Truth in a Digital World

John Delaney

5.0 (1)
Technology

Truth in a Digital World is a podcast exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, business, ethics, leadership, and faith. Hosted by John Delaney, each episode offers thoughtful conversations and practical insights to help listeners navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape with wisdom, discernment, and integrity. Because in a world driven by innovation, truth still matters.

6d ago

Who Steers Superintelligence?

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Craig Kaplan on Safe AI, Collective Intelligence, and What the Rest of Us Can Do A handful of companies are building the most powerful AI in history. Governments are scrambling to write the rules. And everyone else is mostly watching and hoping it works out. In Episode 22 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney asks a question that belongs to all of us: who gets to decide where AI goes from here? His guest is Dr. Craig A. Kaplan, a pioneer in artificial intelligence and the inventor behind technologies designed for safe superintelligence. For more than four decades, Dr. Kaplan has worked where intelligent systems, ethics, and innovation meet. He began his career collaborating with Nobel Laureate and Turing Award winner Dr. Herbert A. Simon, then founded iQ Company in 1993, whose intelligent systems powered financial technology that executed billions of dollars in trades on Wall Street. In 2020 he refocused the company entirely on safe architectures for artificial general intelligence (AGI) and superintelligence, and made those designs freely available at SuperIntelligence.com. The conversation is calm, plain-English, and practical. No science fiction, no panic, and no hype. What You'll Hear in This Episode A lesson from working with Dr. Herbert Simon that still shapes how Dr. Kaplan thinks about intelligenceWhat building AI for Wall Street taught him about the upside and risk of powerful, autonomous systemsThe difference between the AI most of us use today and what people mean by AGI and superintelligenceThe real risks of advanced AI, explained in everyday terms, and which ones are overhypedWhy Dr. Kaplan argues that AI alignment requires collective intelligence rather than control by one company or governmentWhy democratizing AI could be key to humanity's survival and flourishing, and how he answers the concern that it makes dangerous tools available to everyoneWhy he gives his safety designs away through open sourceWhose values advanced AI should reflect, and how ethics and governance get built inOne practical thing business owners, pastors, and parents can do to be part of the solutionKey Takeaway Don't sit in the stands. You can take AI's risks seriously without panicking. Learn enough to have an opinion, ask who the technology is for, and use your voice, your vote, and your business to push it in a direction that serves people. About the Guest Dr. Craig A. Kaplan is the founder of iQ Company and iQ Studios, which produces videos that help the public understand AI, AGI, and superintelligence safety. Learn more and explore his open designs at https://superintelligence.com About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624208/episodes/20010237 Learn more: clearbranddigital.com Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Oct 19

Five Loaves and a Good Website — David Graham on Church SEO, Websites, and Reaching People Online

Send us Fan Mail When someone searches for "church near me," your website is the front door. In Episode 21 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney has a casual, fun conversation with David Graham, founder of Five Loaves Marketing, about what makes a good church or faith-based nonprofit website, why SEO matters for ministry, and how to get found in a world where people increasingly ask AI tools for recommendations. From Middle School Websites to a Calling David built his first websites in middle school and fell in love with it. In college he started freelancing for churches, and he has been using his professional skills to further God's kingdom ever since. Today Five Loaves Marketing, based in Maryland, serves churches and faith-based nonprofits with website design, church SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, and AI search optimization. The company name comes from the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, a miracle that began with one small offering. What You'll Hear in This Conversation What hooked David on building websites as a kid, and how it became a callingWhat "five loaves" means for churches and ministries working with small budgetsWhat makes a good church websiteThe best thing a church can do to reach more people onlineThe most common mistakes that make it hard for a first-time visitor to find what they needWhy a church should consider investing in SEO, explained without the jargonHow AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing how people find a churchHow to think about evangelism through a marketing lens without it feeling like a sales pitchOne free thing a church can do this week to get startedKey Takeaway Your website isn't a brochure. It's a welcome mat. The same approach applies to small business websites: people arrive wanting a quick answer that solves their problem, and the same practices (clear layout, accurate information, a strong Google profile, and helpful, honest content) apply whether you're welcoming a first-time visitor on Sunday or a first-time customer on Monday. About the Guest David Graham is the founder of Five Loaves Marketing, a digital marketing agency serving churches and faith-based nonprofits. Connect with David: Website: https://www.fiveloavesmarketing.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiveloavesmarketing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-loaves-marketing About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Oct 12

The Lies Founders Tell Themselves

Send us Fan Mail Jeremie Bacon on Venture Capital, Human-Centered Technology, and Building Without Losing Yourself The most dangerous lies in business usually aren't the ones we tell investors or customers. They're the ones we tell ourselves because they're comfortable. In Episode 20 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney sits down with Jeremie Bacon, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, for a candid conversation about seeing reality clearly while you build. A View From Every Side of the Table Jeremie is Managing Partner of Izou Partners, where he invests in human-centered technologies that expand human capability, healthspan, and quality of life, including AI, robotics, neurotechnology, longevity, spatial computing, and human-machine interfaces. He has started companies, operated real businesses, raised and deployed capital, served on boards, taught founders, and helped create billions in exit value. He has also watched plenty of smart people confuse a good idea with a good business. Ambition and Family, Honestly Jeremie is a husband of nearly 30 years and a father of four. John has been married 40 years, with three daughters and three grandsons. Together they talk about the tension that rarely makes it into business conversations: chasing ambition while staying present at home. What You'll Hear in This Conversation What Jeremie understood about building things as a kid that still shapes how he thinks todayHow nearly 30 years of marriage and four kids have shaped his view of ambition, leadership, and successWhat separates a good idea from a venture-scale companyWhat Jeremie is really looking for in a founder beneath the pitchThe most common lies founders tell themselves, and how to see reality more clearlyWhat "human-centered technology" actually means, and why now is the right time for itHow to think about AI, robotics, longevity, and human-machine interfaces without getting swept up in hype cyclesAdvice for builders who want to create something meaningful without losing themselves, their families, or their integrityWhat raising four kids teaches about negotiation, leadership, patience, and crisis managementA painful business mistake that became a great storyKey Takeaway A good idea is not a good business. A busy calendar is not a healthy life. And you can build something that matters and still be a person your family wants to come home to, but it takes honesty, and deciding in advance what you will not trade away. About the Guest Jeremie Bacon is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, operator, and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is Managing Partner of Izou Partners. About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Oct 5

The "No Data Center" Myth — Water, Power, Stewardship, and Why You Can't Ban Your Way Out of Technology

Send us Fan Mail Should your town say no to data centers? In this solo episode of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney takes on one of the loudest debates in America right now — the "No Data Center" movement — with a simple goal: separate what's true from what's scary, hold the industry accountable on water and power, and keep a stewardship mindset about both. John does not give new data centers a blank check. He also doesn't think blanket opposition works. Here's where he lands, and why. What Is a Data Center, Really? A data center is a building full of racks of servers that store and share data — and they've been around since the 1960s. An AI data center is a specific, hungrier kind built for the massive computing behind artificial intelligence, with much heavier power and cooling demands. They're not the same thing, and the debate gets muddy when the two are treated as one. You Already Use Data Centers Every Day Your phone, texts, email, and social media. Online banking, direct deposit, and credit card processing. 911 dispatch, police records, and fire department dispatch. Hospital patient records, imaging, and telemedicine. Air traffic control. GPS, weather forecasting, school systems, government services, streaming, and cloud storage. The real question isn't whether data centers should exist. It's where new ones get built, how they're powered and cooled, and who pays for it. What You'll Hear in This Episode The difference between a traditional data center and an AI data centerA detailed list of everyday services that already depend on data centers, from 911 to hospitals to air traffic controlJohn's position on water and electricity: new data centers should be required to help pay for upgrades to local water and power infrastructure, not leave neighbors holding the billWhy new data centers take roughly 3 to 7 years from site selection to full operation, and why power-grid connection is now the biggest bottleneckWhy a meaningful share of near-term growth can happen in buildings that are already permitted and zoned, and why no local movement can stop thatHow closed-loop cooling and modular designs are shrinking water use dramaticallyWhat Superagency by Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato says about past panics over the printing press, mainframe computers, the power loom, and moreA faith-anchored case for stewardship: using what we've been given, and taking care of it while we doPractical advice on showing up to a county meeting with questions instead of just a signKey Takeaway Stewardship means holding both hands open: welcome what's coming, and hold people accountable for how they bring it. Bring questions about water, power, and who pays, not just a flat "no." About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Listen now: [EPISODE_URL] Learn more: clearbranddigital.com Notes & Sources Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future by Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato. Source for the historical examples of past technology panics: the printing press (15th century), mainframe computers (1960s congressional hearings), and the power loom, telephone, camera, and automobile. Overview: Shortform, MarketplaceData center construction timelines (roughly 3 to 7 years total; grid interconnection as the main bottleneck, often 3 to 4+ years alone): Planera, ATK Energy, VerseWater use figures (about 300,000 gallons/day for a mid-size facility; 1 to 5 million gallons/day for large hyperscale sites; projected 32 billion gallons/year for AI-related U.S. data centers by 2028): AKCP, University of Tulsa"No Data Center" grassroots opposition and projects blocked or delayed: Wikipedia, Data Center Watch, Yahoo/AP, Pennsylvania, The National DeskClosed-loop and zero-water-evaporation cooling, plus modular designs: Data Center Dynamics on Microsoft, Data Centre Magazine, Abundance InstituteThe point that existing permitted and zoned buildings can be converted without new approvals, and the list of everyday services that depend on data centers, reflect the host's own analysis and general industry knowledge rather than a single cited source.Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Sep 28

You Shouldn't Race to Be First

Send us Fan Mail Clayton Thompson on Boring Markets, AI, and Building to Last $110 billion flows through homeowners associations every year, and almost nobody wants to build software for the people running them. In Episode 18 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney talks with Clayton Thompson, co-founder and CEO of HOA Start, about why the most overlooked, "boring" industries are so often the best opportunities — and why the real danger in the AI era isn't moving too slow, it's racing to be first without knowing what you're actually building toward. From Sump Pumps to SaaS Clayton didn't set out to build HOA software. Nineteen years ago, he and a business partner noticed property managers wanted more than a basic website — they wanted software that could replace broken, paper-based processes. That instinct built a company to 5,000 associations before it was acquired, and Clayton is doing it again with HOA Start today. His read on why "boring" markets like this work: the stigma that keeps other people away — HOAs, septic tanks, sump pumps — is usually exactly where the opportunity is hiding. What You'll Hear in This Conversation Why $110 billion flows through HOAs every year, and why almost nobody's building good tools for the boards running themA real, live example of AI collapsing a weeks-long paper process — getting architectural approval for a home improvement — down to minutesWhy property management companies turn over every three years, and how that's driving self-managed HOA adoptionHow HOA Start evolved from pure software into software-plus-services as the market pulled it thereWhy 65+ board members are some of the most AI-resistant users Clayton serves, and how tools like Meta's "Muse" are about to change thatWhy Clayton believes you "shouldn't be racing to be first at anything when it comes to AI" — and what he means by a business's real moatA real story of a lead that found HOA Start through ChatGPT and signed a contract within two days — and what it means for how businesses need to be found nowKey Takeaway AI can get you 80% of the way to a working product overnight. It can't replace the discipline of actually knowing who you serve, how they find you, and what makes them trust you enough to stay. The businesses that survive aren't the fastest movers — they're the ones who never let speed replace judgment. About the Guest Clayton Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of HOA Start, software built for volunteer boards running their own homeowners associations without a property manager. About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Sep 21

Stop Being the Hardest-Working, Lowest-Paid Person in Your Business

Send us Fan Mail An conversation with Louis Swart on Delegation, Burnout, and AI as a Stewardship Tool Letting go of work is rarely a logistics problem. Most business owners already know what could be handed off tomorrow — what actually stops them is identity. In Episode 17 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney sits down — virtually, from opposite sides of the planet — with Louis Swart, business coach for coaches and founder of Ironbrij, for a real conversation about why so many capable leaders end up as the hardest-working, lowest-paid person in their own company, and how to actually stop. A Conversation, Not an Interview — From Florida to Sydney John recorded this one from Southwest Florida. Louis joined from Sydney, Australia — literally about as far apart as two people can be on the planet. It's a fitting backdrop for the conversation itself: a discussion about how good delegation, and AI used well, can make distance almost irrelevant to how well a business actually runs. Thirty-Five Years of Watching the Same Pattern Over more than 35 years building and selling companies and managing more than 450 staff, Louis kept running into the same story: talented people running businesses that couldn't survive without them, mistaking exhaustion for commitment. That observation became Ironbrij, a human-AI-powered virtual assistant company built to help coaches avoid burnout and build businesses that don't collapse the moment they step away. What You'll Hear in This Conversation The biggest mistake coaches make that keeps them stuck doing everything themselvesA moment when things didn't go according to plan for Louis, and how it reshaped his approachA belief Louis once held strongly that he's completely changed his mind aboutA hard truth about the coaching industry most people avoid talking aboutThe problem Louis is obsessed with solving right now through IronbrijWhat he's had to unlearn as AI became part of how Ironbrij actually worksWhat he'd want someone to hear if they were exactly where he was five years agoKey Takeaway Make a list this week of everything that currently requires you. Then ask an honest question about each item: does this actually need me, or does it just need to get done? That gap is where delegation, elevation, and — done wisely — AI, actually belong. About the Guest Louis Swart is a business coach for coaches and the founder of Ironbrij, joining from Sydney, Australia. He's the author of The B Myth: How Successful People Accidentally Build Businesses That Steal Their Lives, a top 50 finalist in the Next Top Speaker competition, and speaks internationally on reclaiming time, profitability, and peace of mind. About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Sep 14

Turning Vision Into Reality — An Interview with Cameron O'Brien on Leadership, AI, and the Data That Isn't Real

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders don't struggle with vision. They struggle with the gap between the vision and the technology decisions required to actually get there — the gap where good intentions quietly get replaced by whatever's convenient to believe. In Episode 16 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney talks with Cameron O'Brien, founder of Brass Helm, about what it really takes to turn a leader's vision into reality through technology. From an Airport Security Team to the Boardroom Cameron's path here started in an unlikely place. Years ago, as part of an airport security team, he stood beside a possible IED, waiting for bomb squad with no way of knowing if it was real — close enough to ask himself what he'd actually done with his life, and what he wanted it to become. That moment led him to leave law enforcement, start over from zero, and spend the next decade earning his way into the room where technology decisions get made. Today he works as a fractional CTO, sitting on the leader's side of the table, with no vendor commissions and nothing to sell — just his honest read on whether the technology in front of a business will actually get it where it says it wants to go. What You'll Learn in This Episode What that moment beside a possible IED forced Cameron to confront about his own life and purposeWhat it actually took to rebuild a career from zero and earn a seat in rooms where technology decisions get madeWhy Cameron built his fractional CTO role with no vendor commissions and nothing to sellWhere the translation from vision to technology decisions usually starts to break downThe full story behind a mid-market health insurer that cut its entire 20-person call center for voice AI — celebrated a 67% success rate — and the real number underneath itHow to tell the difference between a metric your business can trust and a number that's just convenient to believeThe first question every leader should ask before handing a piece of their vision to AI or new technologyKey Takeaway Vision isn't the hard part — most leaders already have one. The hard part is refusing to let the technology decisions in between get made by whoever's easiest to believe. If you can't explain exactly what a dashboard or success rate is actually measuring, you don't have a bridge from vision to reality — you have a guess wearing a number's clothes. About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.
Sep 8

Getting Found, Staying Trusted

Send us Fan Mail What good is being findable if nobody has a reason to stay? In Episode 15 of Truth in a Digital World, host John Delaney sits down with David Levine, author of Old School Service, New School Tools, to talk about the two things every business needs and rarely holds in balance: visibility and loyalty. David has spent nearly two decades running a small business and networking with thousands of entrepreneurs, building his career around one conviction — sustainable growth comes from being found, and from creating an experience worth returning to. He helps organizations improve their online visibility through SEO, WordPress, digital marketing, and AI-powered tools, while strengthening the customer experience at every stage of the journey, from first impression to loyal advocate. What You'll Learn in This Episode The most common reason a genuinely good business stays invisible onlineWhat's usually the real diagnosis when a business owner says "nobody can find us"What business owners still get wrong about how people find them in the age of AI searchThe "old school service" principles most businesses forget while chasing new toolsWhere technology has actually strengthened the customer relationship instead of cheapening itWhere David draws the line between AI helping a business get found and AI making it feel less humanSimple, practical steps to improve visibility and customer loyalty starting this weekKey Takeaway Technology will keep changing — SEO today, AI search tomorrow, something else in five years. The businesses that last are the ones that never let the tools replace the fundamentals: being genuinely findable, and genuinely worth finding. About the Guest David Levine is the author of Old School Service, New School Tools, built on the belief that the most successful businesses combine timeless customer service principles with modern technology. He joins the show from Zur Hadassah, in the Jerusalem District of Israel. Connect with David: iamyourvirtualprofessional.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mrdavidjlevine Facebook: facebook.com/mr.david.j.levine Get the book, Old School Service, New School Tools, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Old-School-Service-New-Tools-ebook/dp/B0H6CG2F9Y/ About the Host John Delaney is the host of Truth in a Digital World and founder of ClearBrand Digital, an AI consulting agency serving entrepreneurs primarily in Southwest and Central Florida. Support the show Truth in a Digital World is a production of ClearBrand Digital Inc.

Truth in a Digital World is a podcast exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, business, ethics, leadership, and faith. Hosted by John Delaney, each episode offers thoughtful conversations and practical insights to help listeners navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape with wisdom, discernment, and integrity. Because in a world driven by innovation, truth still matters.

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John Delaney
Years Active

2026
Episodes

22
Rating

Clean
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© 2026 Truth in a Digital World
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