Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer and CMO at Intercom, joins Mind the Machine to break down how AI is reshaping customer service, product development, and the future of work. He explains how Intercom rebuilt its entire strategy in a matter of days after ChatGPT arrived, why he believes we are still at the very beginning of the AI cycle, and what second and third order effects will change the world in ways most people don’t yet see.Paul also shares practical advice for startup founders, students, and career-builders. He talks through why proximity and relationship capital still matter, why companies should rethink their entire operating model instead of piloting isolated AI projects, and how AI is creating new roles instead of simply replacing old ones.This conversation covers AI transformation, product strategy, future hardware, personal AI, workplace change, education, and how to prepare yourself for the next decade of innovation.

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00:00 Intercom’s rapid shift after ChatGPT01:50 Why customer service is fundamentally broken03:32 How Intercom invented modern business messaging04:47 What Fin is and why AI excels at customer service08:13 Is AI underhyped? Paul’s view from Google and Facebook11:07 Why AI is a bigger wave than mobile13:22 Where we are in the AI timeline (Paul’s “1999 internet” analogy)15:01 Second- and third-order effects that will transform society18:24 Personal AI and how daily life will change20:36 How hardware will evolve in an AI-first world23:43 Why young people have a massive advantage in the AI era27:11 How to use AI like a powerful tool instead of Google31:34 Why proximity, trust, and human relationships still matter40:57 Practical guidance for companies starting an AI strategy43:18 Why isolated AI projects fail without whole-company adoption