AI at Work

Elijah Szasz, Kevin Williams
  • 4.9 (19)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AI at Work is hosted by Elijah Szasz (CEO of SPARK6) and Kevin Williams (CEO of Ascend Labs). Each week delivers actionable insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs today, and how you can use it to advance your career. We unpack real-world tools, automation workflows, and emerging roles so you can stop chasing hype and start using AI to get things done. Whether you’re an individual contributor, team lead, or business owner, we show you what to build, what to ask for, and what to look for in a workplace moving at machine-speed.

  1. When Your Team Says Claude But Means GPT

    2D AGO

    When Your Team Says Claude But Means GPT

    The AI industry loves throwing around the word 'agents,' but most teams are still stuck in basic prompting mode. Kevin and Eli cut through the semantic noise to reveal what actually matters: sophisticated automation is now accessible through natural language, not technical configuration. In this episode, they explore the practical reality of moving from one-off prompts to systematic workflows, why the 'agent' versus 'automation' debate misses the point, and how natural language interfaces are removing technical barriers that used to require specialized workflow knowledge. Key topics covered: ✅ Why most people are still just prompting instead of building workflows ✅ How natural language makes complex automation accessible ✅ The practical difference between projects, automations, and agents ✅ Real examples of workflow automation without technical expertise ✅ Why focusing on results beats debating terminology ✅ Moving from ChatGPT tabs to systematic AI integration This isn't about the latest AI hype – it's about practical transformation that works Monday morning. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Future of AI and robotics discussion 08:16 — Current state of enterprise AI adoption 16:30 — Job displacement and economic impact 25:40 — Moving beyond basic prompting 35:20 — Context and platform lock-in 42:30 — Agents vs automations semantics 52:00 — OpenAI agents vs Claude workflows 58:30 — Real-world automation examples Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    1h 2m
  2. When Your AI Budget Hits Your Salary

    APR 29

    When Your AI Budget Hits Your Salary

    The "token maxing" phenomenon is reshaping how organizations think about AI budgets, but most companies are asking the wrong questions about AI spending. In this episode, Kevin and Eli explore the reality behind engineers burning through massive token budgets - sometimes exceeding their own salaries - and what it means for practical AI adoption in mid-market companies. From Stockholm engineers outspending their paychecks on Claude to Jensen Huang's $250K token requirements, we break down why most organizations need output-focused spending strategies, not ego-driven token consumption. Key topics covered: ✅ The token maxing phenomenon and what's driving it ✅ Why most mid-market companies don't need massive AI budgets ✅ The difference between productive AI spending and token burning ✅ How to build sustainable AI strategies that survive subsidy endings ✅ Real-world examples of agents running amok overnight ✅ Microsoft's new agentic capabilities in Office suite ✅ Platform comparison: OpenAI vs Anthropic vs Google for different use cases TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro and token maxing overview 02:30 — What token maxing actually means 05:45 — Jensen Huang's $250K token requirement 08:15 — Mid-market reality vs Silicon Valley hype 12:00 — Agent sprawl and overnight token burns 18:30 — Microsoft's new agentic Office features 25:40 — AI subsidy era and pricing reality 32:45 — Platform wars: choosing your AI stack 42:00 — Practical token budgeting strategies 48:50 — Future of AI pricing models Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    55 min
  3. Why Your Chief of Staff Dreams About You

    APR 21

    Why Your Chief of Staff Dreams About You

    What if you could run your entire workday through one AI conversation? Kevin and Eli explore the emerging 'monothread' format that's revolutionizing how teams operate - plus the hidden security risks that amateur AI builders are creating. In this episode, we dive deep into how the monothread approach eliminates app switching by connecting your email, calendar, tasks, and CRM into one continuous AI conversation. But we also cover the reality: it's still janky to set up, the security vulnerabilities are real, and most organizations aren't ready. We also discuss Claude Design's launch that sent Figma's stock tumbling, why Canva is positioned to survive the AI design revolution, and the critical security practices every AI experimenter needs to know. ✅ Key Topics Covered: ✅ The monothread revolution and how to build your AI chief of staff ✅ Why Claude Design might end Figma (and what that means for designers) ✅ Security nightmares: API key protection and the amateur builder problem ✅ Platform comparison: Claude vs GPT vs Gemini for business use ✅ The hidden costs of AI tool proliferation ✅ Voice-first AI workflows and their psychological impact Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro and sleep tracking with AI 05:15 — Main quest vs side quest in AI adoption 12:40 — The monothread format explained 20:30 — Voice-first AI and dream psychology 25:15 — Claude Design launch and Figma's response 35:45 — Platform comparison and subscription costs 45:20 — Security vulnerabilities in amateur AI apps 55:00 — API protection and credential rotation Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    57 min
  4. When Your Entire AI Team Calls in Sick at 6 AM

    APR 16

    When Your Entire AI Team Calls in Sick at 6 AM

    When Anthropic's Claude went down at 6:15 AM on tax day, it exposed a critical blind spot that most AI-adopting organizations haven't considered: vendor dependency risk. In this episode, Kevin and Eli dive deep into what happened when their entire AI-powered workflow ecosystem crashed simultaneously, revealing the hidden dangers of building business operations around single AI providers without backup plans. This conversation goes beyond the surface frustration of a service outage to explore the fundamental readiness gap that exists when organizations treat experimental AI services like established infrastructure. You'll discover why this isn't just a technology problem, but an organizational planning problem that requires immediate attention. Key topics covered: ✅ The "heroin dealer problem" - what happens when AI dependency meets reality ✅ Hidden costs of API pricing vs subscription models and recent Anthropic changes ✅ Why AI subsidies are ending and what it means for your budget ✅ Building redundancy into AI-powered business operations ✅ The Mythos model leak and cybersecurity implications for all businesses ✅ Practical security steps every organization must take now Approximate timestamps (verify against recording): 00:00 — Introduction and the morning Claude went down 02:49 — The heroin dealer analogy and dependency realization 07:15 — Understanding AI subscription vs API pricing models 15:19 — Anthropic's April 4th changes and the end of workarounds 28:11 — Real cost examples: $200/month to $7000/month overnight 40:05 — Content creation, AI slop, and the attention economy 52:32 — Mythos model leak and cybersecurity implications 57:37 — Practical security steps: passwords, 2FA, and analog safeguards Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    58 min
  5. The First Day You Stop Opening Apps.

    APR 8

    The First Day You Stop Opening Apps.

    Kevin Williams & Elijah Szasz demonstrates the end of interface friction by consolidating his entire workflow into a single Claude conversation. No more jumping between ClickUp, HubSpot, and Slack - everything happens through natural conversation with AI connectors pulling and pushing data to the right systems. This episode explores a fundamental shift happening right now: your SaaS tools are becoming expensive databases with unnecessary user interfaces. The real productivity breakthrough isn't better tools - it's eliminating the need to context-switch between tools entirely. Kevin shares his six-day experiment of running his entire business through one chat window, including project management, CRM updates, team coordination, and strategic planning. The result? Massive time savings and the elimination of what he calls "administrative fiddliness." ✅ Key Topics Covered: ✅ How to build Claude connectors for seamless workflow management ✅ Why most productivity problems are actually interface problems ✅ The coming SaaS revolution and what it means for business software ✅ Practical strategies for consolidating multiple tools into single conversations ✅ The psychology of context-switching and why it kills momentum ✅ Future predictions for AI-powered workflow consolidation TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 04:49 — The SaaS apocalypse conversation 18:15 — Creative industry disruption 24:49 — The end of fiddliness breakthrough 35:07 — Building the single-interface workflow 41:09 — Platform connectors and automations 53:33 — The future of business software interfaces Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    54 min
  6. The Best Productivity Hack Right Now? Dictation

    APR 1

    The Best Productivity Hack Right Now? Dictation

    Kevin and Eli dive deep into the productivity unlock everyone's missing: dictation. Kevin reveals he's crossed one million words dictated and shares why voice input isn't just faster - it generates 3-5x more context-rich data that dramatically improves AI responses. This episode explores the gap between AI hype and practical implementation, covering computer use capabilities in Claude, the challenges of brittle workflows, and why the best AI adoption strategies focus on reducing input friction rather than upgrading models. The conversation touches on platform friction, the emerging agent economy, and why successful AI implementations meet people where they already communicate best - through speech. ✅ Key topics covered: ✅ Why dictation beats typing for AI adoption ✅ Computer use vs browser use capabilities ✅ Data density as the real AI productivity unlock ✅ Platform friction and workflow brittleness ✅ Voice interfaces for reluctant AI users ✅ The knowledge graph beyond the office ✅ Practical tips for Claude Cowork and automation Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro and Anthropic leak discussion 03:00 — Platform evolution and agent capabilities 07:00 — Computer use experiments and failures 15:00 — Beehive platform friction story 25:00 — Dictation productivity breakthrough 35:00 — Voice input and data density insights Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/   Check out Eli’s Stuff: SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    47 min
  7. When High Intent Clicks Meet Zero Discovery

    MAR 24

    When High Intent Clicks Meet Zero Discovery

    Google's AI overviews now dominate 84% of retail searches, fundamentally changing how customers discover businesses. In this episode, Kevin Williams and Eli explore the shift to zero-click commerce and what it means for organizations that depend on organic traffic. The traditional SEO playbook is dying as AI-powered search results provide answers without sending users to websites. This creates a winner-take-all dynamic where only one or two brands get recommended, making the stakes higher than ever for businesses that rely on search traffic. We dive deep into the practical implications: how schema markup matters more than keywords, why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) differs from traditional SEO, and what measurement tools actually work in this new landscape. Plus, the surprising upside - while traffic volume decreases, conversion rates for clicks that do come through are jumping to 11.5% versus the industry average of 2.5%. Key Topics Covered: ✅ Zero-click commerce and the death of the 10 blue links model ✅ Answer Engine Optimization vs Generative Engine Optimization ✅ Schema markup and structured data strategies ✅ Why external reputation building now matters more than website optimization ✅ Measurement tools and share of voice tracking ✅ The winner-take-all dynamics of AI search results ✅ High-intent traffic conversion advantages ✅ Black hat tactics emerging in AI search manipulation TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro and Spring Cleaning with AI 05:30 — Google AI Overviews Dominating Search 12:40 — Zero-Click Commerce Reality 18:20 — High Intent vs Volume Trade-offs 25:10 — Answer Engine vs Generative Engine Optimization 32:30 — Schema Markup and Structured Data 38:45 — Team of One: Agency Case Study 45:20 — Token Economics and Utility Pricing 55:40 — Platform Lock-in and Development Tools Show Notes & Links: https://www.spark6.com/podcast   Submit listener questions:  elijah@spark6.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/ Get practical AI guidance for your organization: launchpad.ascendlabs.ai → Book a conversation with Kevin: tidycal.com/kevinwilliams   Check out Eli’s Stuff: The Wise Mind Group: https://www.thewisemindgroup.com/ SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    59 min
  8. What Vibe Coding and Watching Paint Dry Have in Common

    MAR 17

    What Vibe Coding and Watching Paint Dry Have in Common

    Kevin and Eli dive deep into Claude Cowork's browser automation capabilities and uncover a significant shift happening right now in white-collar work. What starts as excitement about AI controlling browsers quickly turns into a sobering discussion about immediate workforce displacement. In this conversation, Kevin demonstrates his weekend vibe-coding project a complete podcast processing tool while Eli shows how Claude Cowork tasks are replacing hours of manual work with automated browser workflows. They explore the critical decision tree between custom GPTs, Cowork tasks, and full applications, and why browser automation represents a fundamental shift from API-dependent workflows to human-like task execution. The core tension they identify: administrative workers aren't facing displacement from advanced AGI in some distant future, but from increasingly capable task automation happening right now. The "Sally Problem" represents the immediate threat to entry-level and mid-level administrative roles from automation that simply follows instructions reliably. ✅ Key topics covered: ✅ Claude Cowork browser automation capabilities and setup ✅ The decision tree: when to use GPTs vs tasks vs custom apps ✅ Real-world examples of complex workflow automation ✅ The immediate threat to white-collar administrative work ✅ Why browser automation beats API-based workflows for edge cases ✅ Cost analysis: $125K human vs $200/month automation ✅ Organizational readiness for workforce displacement conversations ✅ Practical steps for getting started with task automation APPROXIMATE TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro and sponsor updates 03:20 — Kevin's vibe-coded podcast processing tool 08:30 — Eli's deep dive into Claude Cowork tasks 14:25 — How browser automation actually works 20:15 — The decision tree: GPTs vs tasks vs apps 28:40 — The "Sally Problem" workforce displacement 35:45 — Real-world examples and cost analysis 42:30 — Organizational implications and next steps Submit listener questions:  elijah@thewisemindgroup.com kevin@ascendlabs.ai    Check out Kevin’s stuff: Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinguywilliams/ Get practical AI guidance for your organization: launchpad.ascendlabs.ai → Book a conversation with Kevin: tidycal.com/kevinwilliams   Check out Eli’s Stuff: The Wise Mind Group: https://www.thewisemindgroup.com/ SPARK6 Agency: https://www.spark6.com/ Sign up for FREE AI Framework Friday Newsletter: https://www.spark6.com/newsletter Follow Elijah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/

    57 min
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4.9
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

AI at Work is hosted by Elijah Szasz (CEO of SPARK6) and Kevin Williams (CEO of Ascend Labs). Each week delivers actionable insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs today, and how you can use it to advance your career. We unpack real-world tools, automation workflows, and emerging roles so you can stop chasing hype and start using AI to get things done. Whether you’re an individual contributor, team lead, or business owner, we show you what to build, what to ask for, and what to look for in a workplace moving at machine-speed.

Information

  • Creator
    Elijah Szasz, Kevin Williams
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Elijah Szasz, Kevin Williams
  • Show Website
    AI at Work

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