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PODCAST

Generative AI 101

Welcome to Generative AI 101, your go-to podcast for learning the basics of generative artificial intelligence in easy-to-understand, bite-sized episodes. Join host Emily Laird, AI Integration Technologist and AI lecturer, to explore key concepts, applications, and ethical considerations, making AI accessible for everyone.

technology

All Episodes

11:26

OpenAI’s Agent: What It Is, What It Does, and Why...

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/07/28

OpenAI’s Agent isn’t here to make small talk. It’s here to get stuff done, like your caffeinated intern who never sleeps, never eats, but still can’t log into your Gmail. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down what the Agent actually is, how it turns ChatGPT into a hands-on digital assistant, and why Sam Altman is calling this “the feel of AGI” while also slapping a giant experimental label on it. You’ll learn what this thing can really do, where it crashes into walls, and why it might be the

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09:06

AI: The Ozempic of Corporate America

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/07/23

Corporate America’s on Ozempic, and the side effect is mass layoffs. In this episode, host Emily Laird slices into the juicy mess of the AI-powered corporate slim-down brought to you by a fantastic article by the WSJ. Turns out your boss doesn’t hate you, he just read a memo that said a chatbot is cheaper. From Amazon’s Andy Jassy preaching lean teams like it’s a TED Talk for sociopaths, to Walmart quietly firing 100,000 people while raking in billions, we unpack how generative AI is becoming the

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09:30

Andy Jassy & the AI Workforce Purge

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/07/22

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy just dropped a memo that’s equal parts pep talk and pink slip warning: AI is amazing, and it’s coming for your job. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down how Amazon is unleashing AI agents like digital Avengers to automate the mundane, boost efficiency, and quietly make some roles...disappear. We unpack what it means to “adapt or become the next Blockbuster,” why passive-aggressive robots are the future of your Slack channel, and how to become an AI-literate teammate

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10:50

The AI Job Market Has Entered the Chat

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/07/21

Forget robot overlords. For now, AI still needs us to clean up its messes, cast its voices, and make sure it doesn’t accidentally go full Bond villain. In this episode, Emily breaks down the New York Times article on 22 new jobs AI could give you instead of just taking yours. From AI ethicists who play moral compass to personality directors deciding whether your chatbot sounds more like Oprah or Steve Harvey, we’re looking at new roles built around trust, integration, and taste. Your next job might

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08:24

AI Pro Tips Series: Prompt Like a Pro

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/18

Sick of AI giving you answers with all the flavor of corporate hold music? In this episode of our AI Pro Tips series, Emily Laird cracks open the secret sauce of prompting: ruthless specificity. Forget vague instructions! Think of AI like a rookie line cook: you want steak and fries, not leftovers from the walk-in. From prepping your prompts with chef-level detail to demanding feedback as sharp as a sushi chef’s knife, we’ll show you how to turn your AI sidekick from phoning it in to plating up

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07:26

AI Pro Tips Series: Assumptions & Stakeholders

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/17

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,

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06:34

AI Pro Tips Series: Anthropomorphism

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/16

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

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07:27

OpenAI's June 2025 Disrupting Malicious Use of AI:...

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/11

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

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05:13

OpenAI's June 2025 Disrupting Malicious Use of AI Report

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/10

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

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06:22

Miami-Dade County & the Rise of the GenAI Natives

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/09

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

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08:09

AI & Jobs: On Amodei, Huang, & Roose

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/05

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

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07:50

Google's Veo 3 Part 2: Use Cases

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/04

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,

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09:50

Google's Veo 3 Part 1

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/03

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,

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07:32

Return of the Ive: OpenAI’s $6.5B Minimalist Makeover

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/06/02

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

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09:19

AI & Copyright: The USCO's 3rd AI Report... The Spicy...

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/22

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

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07:51

AI & Copyright: The USCO Trilogy

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/21

AI-generated Tom Cruise? Button-mashing cyberpunk operas? Welcome to the legal circus. In this episode, Emily Laird breaks down the U.S. Copyright Office’s spicy three-part report series on generative AI: from deepfakes and who actually owns AI-made content, to the billion-dollar question, can your model legally chow down on copyrighted books without asking? Spoiler: the Office isn’t exactly handing out high-fives. It’s The Lord of the Rights, and the lawyers have entered the chat.Connect with Us:

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07:31

AI & Copyright: Pipe Dreams & Legal Screams

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/20

So you typed “a cat smoking a pipe in Van Gogh’s style” into your favorite AI tool, cool flex, but don’t try to copyright it. In this episode, host Emily Laird is slicing into the meat of the AI copyright mess: who owns AI-generated content, what the U.S. Copyright Office actually said about it, and why your clever prompt won’t get you a ribbon (or royalties). From the lawsuits piling up like week-old takeout to GitHub Copilot's DMCA drama, we’re breaking down the legal food fight between artists,

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07:02

AI & Copyright: ...Yikes.

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/19

Generative AI crashed the copyright party in 2023 and it didn’t wipe its boots at the door. In this episode, we break down the chaotic, caffeinated debate over who owns what when machines start getting “creative.” From the U.S. Copyright Office’s tough love (no human, no copyright) to courtroom showdowns like Thaler v. Perlmutter and the cautious applause for Théâtre D’opéra Spatial, we’re talking authorship, ownership, and whether your AI art deserves a gold star or a cease-and-desist. If you've

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07:13

H2-Oh No! Why Your ChatGPT Habit Is Drying Out the...

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/07

Think AI runs on math and magic? Try 66 billion liters of water. In this episode, host Emily Laird exposes AI’s dirty little secret: data centers are chugging water like it’s spring break in Vegas. From Microsoft draining cities to Google raising eyebrows in Oregon, we break down how training your favorite chatbot might be leaving the planet parched. Plus, we look at solutions, like liquid-cooled servers and recycled wastewater, because building Skynet in a drought is just bad planning.Connect

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07:36

Your Chatbot vs. the Planet

Generative AI 101 ·

2025/05/06

AI isn't magic; it's math and metal, and it has a monster appetite for electricity. In this episode, host Emily Laird digs into the eco-footprint of Generative AI, from training models that suck down enough power to juice 120 homes, to chatbot sessions that drain half a liter of water per flirty Q&A. Emily also unpacks why your helpful bot might be thirstier than a frat house in July, how AI already outpaces aviation in emissions, and whether “green AI” can actually save us from an e-waste

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226 results

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