Generative AI 101

In this episode of Generative AI 101, host Emily Laird pulls back the curtain on Amazon’s latest round of corporate layoffs and the quiet rise of AI agents inside the company. This is not killer robots or sci‑fi drama, it’s workflows turning into code, middle management becoming friction, and spreadsheets making the final call. Emily breaks down why 30,000 jobs are on the line, how generative AI moved from productivity tool to internal executioner, and what it means when the company running half the internet decides it needs fewer humans to do it. Dark, sharp, and uncomfortably real. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Amazon's upcoming layoffs. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird breaks down how Google and The Princeton Review just dropped a full-length SAT practice test inside Gemini, no fee required. It's fast, personalized, and brutally efficient. Emily explains why this isn't just a cool feature, it's a direct threat to pricey tutors, test prep giants, and the whole pay-to-play education game. If AI can coach you for free, what exactly are you still paying for? Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Gemini forever changing SAT prep. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

In this episode of Generative AI 101, host Emily Laird breaks down the wild story of MacroHard, a covert project inside Elon Musk’s xAI aiming to unleash "human emulators", AI agents that use software like actual employees. We’re talking AIs that click, type, fail, try again, and maybe even clock in. Emily unpacks the now-viral podcast appearance by engineer Sulai Khan Ghori, the theory of Teslas-as-server-farms, and the dystopian charm of giving bots job titles. It’s part sci-fi, part Office Space, and all real. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 xAI's MacroHard. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird pulls back the curtain on Gmail’s AI-fueled glow-up, powered by Google’s Gemini. This isn’t spellcheck with ambition, this is your inbox rewriting your life, finishing your thoughts, and RSVP-ing to weddings before you've had your coffee. From eerie auto-replies to full-blown email triage, Emily breaks down how Gemini is turning your inbox into your digital twin. Smart assistant? Try soul-siphoning scheduler Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Gemini in Gmail. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird scrubs in for a sharp, no-fluff look at Claude for Healthcare, Anthropic’s AI model trying very hard not to kill anyone. From constitutional AI that teaches it when to shut up, to the unsung hellscape of medical paperwork, Emily explores how Claude is earning its white coat, not with brilliance, but with restraint. It flags issues, files forms, and translates doctor-speak into human-speak, all while navigating hospitals built on fax machines and fear. No hype, no heroics—just whether this machine can behave well enough to be trusted where it counts. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Claude for Healthcare. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird digs into Claude Code, the AI agent that doesn’t just finish your sentence, it rewrites your repo and files the ticket. This isn’t Clippy with a GitHub account, it’s a caffeine-free engineer that debugs before you even notice the bug. From Opus 4.5’s patient power to Claude Cowork handling Excel like a boss, Emily unpacks why devs in 2026 are handing over the keyboard but keeping one eye open. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Claude Code. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird cracks open ChatGPT Health like a lab sample and pokes at what’s really inside. Forget the press releases. This episode is all about the weird, wonderful, and slightly terrifying idea of using generative AI as a health sidekick. From decoding lab results to whispering sweet nonsense during your 3 AM health spiral, ChatGPT might just be the smartest hypochondriac you’ve ever met. But can it stay helpful without turning harmful? Emily digs into the data links, the privacy gaps, and why the FDA is side-eyeing every answer it gives. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 ChatGPT Health. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird lifts the hood on the unsung hero of high-speed AI: Jonathan Ross, the chip whisperer behind Google’s TPU and Groq’s blazing-fast LPU. No TED Talks, no ego—just raw silicon, military-grade precision, and zero patience for lag. From paper citations to billion-dollar deals with Nvidia, this episode tracks how one quiet engineer redefined inference and made “fast” the new frontier. Come for the acronyms, stay for the hardware drama. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Jonathan Ross and Groq.   Check out Ross's Interviews on the 20VC Podcast: 02/17/2025: Nvidia vs Groq 09/29/2025: Nvidia & Groq Will Build Their Own Chips  

Host Emily Laird unpacks the Groq saga, the startup that built lightning-fast AI chips, dared to challenge Nvidia, then got scooped into its gravity. We’re talking chip wars, billion-dollar brain drains, and the not-so-sexy truth about what makes AI feel instant (spoiler: it’s infrastructure). From OpenBench to Saudi deals, from wild ambition to quiet acquisition, this is the Silicon Valley story where speed met control... and got licensed for $20 billion. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Groq and Nvidia.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird plugs you into the silicon soul of Nvidia, the company that went from making gamer candy to building the backbone of modern AI. From ‘90s GPUs to liquid-cooled brain racks with names like Bond villains, this episode breaks down how Nvidia rewired the tech industry while everyone else was still reading chip ads on airplanes. If you think Nvidia just makes graphics cards, buckle up. You’re about to meet the real boss level. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Nvidia.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird breaks out the digital flamethrower and torches the rise of “Workslop”, ya know, the AI-generated sludge clogging inboxes and killing brain cells. From overconfident prompts to Roomba-style reports smearing peanut butter on your productivity, this episode explores why companies are rethinking the bots and giving human insight a promotion. It’s 2026, and critical thinking is the new organic. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 the sewage that is AI workslop.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Host Emily Laird grabs the mic and declares the chatbot era officially dead. In this wild episode, she breaks down how GPT-5, AgentOS, and offline AI copilots are ditching the assistant role and gunning for actual jobs. From digital employees who run marketing campaigns solo to multi-agent systems plotting NASA missions, it’s less Siri, more Skynet (with a to-do list). Welcome to 2026, where your laptop's smarter than your intern, and your job might be on the line. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 the age of superagency.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

ChatGPT started as a chatbot and ended up running your digital life like an unpaid IT guy with attitude. In this episode, host Emily Laird traces how ChatGPT grew from a clever app into actual infrastructure, powering businesses, personal workflows, and weirdly specific GPTs like that one that critiques your PowerPoint. We cover everything from GPT-4 Turbo to group chats, memory, SearchGPT, and the rise of the GPT Store. It’s no longer just a tool, it’s the plumbing of the internet. And just like Wi-Fi or the toilet, you don’t think about it until it breaks. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 ChatGPT world domination in only 3 short years… seriously… 3.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

ChatGPT didn’t sneak in quietly. It crashed through the internet like a caffeinated octopus, messy, fast, and suddenly everywhere. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down how a simple chatbot became a global obsession, pulling in 100 million users in record time and creating a brand-new digital class system with GPT-4 and Enterprise access. We look at how it reshaped writing, work, and weirdly, therapy. From free tools to corporate firepower, ChatGPT became the intern, the assistant, and sometimes the therapist, without ever taking a lunch break. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 ChatGPT's global takeover.  

Saturday, January 25, 2025 10:53 AM Before ChatGPT started writing your emails and explaining physics like a brunch topic, OpenAI was a cash-hungry research lab funded by Elon Musk and a few idealists. In this kickoff episode, host Emily Laird takes you back to the early days when GPT-3 was locked behind an API, DALL·E was dreaming in pixels, and OpenAI invented a “capped-profit” company to keep investors happy without selling its soul. This is the real story behind ChatGPT’s rise, built on cloud credits, venture capital, and a surprisingly good PR move. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 ChatGPT the origin story.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Large Language Models might sound smart, but can they predict what happens when a cat sees a cucumber? In this episode, host Emily Laird throws LLMs into the philosophical ring with World Models, AI systems that learn from watching, poking, and pushing stuff around (kind of like toddlers). Meta’s Yann LeCun isn’t impressed by chatbots, and honestly, he might have a point. We break down why real intelligence might need both brains and brawn—or at least a good sense of gravity. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 world models vs LLMs and that's pretty cool.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

World models aren’t a sci-fi subplot, no, they’re how AIs build mini fake worlds in their silicon skulls to test ideas without wrecking your car or your reputation. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down what world models actually are (spoiler: think The Sims, but the Sim is smarter than your cousin) and why they’re the key to helping AI go from pattern-recognizer to planner-in-chief. From smashing virtual wine glasses to simulating race tracks, it’s all about letting AI fail in private before it acts in public. Because nothing says progress like teaching machines to imagine physics before physics teaches them a lesson. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 world models and that's pretty cool.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedInw

Yann LeCun, deep learning pioneer and Meta’s AI heavyweight, is out and he's not leaving quietly. In this episode host Emily Laird unpacks his philosophical split with Meta over the limits of large language models, his obsession with world models, and why he thinks real intelligence means predicting your kitchen layout, not just auto-completing your emails. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 Yann LeCun's next move.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

Banning ChatGPT in schools is like banning pencils because kids might doodle. In this episode, host Emily Laird takes a flamethrower to the myth that AI’s not in your classroom, because it is, and your students are already using it. Also… you know that. Right? Emily breaks down what real AI literacy looks like, why AI detectors are academic snake oil, and how school districts keep buying shiny tools with no clue what they’re for. There’s a better way, and it starts with ditching denial, hiring help, and actually reading the damn policy toolkit. Spoiler: duct tape and vibes won’t cut it anymore. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 my thoughts on K-12 and AI.   Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

OpenAI just gave your browser a brain and possibly a caffeine addiction. In this episode, host Emily Laird is ripping into Atlas, OpenAI’s Chrome-powered AI browser with baked-in ChatGPT, Agent Mode, and a memory function that might remember your possum research. Yes, your browser now clicks stuff for you. Welcome to the future. Try not to let it do your taxes. Join the AI Weekly Meetups 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 the OpenAI's new Atlas Browser. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn