AI Lab Unfiltered

Drew & Pete

The AI Lab Podcast is your gateway to the dynamic world of artificial intelligence, where innovation meets application. Each episode dives deep into the latest AI technologies, tools, and real-world use cases, providing practical insights for professionals, enthusiasts, and beginners alike. From groundbreaking advancements to ethical considerations, we explore how AI is reshaping industries, improving workflows, and solving global challenges. Hosted by experts passionate about making AI accessible, the podcast fosters a vibrant community of listeners eager to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

  1. AI Isn’t Making Us Smarter—Here’s What Leaders Are Missing | Drew Veach & Pete Terryn

    12/23/2025

    AI Isn’t Making Us Smarter—Here’s What Leaders Are Missing | Drew Veach & Pete Terryn

    Is AI helping us think better—or quietly replacing our ability to think at all? In this episode of AI Lab Unfiltered, hosts Drew Veach and Pete Terryn dig into one of the most important questions leaders face today: how AI is reshaping critical thinking, decision-making, and responsibility inside organizations. They break down why instant answers can weaken judgment, how leaders should model better thinking in an AI-driven world, and why responsibility—not technology—is the real differentiator moving forward. This conversation is essential for founders, executives, and operators who want to use AI as leverage without outsourcing their thinking. In this episode, you’ll learn:- How AI changes the way humans think and decide- Why critical thinking is declining—and how to rebuild it- The leadership responsibility behind AI adoption- When AI accelerates insight vs. when it creates risk- How to stay human in an automated world Chapters:(00:00) Welcome to AI Lab Unfiltered(00:41) Is AI Replacing Critical Thinking?(03:18) The Danger of Instant Answers(06:05) What the MIT Study Reveals About AI Use(08:52) Responsibility vs. Blind Trust in Technology(11:40) How Leaders Should Model Better Thinking(14:25) When AI Helps—and When It Hurts(17:10) Teaching Teams to Think Before Prompting(19:55) The Human Cost of Over-Automation(22:30) Final Takeaways for Leaders Using AI

    42 min
  2. AI as Your Smart Coworker: Data, LLMs & the Real Work Behind the Hype

    11/18/2025

    AI as Your Smart Coworker: Data, LLMs & the Real Work Behind the Hype

    In this episode of AI Lab Unfiltered, Drew and Pete sit down with Shannon McCormick, Senior Data Scientist at Scandinavian Tobacco Group, to talk about what it really looks like to unleash AI inside your datasets and treat it like a smart coworker instead of a magic black box. Shannon walks through how she uses transactional and customer data in a B2C environment to drive better decisions across shipping, promotions, and retention—everything from scorecards and customer profiles to advanced predictive models with millions of rows. They dig into the messy realities of the job: why 70% of her time is still spent in SQL, why “garbage in, garbage out” still rules, and why you shouldn’t wait for perfect data before you start experimenting with AI. They also unpack the difference between LLM-powered analysis and classic machine learning, when a simple logistic regression beats building your own LLM, and how tools like Copilot and ChatGPT can extend (not replace) the skills of data scientists, marketers, and engineers. The conversation closes with a hopeful look at AI as a creator of new jobs, new businesses, and a radically lower barrier to entrepreneurship. If you’ve ever wondered how to actually use AI with your business data—without getting lost in the hype—this episode is your playbook. Chapters (00:00) Cold Open, Sponsor Shoutout & Episode Setup(01:35) What Does a Data Scientist Actually Do?(02:56) Inside B2C Data: Transactions, Shipping & Promotions(05:54) Predictive Marketing Models & Campaign Targeting(08:33) Analytics Beyond Big Tech: Meijer, Cigars & Mid-Sized Teams(10:42) Data Quality, Cleaning & “Tending the Data Garden”(13:54) Influencing Data Collection & Working with Data Engineering(14:58) Synthetic Data, Surveys & Learning from What You Don’t See(18:16) Getting Started with Data & AI (Even If You’re Not a Data Scientist)(21:25) LLMs vs Classic Machine Learning: Picking the Right Approach(25:07) AI as a Smart Coworker: Jobs, Skills & “Vibe Coding”(31:25) Everyday AI, Marketing Automation & New Entrepreneurs(43:57) Tradeoffs: Learning Deep Skills vs Letting AI Do the Work(46:46) Final Takeaways & Where to Find Shannon

    48 min

About

The AI Lab Podcast is your gateway to the dynamic world of artificial intelligence, where innovation meets application. Each episode dives deep into the latest AI technologies, tools, and real-world use cases, providing practical insights for professionals, enthusiasts, and beginners alike. From groundbreaking advancements to ethical considerations, we explore how AI is reshaping industries, improving workflows, and solving global challenges. Hosted by experts passionate about making AI accessible, the podcast fosters a vibrant community of listeners eager to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.