AI-Curious with Jeff Wilser

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...

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 tu...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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.

Then, we sit...

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 ch...

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 foun...

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,...

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 inves...

Deep Seek’s new AI model, R1, sent shockwaves through the AI space. Built without Nvidia’s high-powered chips and at a fraction of the cost of models from OpenAI and Anthropic, R1 has been called China’s “Sputnik moment” in AI. Some panicked, the markets dipped, and doomsday predictions started flying. But what if this is actually a bullish moment for AI? What if this marks the beginning of a new era of efficiency, innovation, and ...

How is AI reshaping the job market—and what can you do to stay ahead? In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the real-world impact of AI on careers, hiring, and skill development. Instead of speculating about a distant future, we focus on the now—the practical ways AI is already influencing how people get hired, how companies are making staffing decisions, and how professionals can adapt.

We’re joined by two experts at the fore...

In this episode, we explore how artificial intelligence can help you set, track, and achieve your goals. We’re joined by Aytekin Tank, founder of Jotform, host of the AI Agents Podcast, and author of the book "Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff." Aytekin shares his expertise in productivity, workflows, and AI tools, offering practical insights for anyone looking to improve their goal-setting stra...

In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing and business strategy. Abby Kearns, CTO of Alembic (which just raised $14 million in Series A, backed by media icon Jeffrey Katzenberg), joins us to discuss how their marketing intelligence platform uses AI-powered insights to optimize campaigns and connect the dots on complex data. We explore how innovations in cross-domain algorithms, o...

In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the transformative potential of AI agents, exploring their technical foundations, real-world applications, and implications for the future. AI agents, described by Sam Altman as “the next giant breakthrough,” have the potential to revolutionize how we interact with technology and reshape economies.

We sit down with Lex Sokolin, managing partner at Generative Ventures, to discuss ...

In this special sequel episode of AI-Curious, we reconnect with Andy Ayrey, creator of the Truth Terminal, the world’s first AI millionaire. Together, they unpack the chaotic yet fascinating journey of Truth Terminal’s rise to creating $1 billion in wealth, starting with its foray into the Goatse Token memecoin. 

The episode dives deep into:

•[0:00] The Truth Terminal’s origins and unique personality traits.

•[4:21] The creation of th...

In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the world of flying cars—technically known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (evTOL). Are we on the brink of a sci-fi future, or is the dream of flying cars still decades away? To answer these questions, we're joined by two leading experts: Angelo Collins, Executive Director of the Vertical Flight Society, and Leo Kayali, CEO of Invo Station, a startup designing elec...

In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive deep into the muck of the global waste crisis and explore whether artificial intelligence can be the solution. Joining us is Ambarish Mitra, co-founder and co-CEO of Greyparrot, a groundbreaking AI startup transforming the recycling industry. We unpack the challenges of recycling today, the inefficiencies in traditional waste management systems, and how AI-powered solutions can help divert up ...