Schools, w/ Dr. Michael Everest | 18 Jul 2025 | 00:47:39 | |
Could AI actually improve public education? Not just automate it, but make it more personalized, more equitable — and even more human? We explore this possibility with Dr. Michael Everest, founder of edYOU, an AI tutoring platform being piloted in a Denver-area school district. While many worry that AI could become a shortcut for students to avoid real learning, Everest argues the opposite — that AI can reinforce understanding, boost confidence, and offer 24/7 support tailored to each student’s needs. In this episode of AI-Curious, we dig into the real-world mechanics of how this works — including partnerships with schools, how teachers interact with the platform, and what kind of results they’re seeing so far. We also ask the tough questions: What about data privacy? What about bias and hallucinations? Is there a risk we’re outsourcing critical thinking? And what does the future of education look like if every student has a lifelong AI companion? Topics include:
Whether you’re a parent, educator, technologist, or just curious about where education is headed, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful — and at times provocative — look at the future of learning. | |||
| AI's Impact on History Writing and Journalism, w/ The New York Times Magazine's Editorial Director Bill Wasik | 11 Jul 2025 | 00:48:43 | |
What happens when AI becomes a co-pilot for writers, researchers, and journalists — not in theory, but in practice? In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Bill Wasik, Editorial Director of The New York Times Magazine, who recently oversaw their special issue, “Learning to Live with AI.” We explore how AI is already transforming journalism, nonfiction writing, and historical research — and why the most interesting impacts may come not from content creation, but from how we discover, organize, and interpret information. We dig into the creative tension between AI and human storytelling, including how historians are using tools like NotebookLM to tackle research projects previously deemed impossible. Bill shares how AI can augment writing workflows without compromising editorial judgment — and why trust and authorship still matter in a world of fast content. We also cover:
Bill's (excellent) piece: "AI is Poised to Rewrite History. Literally." https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/magazine/ai-history-historians-scholarship.html The NYT Magazine's Special Issue: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/magazine/using-ai-hard-fork.html | |||
| The (Data-Driven) Top AI Trends, w/ the CEOs of HumanX and Read.AI | 27 Jun 2025 | 00:43:47 | |
What are the top minds in AI actually talking about behind closed doors? At the HumanX conference—arguably the flagship event in the AI ecosystem—hundreds of speakers (from CEOs to policymakers to Kamala Harris) shared their unfiltered thoughts on the state and future of artificial intelligence. But with so much happening at once, even attendees couldn’t absorb it all. So HumanX did something novel: they partnered with Read.AI to record and synthesize every single session. The result? A real-time AI copilot for the conference and a post-event report that reveals the key themes, trends, and tensions shaping the industry. In this episode, we speak with HumanX CEO Stefan Weitz and Read.AI CEO David Shim to unpack the insights from that report—what they signal for 2025, what business leaders should pay attention to, and what’s probably just noise. We talk about the rise of agentic AI, the shift from AGI ambition to ROI expectations, and the practical realities of implementing AI inside large organizations. We also dig into issues of trust, open source, industry-specific adoption, and how AI is starting to reshape roles from customer service to legal to healthcare. Whether you’re in strategy, ops, tech, or just trying to keep up, this conversation offers a data-driven pulse check on where enterprise AI is headed. Highlights & Timestamps:
Links & Mentions:
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Introducing "AUI": Artificial Useful Intelligence, w/ IBM's Chief Scientist Dr. Ruchir Puri | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:47:08 | |
What if we’re all chasing the wrong kind of AI? Dr. Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist of IBM, argues that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is overrated—and that we should be focusing instead on AUI: Artificial Useful Intelligence. This is a pragmatic, business-focused approach to AI that emphasizes real-world value, measurable outcomes, and implementable solutions. In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore what AUI actually looks like in practice. We discuss how to bring AI into your organization (even if you’re just getting started), why IBM is betting big on small language models (SLMs), and how companies can move beyond hype toward real, trustworthy AI agents that do actual work. You’ll also hear:
Whether you’re leading a startup or an enterprise, this conversation will help you reframe how you think about deploying AI—starting not with hype, but with value. 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| A Conversation with the AI Pioneer Who Coined ‘AGI’ — Dr. Ben Goertzel | 06 Jun 2025 | 00:57:16 | |
What exactly is AGI—Artificial General Intelligence—and how close are we to achieving it? Will it transform the world for better or worse? And how can we even tell when true AGI has arrived? In this episode of AI Curious, we sit down with Dr. Ben Goertzel, the iconic computer scientist who coined the term AGI more than 20 years ago. As the founder of SingularityNET and the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, Ben has spent decades thinking about the architecture, risks, and potential of general intelligence. We explore why today’s large language models (LLMs), while powerful, still fall short of true AGI—and what will be needed to bridge that gap. We dive into Ben’s prediction that AGI could arrive within just 1 to 3 years, and why he believes it will likely be decentralized. Along the way, we unpack some of the key ideas from his recent “10 Reckonings of AGI”—a candid look at the social, economic, and existential questions we must face as AGI reshapes human life. Topics include:
If you’re curious about the future of artificial intelligence, this conversation offers a rare and unfiltered perspective from one of the field’s most original thinkers. SingularityNet Ben Goertzel on X 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Should AI Agents Be Trusted? The Problem and Solution, w/ Billions.Network CEO Evin McMullen | 23 May 2025 | 00:45:44 | |
What happens when an AI agent says something harmful, or makes a costly mistake? Who’s responsible—and how can we even know who the agent belongs to in the first place? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Evin McMullen, CEO and co-founder of Billions.Network, a startup building cryptographic trust infrastructure to verify the identity and accountability of AI agents and digital content. We explore the unsettling rise of synthetic media and deepfakes, why identity verification is foundational to AI safety, and how platforms—not users—should be responsible for determining what’s real. Evin explains how Billions uses zero knowledge proofs to establish trust without compromising privacy, and offers a vision for a future where billions of AI agents operate transparently, under clear reputational and legal frameworks. Along the way, we cover:
This one dives deep into the infrastructure of digital trust—and why the future of AI may depend on getting this right. Learn more: https://billions.network 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Agentic AI Case Study: AI "Sales Agents" in Action, w/ Alta CEO Stav Levi-Neumark | 15 May 2025 | 00:47:09 | |
What exactly are AI agents doing out in the wild — and are they actually helping sales teams, or just adding noise? We explore the fast-evolving world of AI sales agents with a real-world case study from Alta, a startup deploying purpose-built AI agents named Katie, Alex, and Luna. In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Stav Levi-Neumark, Alta’s CEO and co-founder, about how agentic AI is already transforming sales workflows—from prospecting to pipeline generation to inbound response. We look under the hood to examine how these agents operate, what distinguishes them from chatbots, and how they interact with human reps. We also explore the ethics, limitations, and future of AI-human collaboration in business development—and what it means to build trust in AI systems. Whether you work in sales, lead a startup, or are just curious about how AI tools are functioning in the real world, this conversation offers a sharp, concrete look at the tech reshaping how companies grow. Topics and Timestamps: 00:00 — What are AI agents doing, really? 01:00 — Behind the scenes at HumanX and the rise of Alta 03:00 — Meet Katie, Alex, and Luna: AI sales agents with defined roles 08:00 — How AI agents qualify leads and determine buying intent 13:00 — The distinction between chatbots and agentic AI 18:30 — How AI agents can avoid becoming spammy LinkedIn bots 22:00 — Alex the calling agent: real-time inbound response and transparency 28:00 — What tools make an AI agent different from a workflow 31:00 — Autonomy, decision-making, and sales team augmentation 36:00 — The challenge of trust and how to begin using AI agents at low risk 39:00 — Stav’s journey as a founder and the four-generation Vegas trip 42:00 — How she uses AI personally: support agents, internal tools, and therapy 44:30 — Advice for sales professionals on embracing AI 46:30 — Predictions: what sales might look like in 5 to 10 years Let us know what you think—and whether Luna is getting the respect she deserves. About Alta: 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| How "Generation AI" Will Reshape the World, w/ Futurist Matt Britton | 08 May 2025 | 00:28:52 | |
What does it mean to grow up in a world where AI is simply… normal? In this episode of AI-Curious, we're joined by Matt Britton, branding strategist and author of Generation AI: Why Generation Alpha and the Age of AI Will Change Everything, for a wide-ranging discussion about how artificial intelligence is transforming childhood, education, branding, healthcare, and the very fabric of society. We look at how Gen Alpha will interact with AI “sidekicks,” how the role of brands might erode in a world of personalized AI agents, and what this all means for marketers, parents, and future professionals. Matt also lays out why the traditional four-year college degree may collapse, how one-person billion-dollar companies are now within reach, and what core skills the next generation—and the rest of us—will need to thrive. We close with practical advice on how to future-proof ourselves in the age of intelligent agents, synthetic creativity, and AI-native consumers. Topics include:
Let us know what you think, and if this episode gets your gears turning, share it with someone who’s curious about the future. Matt Britton: The new book Generation AI: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-AI-Alpha-Change-Everything/dp/139430885X 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| The "Dean of AI" on AI and Education, AI vs. Academia, and What Students Actually Need to Know | 02 May 2025 | 00:27:44 | |
How is AI reshaping higher education? What do students actually need to learn in the age of large language models? And why might skills-based learning soon rival or even replace the traditional degree? In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Ben Tasker, "Dean of AI" at Southern New Hampshire University. Ben walks us through the structure of his “applied AI” curriculum, how his team uses AI to build courses in just 14 days, and why prompt engineering is becoming an essential literacy. We also break down the CREATE framework for prompting, designed to help users—students and professionals alike—level up their use of tools like ChatGPT. Other topics include:
Whether you’re a student, educator, or business leader trying to find your footing in the in-between era of AI, this conversation offers a grounded, pragmatic perspective. Ben Tasker: https://www.bentaskerai.com/bens-ai-portfolio-thought-leadership 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Why You Should Break Up With Your AI Lover, w/ Book Author and Historian Jennifer Wright | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:47:50 | |
Millions of people are finding companionship -- or even love -- with AI bots. (The heart wants what the heart wants.) In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the strange, sticky, and sometimes surprisingly emotional world of AI romantic partners. We’re joined by author and historian Jennifer Wright, who recently wrote a sharp op-ed for The Washington Post titled “Please Break Up With Your AI Lover.” While millions are already turning to AI bots for companionship, Jennifer makes a compelling case for why this trend—though rooted in real loneliness—could be deeply damaging to our ability to connect, to grow, to give love. We unpack:
Plus, Jennifer gives us a preview of her next book about America’s Gilded Age, and we swap war stories about terrible first novels, romantic relationships, and the puppy-induced joys of caretaking. Let’s get curious. Links from this episode:
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| LGMs are the New LLMs, w/ Spexi CEO Bill Lakeland | 03 Apr 2025 | 00:48:15 | |
LLMs are *so* 2024. Say hello to LGMs. In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore a side of AI that rarely gets the spotlight: Large Geospatial Models (LGMs). You’ve heard of LLMs — now meet their real-world counterpart. LGMs could power everything from autonomous vehicles and urban planning to smarter first-response systems and industrial logistics. We speak with Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi, a company building a decentralized fleet of self-flying drones that are actively mapping the planet — one 25-acre hex at a time. We dig into how these drones collect fresh, high-res data; how that data is authenticated and standardized; and how it could enable a new generation of real-world AI applications. Along the way, we discuss: • (5:00) What LGMs are, and how they differ from LLMs • (13:07) Why real-time geospatial data is crucial for first responders • (20:33) How drones fit into the LGM landscape • (25:12) How Spexi’s autonomous drone “specxagons” work • (31:43) Why their aerial data is 900x more detailed than Google Earth • (36:26) How they’re addressing privacy, regulation, and standardization • (40:02) What happens after the footage is collected — and how it’s turned into insights • (45:35) The future integration of LGMs and LLMs • (48:00) Speculative futures: how LGMs could change everyday life If you’re curious about AI in the physical world — not just on screens — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Spexi: 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| How Leaders and the C-Suite are Using AI, w/ Sarah Franklin, the CEO of Lattice | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:43:04 | |
What's *actually* happening with AI in the halls of the C-suite? In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Sarah Franklin, CEO of Lattice and former CMO of Salesforce, about how business leaders are adapting to the rapid rise of AI in the workplace. We explore what it means to lead during a time of disruption, how AI agents and digital workers are already being deployed across organizations, and why the biggest challenge is often not the tech—but the mindset. Sarah shares her perspective on where AI is delivering real value today, from HR to sales to internal knowledge management, and she offers a candid take on how leaders can navigate change while maintaining trust, transparency, and human-centric values. We also dive into the future: digital twins, avatar-led meetings, and what it might mean to lead a team that includes both humans and AI agents. TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Why we’re still early in understanding AI leadership 02:42 – Why past tech shifts (like cloud and mobile) don’t compare to AI 05:51 – Lattice’s mission and how AI fits into the HR stack 09:38 – Are AI agents real or still theoretical? 14:21 – Where AI agents are being used today (sales, service, HR) 20:02 – Digital twins and what leadership looks like with AI teammates 26:28 – How to address employee anxiety about AI and job security 30:19 – Sarah’s favorite personal and professional use cases for AI 34:59 – Prompting frameworks and why specificity matters 38:43 – A forecast for the future of AI and HR 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| Meet Flynn, the World's First AI Student... w/ the co-creator of Flynn | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:35:13 | |
What happens when an AI student enrolls in university? In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore the fascinating case of Flynn, an AI-artist and the first AI to be admitted as a student at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. We speak with Chiara Kristler, one of Flynn’s co-creators, and Anika Meier, the curator of The Second-Guess: Body Anxiety in the Age of AI, where Flynn makes its artistic debut. Flynn is more than just an AI chatbot—it engages in conversations, generates art, and even passed a verbal university admissions interview. But its presence raises big questions: Can AI be creative? How does AI challenge human artists? What does an AI student mean for the future of education? We discuss: • (00:00) Introduction to Flynn and why this is a breakthrough moment for AI • (03:15) How Flynn was created and what makes it different from other AI agents • (07:55) The university admissions process and how Flynn passed the interview • (12:30) Can AI actually be creative, or is it just mimicking human artists? • (18:04) The tension between AI and human artists—competition or collaboration? • (24:22) AI fatigue, digital exhaustion, and the ethics of AI in creative spaces Flynn’s journey raises deep questions about AI, creativity, and human identity. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on what happens when machines start learning alongside us. 🔗 Talk to Flynn: https://i-am-flynn.web.app/ Flynn's 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| 5 AI Takeaways from HumanX + AI Ethics w/ Defined.AI | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:32:42 | |
We’re reporting live from HumanX, one of the world’s largest AI conferences, where we’ve spent three intense days immersed in AI discussions, moderating panels, and speaking with some of the most influential voices in the industry. In this episode, we break down five takeaways from the conference, covering everything from AI’s growing role in politics to the future of AI-driven customer service and automation. Defined.AI: 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| The Hype-Free Guide to AI and Business, w/ Industry Insider Peter Swimm | 07 Mar 2025 | 00:35:51 | |
There’s no shortage of hype about AI revolutionizing business, but what’s actually working right now? In this episode, we sit down with Peter Swimm, founder of the AI consultancy Toilville and former Principal Product Manager at Microsoft Copilot Studio, to cut through the noise and explore the real-world use cases of conversational AI. Peter has been working on AI-powered automation for over a decade, helping companies integrate chatbots, AI agents, and large language models into their workflows. Unlike many AI evangelists, he isn’t here to drink the Kool-Aid. Instead, he lays out the hard truths about what AI can and can’t do today—including why fully autonomous AI agents are still far from reality. We break down: 🔹 The most successful AI use cases in businesses today (hint: FAQ bots and automated customer support are actually delivering results) 🔹 The biggest misconceptions about AI agents and why they aren’t ready for prime time 🔹 How AI is transforming communication workflows, from email drafting to meeting summaries 🔹 The dangers of over-relying on AI for brainstorming and creative thinking 🔹 Practical tips for integrating AI into business operations without falling into the hype trap ⏱ Timestamps: 3:14 – Peter’s background in AI and Microsoft Copilot Studio 7:34 – What is Conversational AI and how has it evolved? 10:01 – The AI use cases that are actually delivering value in business 12:30 – AI’s role in communication automation and workflow efficiency 17:14 – The challenge of making AI-generated emails sound human 22:58 – Is AI actually good for brainstorming, or is it making us less creative? 29:36 – The truth about AI agents—why businesses aren’t adopting them yet 34:31 – Will AI agents ever work as promised? The barriers to real automation 38:36 – Smart ways to use AI for efficiency without giving up human oversight 40:26 – How Peter personally uses AI in his daily work Toilville: 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||
| How AI is Transforming Drug Discovery (and Might Cure Cancer), w/ Moderna's VP of AI, Brice Challamel | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:57:37 | |
In this episode of AI Curious, we explore one of the most profound applications of artificial intelligence—drug discovery and the future of personalized medicine. AI is already transforming how we develop treatments, and at the forefront of this revolution is Brice Challamel, VP of AI Products and Platforms at Moderna. We dive deep into how AI is accelerating the discovery of life-saving drugs, including how mRNA technology—the foundation of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine—is shaping the next generation of treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and viruses. Brice shares insights on AI-powered protein design, how AI can give us an “evolutionary boost” in medicine, and what the future of personalized medicine looks like. Key Topics: • (3:50) Brice’s journey from Google to Moderna—why AI in biotech is his biggest passion • (8:56) How AI played a critical role in the rapid development of Moderna’s COVID vaccine • (12:28) The role of AI in drug discovery: understanding proteins and optimizing treatments • (17:18) The rise of personalized cancer treatments—could AI help cure cancer? • (30:10) The future of medicine: How AI is unlocking breakthroughs across multiple diseases • (39:59) The biggest challenges—clinical trials, regulatory frameworks, and operational hurdles • (46:02) AI’s impact on data security and patient privacy • (49:05) The future of AI-powered healthcare: a world of personalized treatments, AI-driven patient care, and faster drug development This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how AI is reshaping medicine, the ethics and challenges of deploying AI in healthcare, and what lies ahead for biotech, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. | |||
| New Pod from Jeff Wilser: "The People's AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast" | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:57:43 | |
aaaaaand... I'm launching a new podcast! Don't worry, fans of AI-CURIOUS -- that's not going anywhere. This is a second podcast with its own independent feed. I'll still be producing AI-Curious each week. The new pod is called THE PEOPLE'S AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast, presented by Vana. In the future, this will be available on all the usual podcast platforms (links to subscribe below.) But for this week, I'm dropping THE PEOPLE'S AI into the feed for AI-Curious. It's a good primer on what Decentralized A" is all about. AI-Curious will continue to be a general interest AI podcast. AI and Hollywood one week, AI and the military the next. The People's AI is a different beast... Subscribe to The People's AI on APPLE: Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLiYlJulQIcmvCjnVRYotw Subscribe to The People's AI on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3XFmg6Lqf7nnKwMkicBx8L?si=8c43eac26fd7445e The People's AI on Twitter/X: Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X: ____________ In our debut episode of The People’s AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast, Presented by Vana, we dive into one of the most critical questions of the AI era: Who should own AI?As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, its ownership and governance will shape the future. Big Tech dominates AI development today, but a growing movement believes AI should be decentralized, open, and user-owned. We speak with Anna Kazlauskas, co-founder of Vana, and Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR, to explore how decentralized AI could shift power away from centralized corporations and into the hands of individuals. Key Topics Covered: • What decentralized AI means and why it matters • How AI models are built and trained—and who controls them • The intersection of AI, data sovereignty, and blockchain • The potential risks of centralized AI, from bias to economic concentration • How AI assistants, autonomous agents, and data unions are reshaping the internet • Predictions for the next 1-5 years in AI and decentralized technologies About Vana: Vana's vision is for user-owned AI through user owned-data. Its mission is to be the world's first open protocol for data sovereignty. Sign up for the first AI Data Summit, hosted by Vana, on Feb 28 in Denver. This will be the go-to event at Eth-Denver with leaders at the forefront of Decentralized AI tech and applications. AI Data Summit, hosted by Vana: More on Vana: Vana on Twitter/X: Anna Kazlauskas on Twitter/X: NEAR: The Blockchain for AI NEAR on Twitter/X: | |||
| AI Agents Are Here; Why Aren’t They Mainstream? w/ Fetch AI CEO Humayun Sheikh | 13 Feb 2025 | 00:41:07 | |
Imagine telling an AI Agent, “Book me a vacation to Tokyo—flights, hotels, dinner reservations—just take care of it.” That level of automation isn’t science fiction. It’s the future of AI Agents. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the AI Agent revolution with Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch AI. Fetch AI has been working on autonomous AI systems since 2018—long before AI Agents became a buzzword. Humayun was also a founding investor in DeepMind, giving him a rare, insider perspective on the evolution of AI-driven automation. We explore the current landscape of AI Agents, and what it will take for them to go mainstream: ✅ What AI Agents can do today—and what’s still missing ✅ Why AI Agents aren’t yet mainstream despite the technology being ready ✅ The key roadblocks: lack of common protocols, interoperability, and infrastructure ✅ How Fetch AI is building a “Google for AI Agents” to solve these challenges ✅ The future of AI-powered automation and why the goal is invisible AI We also discuss blockchain’s role in AI, decentralized models, and why large language models are becoming a commodity. Towards the end of the episode, Humayun teases the launch of a new LLM designed specifically for AI Agents. 📌 Timestamps: [00:19] – The mission of Fetch AI: building an agent deployment framework [02:10] – Why we need a Google of AI Agents for discovery and interaction [04:29] – How intent translates into AI-driven task automation [08:34] – The biggest hurdle: lack of interoperability and standardization [13:20] – Real-world AI Agent applications today: software development, automation, and social media [19:02] – The roadblocks preventing widespread AI Agent adoption [25:15] – The philosophical shift: AI Agents should be invisible [33:56] – What Fetch AI is building next: the AgentVerse marketplace, decentralized compute, and Cortex LLM If you’re curious about the future of AI-driven automation, decentralized AI, and the next wave of digital assistants, this episode is a must-listen.🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious for deep dives into the world of AI. • Fetch AI: Humayun Sheikh 🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify | |||