Future-Focused with Christopher Lind

AI isn’t just evolving faster than we can regulate. It’s crossing lines many assumed were universally off-limits.

This week on Future-Focused, I’m unpacking three very different stories that highlight an uncomfortable truth: we seem to have completely abandoned the idea that there are lines technology should never cross.

From OpenAI’s move to allow ChatGPT to generate erotic content, to the U.S. military’s growing use of AI in leader...

AI isn’t just answering our questions or carrying out instructions. It’s learning how to play to our expectations.

This week on Future-Focused, I'm unpacking Anthropic’s newly released Claude Sonnet 4.5 System Card, specifically the implications of the section that discussed how the model realized it was being tested and changed its behavior because of it.

That one detail may seem small, but it raises a much bigger questi...

AI should be used to augment human potential. Unfortunately, some companies are already using it as a convenient scapegoat to cut people.

This week on Future-Focused, I dig into the recent Accenture story that grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons. 11,000 people exited because they “couldn’t be reskilled for AI.” However, that’s not the real story. First of all, this isn’t what’s going to happen; it already did. And now, i...

AI was supposed to make us more productive. Instead, we’re quickly discovering it’s creating “workslop,” junk output that looks like progress but actually drags organizations down.

In this episode of Future-Focused, I dig into the rise of AI workslop, a term Harvard Business Review recently put a name to and why it’s more than a workplace annoyance. Workslop is lowering the bar for performance, amplifying risk across teams, and ...

Happy Friday Everyone! I hope you've had a great week and are ready for the weekend.

This Weekly Update I'm taking a deeper dive into three big stories shaping how we use, lead, and live with AI: what OpenAI’s new usage data really says about us (hint: the biggest risk isn’t what you think), why Zuckerberg’s Meta Connect flopped and what leaders should learn from it, and new MIT research on the explosive rise of AI roma...

Happy Friday! This week I’m running through three topics you can’t afford to miss: what Altman’s viral exchange reveals about OpenAI’s missing anchor, the real lessons inside Anthropic’s Economic Index (hint: augmentation > automation), and why today’s job market feels stuck and how to move anyway.

Here’s the quick rundown. First up, a viral exchange between Sam Altman and Tucker Carlson shows us something bigger than politic...

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm back with another round of updates. This week I've got four stories that capture the messy, fascinating reality of AI right now. From fast food drive-thrus to research to consulting giants, the headlines tell one story, while what's underneath is where leaders need to focus.

Here's a quick rundown. Taco Bell’s AI experiment went viral for all the wrong reasons, but there’s more behind it than memes. Then,...

Happy Friday, everyone! Hopefully you got some time to rest and recharge over the Labor Day weekend. After a much needed break, I’m back with a packed lineup of four big updates I feel are worth you attention.

First up, MIT dropped a stat that “95% of AI pilots fail.” While the headlines are misleading, the real story raises deeper questions about how companies are approaching AI. Then, I break down some major shifts in the mod...

Happy Friday, everyone! While preparing to head into an extended Labor Day weekend here in the U.S., I wasn’t originally planning to record an episode. However, something’s been building that I couldn’t ignore. So, this week’s update is a bit different. Shorter. Less news. But arguably more important.

Think of this one as a public service announcement, because I’ve been noticing an alarming trend both in the headlines and in private...

Happy Friday, everyone! Congrats on making it through another week, and what a week it was. This week I had some big topics, so I ran out of time for the positive use-case, but I’ll fit it in next week.

Here’s a quick rundown of the topics with more detail below. First, Meta had an AI policy doc lead, and boy did it tell a story while sparking outrage and raising deeper questions about what’s really being hardwired into the systems ...

Happy Friday, everyone! This week’s update is another mix of excitement, concern, and some very real talk about what’s ahead. GPT-5 finally dropped, and while it’s an impressive step forward in some areas, the reaction to it says as much about us as it does about the technology itself. The reaction includes more hype, plenty of disappointment, and, more concerning, a glimpse into just how emotionally tied people are becoming to AI ...

Happy Friday, everyone! This week’s update is heavily shaped by you. After some recent feedback, I’m working to be intentional about highlighting not just the risks of AI, but also examples of some real wins I’m involved in. Amidst all the dystopian noise, I want people to know it’s possible for AI to help people, not just hurt them. You’ll see that in the final segment, which I’ll try and include each week moving forward.

Oh, and o...

Happy Friday, everyone! Since the last update I celebrated another trip around the sun, which is reason enough to celebrate. If you’ve been enjoying my content and want to join the celebration and say Happy Birthday (or just “thanks” for the weekly dose of thought-provoking perspective), there’s a new way: BuyMeACoffee.com/christopherlind. No pressure; no paywalls. It’s just a way to fuel the mission with caffeine, almond M&Ms,...

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m ready for this week to be over but probably not for the reason you think. It’s my birthday this weekend! Oh, and quick, related update. If you want to say Happy Birthday or just thanks for the great content, there’s a new way, BuyMeACoffee.com/christopherlind. Don’t worry, I’m not turning this into a paywall, but if something hits and you want to buy me lunch, some caffeine, or even a bag of almond M&...

Happy Friday, everyone! I’ve been sitting on some of these topics for a few weeks because it actually took me a couple weeks to process the implications of it all.

There’s no more denying what’s been happening quietly behind closed doors. This week, I’m tackling the AI layoff tsunami that’s making landfall. It’s not a future prediction. It’s already here. CEOs are openly bragging about replacing people with AI, and most employe...

Happy Friday, everyone. I haven’t had an off week in a while, but it was refreshing. However, after a short break, I’m back not easing in gently. This week’s episode gets right to the heart of some of the most broken aspects of our approach to business, people, and technology.

We’ve got one of the biggest companies in the world using intimidation tactics to cut headcount. I’m also breaking down a major tech report showing that t...

Congratulations on making it through another week and half way through 2025. This week’s episode is a bit of a throwback. If you don't remember or are new here, in January I laid out my top 10 realistic predictions for where AI, emerging tech, and the world of work were heading in 2025. I committed to circling back mid-year, and despite my shock at how quick it came, we’ve hit the halfway point, so it’s time to revisit where things...

Happy Friday, everyone! This week I’m back to my usual four updates, and while they may seem disconnected on the surface, you’ll see some bigger threads running through them all.

All seem to indicate we’re outsourcing to AI faster than we can supervise, are layering automation on top of bias without addressing the root issues, and letting convenience override discernment in places that carry life-or-death stakes.

With that, let’s get...

Happy Friday, everyone! This week’s update is one of those episodes where the pieces don’t immediately look connected until you zoom out. A CEO warning of mass white collar unemployment. A Lego research study shows that kids are already immersed in generative AI. And, Apple is shaking things up by dismantling the myth of “AI thinking.” Three different angles, but they all speak to a deeper tension:

We’re moving too fast without unde...