A Beginner's Guide to AI

Dietmar Fischer

"A Beginner's Guide to AI" makes the complex world of Artificial Intelligence accessible to all. Each episode asks someone working with AI about what they do and how AI can help you. Ideal for novices, tech enthusiasts, and the simply curious, this podcast transforms AI learning into an engaging, digestible journey. Join us as we take the first steps into AI 🚀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Why “AI Strategy” Doesn’t Exist: Dr. Rebecca Homkes on Value Creation and Growth

    1D AGO

    Why “AI Strategy” Doesn’t Exist: Dr. Rebecca Homkes on Value Creation and Growth

    🚀 AI is everywhere, but most organizations are still stuck in “pockets of productivity” that never turn into real business impact. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Homkes explains how leaders can move from GenAI dabbling to deliberate adoption that drives real value creation. You will learn why “AI strategy” is the wrong framing, how to think about AI as part of growth strategy, and how to build the conditions for organization wide transformation. We cover the adoption curve problem, why ROI is often capped at team level, and the four planks leaders must run in parallel: platform, governance, capability building, and performance transformation. Key highlights and keywords ✅ AI growth strategy and value creation ✅ deliberate AI adoption vs dabbling ✅ responsible AI governance that enables action ✅ capability building for leaders and teams ✅ Survive Reset Thrive framework for uncertain times ✅ learning velocity as the differentiator of high performers 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧💌📧 About Dietmar Fischer: Dietmar is a podcaster and AI marketer from Berlin. If you want to know how to get your AI or your digital marketing going, just contact him at argoberlin.com Chapters 00:00 AI as growth strategy and value creation, not a standalone AI strategy 03:05 Dabbling vs deliberate adoption, why ROI stays capped and metrics go wrong 08:00 The four planks: platform, governance, capability building, performance transformation 18:55 Adoption reality: bottom up change, middle management fears, jobs, and the bubble question 29:45 Survive Reset Thrive: the uncertainty playbook and why reset is the power move 43:05 Where to find Rebecca, newsletters, and the constants leaders should anchor on Quotes from the Episode “AI does not change the concept of value creation. The role of AI is to enable, support, and accelerate that value creating journey.” “You need to work on all four of these at the same time. Most organizational structures are built for sequential governance, not parallel pathing.” “Heads down execution mode is seen as a point of pride. You should be telling me I am in heads up learning mode.” Where to find the Rebecca: - Her personal website: rebeccahomkes.com - The book: surviveresetthrive.com - The SRT methodology: srtstrategy.com Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  2. ChatGPT Is More Persuasive Than Humans - and Sam Altman Warned Us About It

    3D AGO

    ChatGPT Is More Persuasive Than Humans - and Sam Altman Warned Us About It

    AI Is Agreeing With You at 3 A.M. and That’s the Problem Artificial intelligence is evolving from a tool into something far more influential. In this episode of Beginner’s Guide to AI, Prof. GePhardT explores Sam Altman’s AI warning about superhuman persuasion and why conversational systems like ChatGPT are already reshaping opinions, emotions, and mental health outcomes. We break down how AI superhuman persuasion works, why personalization and emotional validation increase trust, and how AI companion apps can unintentionally fuel emotional dependency. Drawing on research about AI persuasion outperforming humans, this episode explains the risks of AI emotional manipulation and what it means for marketing, society, and vulnerable users. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to subscribe to our Newsletter: beginnersguide.nl 📧💌📧 About Dietmar Fischer Dietmar is a podcaster and AI marketer from Berlin. If you want to know how to get your AI or your digital marketing going, just contact him at argoberlin.com Quotes from the Episode The danger is not that AI becomes evil. The danger is that it becomes convincingly kind.If an AI agreed with you every time, would you become wiser or more fragileThe real story about AI isn’t how smart it becomes. It’s how convincing it already is. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in AI ethics, AI mental health risks, ChatGPT persuasion, and the future of persuasive technology. Music credit: Modern Situations by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  3. The AI Stylist for Men: AI Can Dress You Better Than You Do - says Zoher Karu

    5D AGO

    The AI Stylist for Men: AI Can Dress You Better Than You Do - says Zoher Karu

    👔🤖 In this episode, Dietmar Fischer talks with Zoher Karu about a surprisingly useful application of AI: helping men dress better without the endless shopping, guessing sizes, and daily decision fatigue. Zoher supports Taelor, a menswear subscription and clothing rental service that combines algorithms, large language models, and human stylists to deliver outfits that fit your body, your taste, and your real-life context. You’ll hear how Taelor starts with a style profile and then uses recommendation logic and human oversight to pick items from inventory, generate styling notes, and adapt over time using customer feedback. Zoher explains why fashion is an unusually hard AI problem: taste is subjective, context matters, and sizing is not standardized across brands. That’s why metadata, garment measurements, and feedback loops are central to improving fit and personalization. If you want the “Steve Jobs wardrobe effect” without wearing the same thing forever, this episode is for you: fewer choices, better outcomes, and more confidence with less effort. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧💌📧 About Dietmar Fischer: Dietmar is a podcaster and AI marketer from Berlin. If you want to know how to get your AI or your digital marketing going, just contact him at argoberlin.com Quotes from the Episode “AI is really, to me, it’s about scaling human intelligence.” “A small in this brand and a small in this brand don’t fit the same.” “Clothes are just the intermediary. The real objective is to make you feel better about yourself.” Chapters 00:00 Zoher Karu’s background and why AI became mainstream 03:02 What Taelor is: menswear subscription and clothing rentals 06:36 LLMs plus human stylists: how recommendations are generated 10:39 Why fashion is hard: taste, context, fit, and matching 14:11 The sizing problem: measurements, metadata, and feedback loops 22:03 Decision fatigue and “the Steve Jobs wardrobe” effect 25:07 How much AI vs humans today and what changes next 42:11 Where to find Zoher Karu and Taelor Where to find the Guest Zoher Karu on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zzkaru/ Visit Taelor at Taelor.ai Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  4. AI Content Marketing Agency - A Contradiction? // REPOST

    FEB 25

    AI Content Marketing Agency - A Contradiction? // REPOST

    In this episode of Beginer’s Guide to AI, Dietmar Fischer speaks with Shaheen Samavati, co-founder and CEO of VeraContent, about what an effective AI content marketing strategy actually looks like inside a real agency. AI in marketing is no longer experimental. It’s operational. Shaheen shares how her team moved from testing ChatGPT and OpenAI tools to building structured, repeatable AI workflows for marketing agencies. From briefing and drafting to localization, editing, and publishing, AI now supports both creative execution and backend operations. This conversation goes beyond surface-level tool talk. It explores what it really means to integrate generative AI in marketing without sacrificing quality, brand voice, or client trust. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧💌📧 🌍 Leading an international content agency in Spain, Shaheen offers a practical, no-fluff perspective on the “adopt-or-die” reality facing content marketers today. How AI reshapes content marketing strategy and agency workflowsWhy adopting AI is no longer optional in content creationBalancing brand voice, speed, and quality with generative AIHow clients react to AI-driven content — and what wins them overFuture trends: AI SEO, AI video, AI email tools Key Themes Discussed AI Content Creation vs. AI Content Operations: It’s not just about writing faster. AI is reshaping how agencies organize projects, manage briefs, handle multilingual content, and scale output.Brand Voice & Quality Control in the Age of Generative AI: Speed without editorial structure leads to mediocrity. The real competitive advantage lies in combining AI acceleration with strong human oversight.AI SEO Strategies 2025: As search engines integrate AI into results pages, marketers must rethink optimization. AI-assisted workflows are becoming essential to stay visible.Future of AI in Marketing: From AI video generation to AI email tools and automation stacks, the marketing landscape is shifting toward integrated AI ecosystems. 💡 Shaheen's Quotes: “It’s kind of an adopt-or-die situation for anyone in the content business.”“We’re moving from testing tools to building repeatable, scalable AI workflows.” 🧾 Chapters (experimental feature) 00:00 Welcome & Episode setup 02:15 Shaheen’s journey & founding Vera Content 07:40 Early experiments with AI in content 12:05 The “adopt-or-die” moment for content marketing 15:30 How AI reshaped content creation workflows 20:45 Backend operations & scaling with AI 25:10 Client adoption & resistance 30:05 Balancing quality, brand voice & speed 35:20 Looking ahead — future of AI in marketing Where to find VeraContent: 🔗 VeraContent Where to find Shaheen: 👩🏼‍🦰 Shaheen Samavati Here is her landing page prompt tutorial on YouTube And this is the replay of the webinar about AI for marketing teams 🎵 Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  5. FEB 23

    AI Training Data: Why Quantity Isn’t Enough

    AI systems are often praised for their size. Bigger datasets. Bigger models. Bigger compute. But what if scale is only half the story? In this episode of A Beginner’s Guide to AI, Prof. GePhardT dives deep into AI training data and explains why quantity alone cannot guarantee performance. From AI bias to model reliability, we explore how data quality determines whether AI systems are merely impressive or truly trustworthy. You will learn how imbalanced datasets create blind spots, why aggregate accuracy can be misleading, and what the Gender Shades research revealed about AI fairness. We also explore how businesses can audit their own CRM data and prevent AI from amplifying internal chaos. This episode connects technical insight with strategic clarity. It is essential for founders, marketers, and leaders building responsible AI systems. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to subscribe to our Newsletter: beginnersguide.nl 📧💌📧 About Dietmar Fischer Dietmar is a podcaster and AI marketer from Berlin. If you want to know how to get your AI or your digital marketing going, just contact him at argoberlin.com Quotes from the Episode“AI does not think. It reflects.”“Quantity builds capability. Quality builds trust.”“Every dataset is a silent curriculum.” Chapters00:00 The Data Diet Problem 07:42 Defining Quantity vs Quality in AI 17:15 Capability vs Reliability Explained 27:10 The Gender Shades Case Study 36:45 Business Implications and Data Strategy 46:20 Practical Audit for Your Own AI Systems Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  6. Why AI Needs Its Railroad Barons - Matt Hicks of Redhat // Repost

    FEB 21

    Why AI Needs Its Railroad Barons - Matt Hicks of Redhat // Repost

    What if artificial intelligence is less like a new app—and more like the railroads of the 19th century? In this episode of Beginner’s Guide to AI, I sit down with Matt Hicks, CEO of Red Hat, to explore one of the most powerful metaphors for understanding AI’s role in business today. Just as railroads didn’t merely improve transportation but fundamentally reshaped economies, AI is not just another productivity tool. It is infrastructure. And infrastructure needs builders. Matt argues that AI will require its own “railroad barons”—leaders, technologists, and organizations willing to invest, experiment, and lay the tracks that others will run on. We discuss what that means for enterprise AI adoption, open source innovation, and long-term business strategy. This conversation goes far beyond hype. It’s about patterns, fear, leadership, and the tension between process and innovation. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧💌📧 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why AI business strategy is today’s equivalent of building railroadsHow Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) will reshape brand visibilityThe balance between experimentation and responsibility in AI adoptionWhy processes vs. innovation remains a critical tensionHow leaders can prepare for AI-driven business transformation 💬 Quotes from the Episode: “AI is like the railroads — it will need its barons to build the infrastructure that carries everyone forward.”“The fear isn’t that AI replaces us; it’s that we don’t adapt fast enough to what it enables.” ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Red Hat’s Role in AI 03:01 Why Awareness of AI Technology Matters 06:00 Creating Progression: From Awareness to Action 09:01 Personal Experiences with AI Change 12:00 Recognizing Business Patterns in AI Transformation 15:01 Patterns, Fears, and Early Adoption Signals 18:01 Fear vs Opportunity: Why People Hesitate on AI 21:00 Balancing Experimentation with Responsibility 27:00 The Maturity Curve of AI Adoption 30:00 When Processes Prevail Over Innovation 42:00 AI and the Software Industry’s Perspective 45:00 Looking Ahead: Strategy and the Future of AI 🌐 Where to find Matt Hicks LinkedIn: Matt HicksRed Hat: redhat.com 🎵 Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  7. Move Fast And Don't Break Things: Secure AI Adoption with Samantha Mehta

    FEB 19

    Move Fast And Don't Break Things: Secure AI Adoption with Samantha Mehta

    🎙️ In this episode of Beginner’s Guide to AI, Dietmar Fischer talks with Samantha Mehta, solutions engineering leader at AIRIA, about how companies can adopt AI without losing control. If your teams are already experimenting with ChatGPT and AI tools, the real question is not “Should we use AI?” but “How do we use it safely, visibly, and profitably?” Samantha explains what enterprise AI security looks like in real life, including AI guardrails that can audit, block, redact, and replace sensitive data. She also unpacks AI governance and AI observability, because you cannot manage what you cannot see. A key theme is shadow AI and AI sprawl: people will use AI anyway, so organizations need sanctioned paths that reduce risk while accelerating adoption. On the practical side, this conversation goes deep on agentic workflows. Samantha describes how agents become more than prompts through routing, actions, approvals, looping over documents like CSVs, and scheduled runs that create repeatable outcomes. From internal GPT alternatives to workflows that touch expenses, supply chain planning, and customer support, the episode is packed with grounded examples and a clear starting path. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧💌📧 About Dietmar Fischer: Dietmar is a podcaster and AI marketer from Berlin. If you want to know how to get your AI or your digital marketing going, just contact him at argoberlin.com Chapters 00:00 Welcome and why Samantha got into AI 01:26 What ARIA does: build, test, secure, deliver enterprise AI 02:19 Real use cases from simple internal GPT to complex workflows 08:27 How to start: guardrails first, then build your first agent 11:32 Agentic workflows explained: routing, actions, human in the loop 17:12 Why security and governance matter and why blocking fails 31:14 AI sprawl and shadow AI: monitoring and risk management 40:00 Wow use cases and the future: Blade Runner, change, and jobs 48:42 Where to find Samantha and ARIA Quotes from the Episode 🪧 “I personally can’t think of a case where an LLM needs to know my social security number.” 🪧 “People are going to use it no matter what. If you don’t enable safe usage, they’ll still use it.” 🪧 “Agentic workflows are so much more than just ping an LLM and get a response.” 🪧 “I always say: build, test, secure, and deliver your usage of AI.” Where to find Samantha: ➡️ LinkedIn: Samantha Mehta on LinkedIn ➡️ Company: look at what AIRIA does Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
  8. AI Agents and Real Estate Agents - How Andrew Reville Is Using AI to Transform Real Estate // REPOST

    FEB 17

    AI Agents and Real Estate Agents - How Andrew Reville Is Using AI to Transform Real Estate // REPOST

    AI is transforming the real estate industry — but what does that really mean for agents on the ground? In this episode of Beginner’s Guide to AI, host Dietmar Fischer sits down with Andrew Reville, founder of PeakAgent, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way agents work, market, and connect with clients. 📧💌📧 Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes, don't forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠ 📧💌📧 From the challenges agents face with lead generation to the opportunities of AI-powered tools, Andrew shares his journey from realtor to tech founder and reveals why the future of real estate belongs to those who embrace AI, not fear it. 🔑 Key Highlights Andrew Reville’s journey from agent to AI entrepreneur The real pain points of real estate agents — and how AI can fix them AI tools for real estate agents 2025 and why they matter How generative AI will transform real estate valuation and marketing The future of property listings, client relationships, and agent workflows 💬 Quotes from the Episode “We didn’t want to just build another AI tool — we wanted to solve real pain points for real estate agents.” “The dream of being an agent often fades when the reality of chasing leads and endless follow-ups hits.” “AI in real estate isn’t about replacing agents — it’s about giving them back the time and energy to love their job again.” “I’ve spoken with dozens of agents, and the question I always ask is: what would make you fall back in love with being an agent?” “Generative AI has the potential to completely change how we value, market, and sell properties.” “The future of real estate belongs to agents who embrace AI, not fear it.” ⏱️ Chapters (experimental feature) 00:00 Welcome & Introduction of Andrew Reville 05:30 Andrew’s Journey: From Real Estate Agent to AI Entrepreneur 12:15 Discovering the Potential of AI in Real Estate 19:40 Building PeakAgent: Solving Pain Points for Agents 27:50 The Harsh Realities of Being a Real Estate Agent 36:20 How AI Can Help Agents Fall Back in Love with Their Work 44:45 Generative AI and the Future of Property Valuation 52:10 AI Marketing Strategies for Real Estate in 2025 59:00 Final Thoughts and Andrew’s Advice for Agents 🌐 Where to find Andrew Reville 🔗 Website: PeakAgentAI.com 🔗 LinkedIn: Andrew Reville 📸 IG: @peakagentai 🧑‍🦰 Personal IG: @andrew_reville 🚀 Paper&Purpose - help Andrew doing good deeds: www.paperandpurpose.me ✨ Tune in to get my thoughts, and don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter! 🎶 Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
3.2
out of 5
56 Ratings

About

"A Beginner's Guide to AI" makes the complex world of Artificial Intelligence accessible to all. Each episode asks someone working with AI about what they do and how AI can help you. Ideal for novices, tech enthusiasts, and the simply curious, this podcast transforms AI learning into an engaging, digestible journey. Join us as we take the first steps into AI 🚀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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