The AI Why with Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson

We’re the team behind The AI Report — the #1 AI newsletter for 400,000+ business leaders at Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and more. Each week, we cut through the noise with expert conversations on how AI is transforming business. Expect deep dives into real-world use cases, practical strategies for leaders, and insights you won’t find anywhere else. If you want to understand AI in a way that drives results for your team, company, and career — you’re in the right place. 👉 Subscribe now and join 400,000+ professionals mastering AI in business. theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-spotify

  1. How to Build AI Software That Won't Be Dead in 2 Years | Christian Lund, Templafy

    1D AGO

    How to Build AI Software That Won't Be Dead in 2 Years | Christian Lund, Templafy

    In this episode, Christian Lund, Co-Founder of Templafy, reveals how the company built an AI-powered instruction and orchestration layer that helps over 800 enterprise customers — including KPMG, IKEA, and BDO — generate millions of compliant, on-brand business documents 100x faster. Christian shares why the real defensibility in AI isn't the model itself, but the mid-layer that tells the model exactly what to do. Christian breaks down how Templafy turns a simple 8-word user prompt into a 30-page AI instruction book, how their orchestration layer ensures consistent, high-quality outputs across millions of documents, and why enterprises that tried to build AI solutions internally ended up coming back to purpose-built tools. He also shares his honest take on whether AI is a force for good, what skills knowledge workers need to survive, and what he's teaching his three kids about working in an AI-first world. Key Topics Covered - How Templafy's AI instruction layer turns 8-word prompts into 30-page agent briefs - Why the orchestration mid-layer between users and AI models is the most defensible position in enterprise tech - How a Big Four accounting firm became Templafy's very first customer - The transition from rules-based automation to AI-first document generation with agents - Why enterprises took surprisingly long to move from AI toys to enterprise-grade tools - How Templafy integrates with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Copilot without getting swallowed by the SaaSpocalypse - The only 2 skills knowledge workers need to stay relevant: setting direction and validating output - Why brand and thought leadership are more important than ever for SaaS companies in 2026 - How BDO Canada saved $1.65 million in one year using Templafy's document automation - Christian's investor perspective on VC moonshots vs. real businesses that generate EBITDA **Episode Timestamps** 00:00 - Introduction and what problem Templafy solves 02:01 - The origin story: from consultants with no product to enterprise SaaS 04:18 - Why finance, law, and pharma became the core customer segment 05:41 - How a Big Four firm became the first customer during the cloud transition 09:02 - What makes a company good at adopting new technology 11:00 - How Templafy sits on top of Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Copilot 11:37 - Surviving the SaaSpocalypse and finding the new world order 17:08 - Growth in the AI era and why enterprise demand took longer than expected 21:16 - Inside the boardroom: where Templafy fits in the AI landscape 23:31 - The recipe vs. cookbook analogy: how instruction books power AI agents 28:38 - How to become defensible when every company has the same AI models 31:58 - Why humans are more important than ever in enterprise sales 35:11 - The only 2 skills left for knowledge workers 35:52 - Educating children in the age of AI 40:01 - Christian's journey from CEO to CPO to CMO to co-founder 41:17 - Why brand and trust are hyper important in 2026 45:11 - B2B vs. B2C: Templafy's enterprise focus and how it compares to Gamma 49:21 - Christian evaluates the podcast's business model as an investor 54:57 - Is AI a force for good? Christian's honest answer 57:32 - Why do you do what you do? Christian's Socials: LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianlundcph/ Partner Links Book Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/ Subscribe to our free newsletter — https://www.theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-youtube

    58 min

  2. 3D AGO

    OpenAI got $110 billion. Anthropic Got a Blacklist | AI News in 5

    OpenAI just raised $110 billion — the largest funding round in Silicon Valley history. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is threatening to blacklist Anthropic over AI safety limits. This is the biggest week in AI news — here's everything you need to know.In this episode of The AI Report Podcast, we break down the 5 biggest AI stories from the week of February 23–27, 2026:🏛️ Pentagon vs. Anthropic — Defense Secretary Hegseth demands Anthropic remove safety guardrails from Claude or face a $200M contract cancellation and federal blacklisting💻 Perplexity Computer — A new AI agent system that orchestrates 19 models to execute complex tasks end-to-end📱 Samsung Galaxy S26 — Samsung's most AI-forward phone yet, featuring proactive AI nudges and built-in agents from Bixby, Gemini, and Perplexity🤝 Meta x AMD $60B Deal — Meta diversifies away from Nvidia with a massive 6-gigawatt AI chip agreement💰 OpenAI's $110B Round — SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon back the largest private funding round ever⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 – Introduction0:15 – Pentagon threatens to blacklist Anthropic1:20 – Perplexity launches Computer2:25 – Samsung unveils Galaxy S26 AI features3:30 – Meta and AMD sign $60 billion chip deal4:35 – OpenAI raises $110 billion5:40 – Closing📩 Subscribe to The AI Report newsletter for daily AI news: https://newsletter.theaireport.ai/subscribeGet Enterprise Training — upscaile.com

    6 min

  3. FEB 26

    Stanford x Upscaile: How We Taught AI Filmmaking to 50+ Students (Full Class)

    Upscaile Partnered with Stanford to Teach a 90-Minute AI for Creativity Masterclass — From Prompting Fundamentals to Full AI Short Film ProductionIn this full Stanford class recording, Arturo Ferreira walks students through the complete creative AI workflow — from foundational prompting techniques to producing a short sci-fi film using only AI tools. The session covers everything from how tokenization and probability engines actually work to building consistent characters and visual styles across an entire production.Arturo demonstrates how he created a multi-character, fully narrated sci-fi short film in just 48 hours using ChatGPT, Sora, Runway ML, 11 Labs, and Final Cut Pro. Students follow along with hands-on exercises, learning the exact prompting frameworks used to go from basic one-line prompts to production-quality AI video output.Key Topics CoveredThe difference between artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AIWhy AI is a probability engine, not a thinking machine, and why that matters for promptingThree pillars of effective prompting: clarity, context, and specificityHow tokenization works (word-based, character-based, and phrase-based)Using temperature settings to control AI creativity and determinismHashtag prompting technique to create signposts and organize complex promptsRetrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) for uploading references and refining outputTree of Thought technique for generating multiple creative options simultaneouslyCharacter Lock, Style Lock, and Camera Controls for visual consistency across scenesBuilding a complete AI short film workflow from storyboard to final edit in 48 hoursEpisode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and course overview at Stanford04:18 - How smart is AI? Why AI is fast, not smart06:20 - Tokenization explained: word-based, character-based, phrase-based07:40 - Hallucinations are a feature, not a bug09:59 - Three pillars of prompting: clarity, context, specificity16:41 - Temperature settings for controlling AI creativity21:46 - Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) explained27:00 - Hashtag prompting technique for advanced prompt organization32:52 - Tree of Thought technique for multiple creative solutions38:23 - Hands-on with Sora: creating AI video from prompts52:56 - Hashtag prompting vs basic prompting: side-by-side video comparison1:02:37 - Full AI short film reveal: 48-hour sci-fi production1:05:15 - Character Lock, Style Lock, and Camera Controls1:18:46 - Runway ML workflow for reference-shot-to-video production1:19:31 - Using 11 Labs for AI audio and sound effects1:23:09 - System prompts, custom instructions, and persistent memoryAbout Liam LawsonArturo Ferriera is an AI educator and creative technologist who teaches enterprise-level AI training and creative AI workshops. He partnered with Stanford to deliver this masterclass on AI for creativity, covering prompting fundamentals through advanced AI filmmaking techniques. Liam specializes in making generative AI accessible for creative professionals at all skill levels.About UpscaileUpscaile delivers enterprise AI training designed to help teams integrate generative AI into their creative and professional workflows. The company partners with leading institutions like Stanford to provide hands-on AI education that bridges the gap between technical capability and practical creative application.Resources MentionedChatGPT (OpenAI)Sora by OpenAIRunway ML11 LabsFinal Cut Pro / iMovie / Adobe PremiereTree of Thought and Chain of Thought prompting techniquesRetrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)Partner LinksBook Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/Subscribe to our free newsletter — https://www.theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-youtube#AIFilmmaking #StanfordAI #GenerativeAI #AIforCreatives #PromptEngineering #ChatGPT #Sora #RunwayML #ElevenLabs #AIVideo #AICreativity #AITools #AITraining #Upscaile #ContentCreation

    1h 25m
  4. How to save $100M in Tariffs with 1 Platform | Peter Swartz, Altana

    FEB 19

    How to save $100M in Tariffs with 1 Platform | Peter Swartz, Altana

    In this episode, Peter Swartz, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Altana, reveals how the company's AI-powered supply chain knowledge graph has helped stop hundreds of millions of dollars in forced labor goods from crossing borders and contributed to some of the largest counter-narcotics seizures in investigators' careers. Peter shares the real-world impact Altana is making across both the public and private sectors.Peter breaks down how Altana's multi-tier supply chain visibility works to trace forced labor cotton through global networks, how dual-use chemicals are being diverted into fentanyl production, and how the platform helps governments and enterprises collaborate to avoid billions of dollars in trade disruptions while saving hundreds of millions in tariff fees.Key Topics Covered- How Altana blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in forced labor goods at U.S. borders- The role of AI knowledge graphs in mapping multi-tier global supply chains- How Altana supports CBP enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act- Product passports and how they expedite legitimate goods through customs- The difference between forced labor entering legit supply chains vs. legit goods entering illicit ones- How logistics companies use Altana to prevent their networks from being misused- Proactive vs. reactive approaches to supply chain risk using probabilistic AI models- Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions including Taiwan and global conflicts- Saving billions in supply chain disruptions and hundreds of millions in tariff feesEpisode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and overview of Altana's real-world impact00:41 - Understanding forced labor as a multi-tier supply chain problem03:09 - Hundreds of millions in forced labor goods stopped at borders03:45 - How the AI knowledge graph maps global supply chain connections04:15 - Working with CBP on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act04:35 - Product passports and expediting goods through customs04:51 - Counter-narcotics and the dual-use chemical problem05:45 - Helping logistics companies stop network misuse06:27 - From alert to action and the system handoff process06:49 - Responsible AI and the role of human-in-the-loop decisions07:33 - Proactive vs. reactive supply chain intelligence08:08 - Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions and resiliencyAbout Peter SwartzPeter Swartz is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Altana. He has spoken on global trade, supply chains, and machine learning at the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the National Academies of Medicine. Previously, Peter was Head of Data Science at Panjiva, listed as one of Fast Company's most innovative data science companies in 2018 and later acquired by S&P Global. He holds patents in machine learning and global trade, and completed his education at Yale, MIT, and EPFL.About AltanaAltana is the world's first Value Chain Management System, providing AI-powered supply chain intelligence to governments, enterprises, and logistics providers. The platform is built on a proprietary knowledge graph comprising more than 2.8 billion shipments, tracking over 500 million companies and 850 million facilities globally. Altana covers more than 50% of global trade, making it the most comprehensive and accurate supply chain map available.Resources Mentioned- Altana Atlas platform and AI knowledge graph- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)- Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)- Product passports for cross-border compliance- Altana's disruption and tariff scenario modeling toolsPeter's Socials:LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgswartz/Partner LinksBook Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/

    48 min
  5. Musk's LUNAR AI Factory + ChatGPT Now Has Ads | AI News in 5

    FEB 18

    Musk's LUNAR AI Factory + ChatGPT Now Has Ads | AI News in 5

    📢 This Week in AI: ChatGPT Ads, Data Center Freezes & Lunar FactoriesAI isn’t slowing down—it’s changing how we search, build infrastructure, and even think about space. This week: OpenAI switches on ads inside ChatGPT, U.S. states move to freeze new AI data centers, Elon Musk pitches a lunar AI satellite factory, China turns to AI to hunt corruption, and Anthropic raises a massive $30 billion war chest. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:[0:00] - Intro [0:15] - OpenAI Puts ADS in ChatGPT ][2:00] - States Hit Pause on AI Data Centers[3:45] - Elon Musk’s Lunar AI Factory[5:30] - China Uses AI to Catch Corrupt Officials[7:10] - Anthropic Raises $30 BILLION at $380B Valuation🎯 WHY THIS MATTERS:These aren’t just tech headlines—they’re signals about how AI business models, infrastructure, regulation, and capital flows are shifting in real time. Whether you’re planning AI deployments, managing risk, or just trying to stay ahead, understanding these moves is critical.💡 ABOUT THIS CHANNEL:AI News in 5 breaks down the week’s most important AI developments in under 5 minutes. No hype, no fear‑mongering—just clear analysis of what’s happening and why it matters to you.

    5 min

  6. FEB 12

    Elon Musk Just Built a $1.25 TRILLION AI-Space Empire | AI News in 5

    📢 Trillion-Dollar Mergers, Software Selloffs & the UK's First AI Town Anthropic drops Opus 4.6 and triggers a stock selloff, Microsoft's Copilot faces a user crisis, Musk merges SpaceX with xAI in a $1.25 trillion deal, and the UK government turns Barnsley into a tech town. 4 major AI stories in under 5 minutes. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro0:15 - Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 4.61:15 - Microsoft Copilot Loses Ground to ChatGPT2:15 - Musk Merges SpaceX & xAI in $1.25T Deal3:25 - UK Names Barnsley Its First Tech Town4:30 - Wrap-up 📰 SOURCES & ARTICLES: Anthropic Claude Opus 4.6: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-6Microsoft Copilot Challenges: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/microsofts-pivotal-ai-product-is-running-into-big-problems-ce235b28SpaceX-xAI Merger: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/03/musk-xai-spacex-biggest-merger-ever.htmlBarnsley Tech Town: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barnsley-becomes-uks-first-government-backed-tech-town💡 ABOUT THIS CHANNEL: AI News in 5 breaks down the week's most important AI developments in under 5 minutes. No hype, no fear-mongering—just clear analysis of what's actually happening and why it matters to you. 🎙️ THE AI REPORT PODCASTWeekly deep-dive conversations with AI operators building the future.Subscribe for full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@the-AI-report-with-liam-lawson/featured 📬 STAY CONNECTEDNewsletter: https://newsletter.theaireport.ai/subscribeEnterprise Training: https://www.upscaile.com #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #OpenAI #Anthropic #Microsoft #Copilot #SpaceX #xAI #ElonMusk #TechNews #AINews #FutureOfWork #ChatGPT #Claude #WeeklyAI #TechTrends2026 #Barnsley #TechTown #UKTech

    4 min

  7. FEB 5

    He Took 300 Sales Calls in One Year to Build a Newsletter Agency | Louis Shulman

    Louis Shulman on Building a 15-Person Newsletter Agency, Taking 300 Sales Calls in One Year, and Why Email Marketing Is the Most Overlooked Growth Channel. Louis Shulman, founder of Orbit Marketing, returns to the show to reveal how he built a newsletter agency from scratch, scaled to 15 team members, and took over 300 sales calls in a single year. In this candid conversation, Louis shares why most B2B businesses are leaving massive opportunities on the table by ignoring email marketing.From running paid ads directly to newsletters to building full-funnel lead generation systems, Louis breaks down the exact playbook his agency uses to generate qualified meetings for clients. He also discusses the mindset shift from chasing revenue to obsessing over client results—and why that change transformed his business.Key Topics Covered:- Why email marketing remains the most overlooked channel for B2B businesses- The newsletter funnel strategy: running Facebook and Instagram ads to newsletter opt-ins- How to use surveys and Go High Level to qualify leads automatically- Transitioning from commodity service provider to fractional CMO- The difference between "founder growth hires" and "clone hires" when scaling- Why vanilla content gets ignored and opinionated writing drives responses- Building systems and playbooks that make agency work scalable- Using AI to overcome entrepreneurial fears and mental blockers- The shift from chasing client count to producing case studies- How Orbit Flows software was built as an internal tool then monetized- Why incentive alignment is the key to delivering client resultsEpisode Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and catching up with Louis Shulman01:17 - What Orbit Marketing does and how the business evolved03:51 - Why every B2B business should have an email presence05:13 - Converting sales call rejections into future clients07:23 - Training writers to create opinionated, high-converting content08:47 - B2B vs DTC clients and strategic positioning11:16 - The "sawdust" strategy: monetizing byproducts of your business12:28 - Becoming a full-service marketing agency vs staying specialized16:35 - Finding intrinsic motivation beyond revenue growth20:32 - Is the agency model actually scalable?24:46 - Using AI to overcome fears and mental blockers27:06 - Hiring strategies: patience vs startup chaos mode30:31 - Orbit Flows: building software from internal toolsAbout Louis Shulman:Louis Shulman is the founder of Orbit Marketing, a newsletter agency that helps B2B companies generate qualified leads through email marketing and paid newsletter funnels. He also runs Orbit Metrics, a data and analytics consultancy for e-commerce brands spending $2M+ annually on ads, and Orbit Flows, a content creation and project management software built for newsletter teams.About Orbit Marketing:Orbit Marketing is a full-service newsletter agency specializing in B2B lead generation. The company writes and manages newsletters for dozens of clients, runs paid acquisition campaigns to newsletter opt-ins, and builds complete funnel systems using tools like Go High Level. With a team of 15, Orbit Marketing has written several hundred newsletter issues for clients across industries including finance, e-commerce, and professional services.Resources Mentioned:- Orbit Flows (content creation software)- Go High Level (funnel and CRM platform)- Facebook Ads Manager- Kai Bax (agency scaling strategies)- Alex Hormozi (business growth frameworks)Partner Links:Book Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/Subscribe to our free newsletter — https://www.theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-youtube#NewsletterMarketing #EmailMarketing #B2BLeadGeneration #AgencyGrowth #LouisShulman #OrbitMarketing #NewsletterAgency #PaidAds #ContentStrategy #Entrepreneurship #MarketingStrategy #FractionalCMO #StartupGrowth #AIinBusiness #EmailFunnels

    56 min
  8. OpenAI's $10 BILLION Cerebras Deal Explained + Google AI Controversy | AI News in 5

    JAN 22

    OpenAI's $10 BILLION Cerebras Deal Explained + Google AI Controversy | AI News in 5

    This week in AI and tech: Google removes medical AI overviews after controversy, Anthropic launches Claude for Healthcare, Slackbot becomes a full AI agent, OpenAI signs a $10 billion deal with Cerebras, and Trump announces 25% tariffs on AI chips. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:30 Story #1: Google Pulls Medical AI Overviews 04:15 Story #2: Anthropic Launches Claude for Healthcare 08:45 Story #3: Slackbot Becomes AI Agent 13:20 Story #4: OpenAI's $10B Cerebras Deal 18:00 Story #5: Trump's 25% AI Chip Tariff 22:30 Final Thoughts 📰 STORY BREAKDOWN 🔴 GOOGLE PULLS MEDICAL AI OVERVIEWS Following a Guardian investigation revealing misleading health advice, Google has removed AI Overviews from certain medical queries. The move raises questions about AI reliability in healthcare information and the challenges of deploying generative AI for health-related searches. 🏥 ANTHROPIC LAUNCHES CLAUDE FOR HEALTHCARE Anthropic announced Claude for Healthcare, targeting administrative burden reduction in medical settings. The specialized version of Claude aims to help with clinical documentation, patient communication, and workflow optimization while maintaining HIPAA compliance. 💬 SLACKBOT BECOMES AI AGENT Salesforce announces general availability of the new AI-powered Slackbot, transforming it from a simple bot into a personal AI agent for work. The upgraded Slackbot can handle complex tasks, answer questions using company knowledge, and automate workflows across Slack channels. 💻 OPENAI'S $10B CEREBRAS DEAL OpenAI partners with Cerebras Systems in a deal worth over $10 billion to leverage their wafer-scale AI chips. This massive partnership could make ChatGPT exponentially faster by utilizing Cerebras's revolutionary chip architecture, which houses millions of cores on a single wafer. 🇺🇸 TRUMP'S 25% AI CHIP TARIFF President Trump imposes 25% tariffs on certain advanced AI chip imports while simultaneously clearing the way for Nvidia H200 sales to China. The policy creates a complex landscape for semiconductor trade with significant implications for AI development and US-China tech relations. 📚 SOURCES & LINKS Story #1: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/05/google-ai-overviews-misleading-health-advice Story #2: https://www.anthropic.com/news/healthcare-life-sciences Story #3: https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/slackbot-personal-agent-work/ Story #4: https://openai.com/index/cerebras-partnership/ Story #5: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/14/trump-nvidia-h200-china-ai-chips.html 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly AI and tech news coverage 💬 What story surprised you most? Comment below! #AI #TechNews #Google #OpenAI #Anthropic #Salesforce #Slack #Trump #Tariffs #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #Claude #MachineLearning #Technology #WeeklyNews

    5 min
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

We’re the team behind The AI Report — the #1 AI newsletter for 400,000+ business leaders at Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and more. Each week, we cut through the noise with expert conversations on how AI is transforming business. Expect deep dives into real-world use cases, practical strategies for leaders, and insights you won’t find anywhere else. If you want to understand AI in a way that drives results for your team, company, and career — you’re in the right place. 👉 Subscribe now and join 400,000+ professionals mastering AI in business. theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-spotify

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