Generative AI 101

Latest Episodes:

AI Pro Tips Series: Assumptions & Stakeholders Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Think you’ve got all your project bases covered? Think again. In this episode, Emily Laird calls out the hidden holes in your plans that even your espresso-fueled brain misses. Forget the coddling, AI is here to serve up brutal honesty and a reality check, sniffing out the overlooked people, missing voices, and embarrassing assumptions tucked into your “flawless” work. Hear how large language models catch what you don’t, why your team’s digital transformation plan probably won’t fly in rural Iowa, and how a simple AI prompt can make you look like the office genius (while saving you from your own blind spots). This episode is your shortcut to ruthless self-awareness, no ego spared, sandwich possibly stolen.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now you have some AI tips to try this week!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

AI Pro Tips Series: Anthropomorphism Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

Think giving your chatbot a name is just for weirdos and sci-fi fans? Think again. In this episode, Emily Laird tosses out the dry tips and goes full Cast Away, explaining why talking to your AI like it’s a grumpy old professor (or a pirate, or Jeffrey the Roomba) isn’t just quirky, it’s the secret to getting answers that don’t suck. Discover why a dash of personality in your prompts unlocks smarter, sharper responses, and how science says we all secretly want our chatbots to have a favorite snack. By the end, you’ll be ready to give your LLM a tragic backstory and maybe, just maybe, start saying thank you to your dishwasher too.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now you have some AI tips to try this week!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

OpenAI's June 2025 Disrupting Malicious Use of AI: Part Deux Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

AI isn’t just doing your homework anymore, it’s helping build malware, write fake job offers, and launch cyberattacks faster than you can say “Ctrl+Alt+Delete.” In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down how generative AI is giving cybercriminals a glow-up, from malware-for-hire and espionage squads to scams slicker than a used car salesman in the metaverse. Meet ScopeCreep, Vixen, and Keyhole Panda, your new least favorite characters in the AI underworld, and find out how crime is getting scaled like a Silicon Valley startup. Bonus: some hope, because even bad bots leave breadcrumbs.
Read the Full Report Here
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about OpenAI's Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

OpenAI's June 2025 Disrupting Malicious Use of AI Report Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Generative AI has a dark side, and it’s not just stealing jobs, it’s applying for them. In this episode, host Emily Laird goes underground with OpenAI’s new report on how generative models are powering fake résumés, propaganda machines, and influencer chaos. From North Korean hackers catfishing HR departments to AI-crafted love letters to authoritarian regimes, the scams aren’t new, but now they scale like fast food. Plus, the AI Avengers (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) are fighting back. So yeah, that viral tweet at 2 a.m.? Might be a bot.
Read the Full Report Here
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about OpenAI's Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Miami-Dade County & the Rise of the GenAI Natives Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

AI isn’t just crashing Miami’s pool parties anymore, it’s moving into the classroom, and no, it’s not just helping kids cheat better. In this episode, hot Emily Laird's hitting the hot, humid hallways of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where over 100,000 students will be getting cozy with Google’s Gemini chatbot. We’re talking AI-powered tutors, teacher bootcamps, and principals pitching projects like it’s Shark Tank: School Edition. From lesson plans to security feeds, this district is turning into an AI test kitchen, minus the exploding beakers. Oh, and there’s a District Director of Artificial Intelligence now. Basically, Miami’s got a Gandalf for generative tech. Let’s just hope nobody goes full Skynet.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI integration in Miami-Dade county (and the rise of the generative AI natives) now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

AI & Jobs: On Amodei, Huang, & Roose Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Grab your ergonomic chair and emotional support coffee, this one’s about your job, and whether AI already has it. In this episode of Generative AI 101, Emily Laird breaks down why Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), and Kevin Roose (NYT) are all sounding the alarm—each in their own way—on the AI-job apocalypse. From entry-level extinction to CEOs quietly ghosting human hires, we’re talking mass layoffs, mentorship black holes, and how Claude might be your new coworker. But hey, it’s not all doom: learn the skills, prompt like a pro, and you just might be the one hiring AI instead of being replaced by it.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI & Jobs now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Google's Veo 3 Part 2: Use Cases Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Lights, camera, algorithm! This week, host Emily Laird hands the director’s chair to Google’s Veo 3, an AI video model that spits out 4K cinematic clips on command, complete with synced sound, consistent characters, and more drama than a Zoom call with your CEO. From TikTok teasers that don’t look like last-minute Canva projects, to cat-produced Sundance shorts, we explore how Veo 3 and its filmmaking sidekick Flow are making “movie magic” something anyone can prompt—no studio budget required. Plus, we pit Veo 3 against OpenAI’s Sora in the battle for AI’s Spielberg crown. Spoiler: the future of filmmaking now comes with a server rack and zero patience for reshoots.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Veo 3 now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Google's Veo 3 Part 1 Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Google DeepMind just dropped Veo 3, and it's basically Final Cut Pro with a soul—or at least a solid camera sense. This episode, we're breaking down why this new generative video model isn’t just impressive—it’s unsettlingly good. Think 4K video made from text, audio that doesn’t sound like a Speak & Spell, and cinematic vibes so on point it could fool a film student. Plus, we unpack why the internet (and possibly the Oscars) is freaking out. Veo 3 isn’t playing around, it’s writing, directing, scoring, and syncing like it’s auditioning for your next binge-watch.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Veo 3 now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Return of the Ive: OpenAI’s $6.5B Minimalist Makeover Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

What happens when OpenAI gives $6.5 billion to the man who made your iPhone hot and your MacBook sleek? You get a screenless, AI-native gadget designed by Jony Ive, aka the guy who convinced us that buttons are for peasants. In this episode, host Emily Laird digs into why OpenAI bought hardware startup io (yes, lowercase), what a “third core device” even is, and whether this digital Jeeves will actually serve you or just end up next to your unused VR headset.

Apple chic meets AI geek. Let’s go.

Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about OpenAI and Jony Ive now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

AI & Copyright: The USCO's 3rd AI Report... The Spicy One. May 22, 2025

Show notes

Let's break down the U.S. Copyright Office’s spicy third report on AI, ya know, the one that's throwing elbows and reportedly got Perlmutter canned. From training on copyrighted data to market dilution (aka the Merlot of legal arguments), Emily Laird dissects the legal drama that could decide the future of generative models. We’re talking fair use, fine-tuning trouble, and why “AI just learns like humans!” won’t fly in court. It’s not law yet, but it’s already whispering in every judge’s ear.
Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI and Copyright now than you did before!

Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

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