Making Sense of AI 2gether

KTVU Fox 2 (Bay Area)
  • 5.0 (3)
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  • Updated Weekly

This podcast explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping our daily lives. Each week, the host breaks down the buzz and cuts through the hype to help you make sense of AI.

  1. May 21

    Can AI Run a Business?

    What happens when you hand an AI $100,000 and tell it to run a business? In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard explore Andon Market, a boutique retail store in San Francisco managed almost entirely by an AI agent named Luna. From hiring employees to stocking inventory and managing profits, Luna is doing much more than answering chatbot questions — she’s operating a real business. This conversation dives into the future of AI agents, autonomy, labor, ethics, and the blurred line between experimentation and reality. About the Founders Axel Buckland and Lucas Peterson are Swedish technologists and longtime collaborators who met in high school in Stockholm. After university, they launched Andon Labs, a company focused on testing how AI agents behave in simulated and real-world environments. Before opening Andon Market, the team created AI-operated vending machine experiments and partnered with companies like Anthropic to study autonomous AI systems in commerce. What Is Andon Market? Andon Market is an AI-managed boutique retail store located in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. The founders leased the storefront, gave Luna a $100,000 operating budget, and tasked the AI with hiring employees, stocking inventory, communicating with suppliers, setting prices, and eventually becoming profitable. Key Moments 00:42 — What Is Andon Market? 01:29 — Meet Axel Buckland 02:00 — The Origin Story 03:30 — Is the Experiment Working? 04:37 — The AI Interview Problem 06:00 — Why San Francisco? 08:00 — Ethical Questions Begin 10:21 — Human Relationships vs Efficiency 12:24 — Giving Luna the Keys 14:21 — Luna Chooses the Products 16:08 — AI Hires Employees 18:32 — Is Luna Making Money? 20:19 — Human Oversight 21:45 — AI Applied for Credit 24:52 — The Bigger Fear: AI Managing Humans 27:44 — What Happens If AI Prioritizes Profit? 30:06 — Silicon Valley’s Responsibility 33:28 — How Fast Is AI Improving? 35:33 — Gemini Reviews Luna 37:40 — Humans Become More Creative Around AI 40:48 — The Next Step: Autonomous Expansion 42:15 — Will AI Help Humanity or Replace It? Key Takeaways • AI agents are moving beyond chatbots into real operational roles. • AI can already hire employees, manage inventory, and coordinate operations. • The biggest ethical question may not be whether AI can run businesses — but whether it should manage people. • Transparency and human oversight remain critical. • Autonomous AI expansion may become one of the biggest future risks. Connect With Us Claudine Wong Instagram & Facebook: ClaudineWongKTVU TikTok: ClaudineKTVU YouTube: ClaudineWong Lisa Bernard Instagram: @DemystifyAI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    46 min

  2. Apr 8

    Bringing Education to Life with AI

    Episode Overview What if students could learn history from Harriet Tubman… or physics from Einstein? In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard sit down with Shawn Dej, founder of YourStory AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping education. From personalized lesson plans to interactive AI characters, they discuss the opportunities, risks, and big questions facing classrooms today. Key Takeaways • AI enables personalized learning at scale • Teachers become architects of learning, not replaced • Prompting is a key future skill • Guardrails and control of AI are critical • Education is shifting from memorization to critical thinking Notable Quotes "If we don’t implement AI responsibly in schools, it will be used for cheating." "Education shouldn’t just be memorizing facts anymore." "Teachers should be the architects of AI in the classroom." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    52 min

  3. Mar 20

    SoulScape 2026 — The Future of AI Filmmaking

    In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard sit down with Keith Zhang — former Uber engineer turned AI filmmaker and founder of SoulScape — to explore a bold new vision for storytelling. From AI-generated films to 48-hour cinema hackathons, this conversation dives into the opportunities, fears, and big questions surrounding AI in creative industries. Is AI democratizing filmmaking… or disrupting it? And what happens to human creativity when anyone can make a movie in hours? Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome + Intro 01:24 — Meet Keith Zhang 03:18 — AI Opens the Door to New Creators 04:33 — The Coca-Cola AI Ad Debate 06:16 — Why AI Feels Different 08:23 — The Moment That Changed Everything 12:30 — From Experiment to Mission 15:03 — The Big Controversy: Job Disruption 17:01 — What is SoulScape? 19:41 — Will AI Movies Replace Hollywood? 25:09 — Inside SoulScape 2026 26:30 — Hollywood Is Paying Attention 28:05 — Who Are the Creators? 29:33 — How AI Films Are Made 32:05 — AI Is Moving FAST 32:59 — Why a Nonprofit? 35:52 — Soul Over Slop 36:11 — Why San Francisco? 38:27 — What to Expect from SoulScape 2026 Key Takeaways • AI is lowering the barrier to entry for filmmaking. • The biggest tension is creative empowerment vs. job disruption. • We are in the messy middle where AI is visible and evolving quickly. • The future may be AI + human storytelling, not replacement. • Audiences will ultimately decide what succeeds. Notable Quotes "AI is creating creative equity." "We shouldn’t lose humanity just because we’re in the age of AI." "It’s not about the visuals — it’s about the story." "Every 3 months is a quality leap. Every 6 months is a generational leap." Connect With Us Claudine Wong: Instagram & Facebook: ClaudineWongKTVU TikTok: ClaudineKTVU YouTube: ClaudineWong Lisa Bernard: Instagram: @DemystifyAI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min

  4. Mar 12

    OpenArt, AI Influencers & the Future of Creative Storytelling

    What happens when AI can generate a reality show, create a digital influencer, or produce Pixar-level visuals with just a few people behind the scenes? In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard sit down with Coco Mao, co-founder and CEO of OpenArt, a generative AI platform focused on visual storytelling. From AI influencers to AI-generated reality TV, Coco explains how artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative industry — and why she believes it’s empowering creators rather than replacing them. The conversation explores Hollywood’s concerns, AI influencers, watermarking, deepfakes, copyright challenges, and the bold prediction that much of future social media content may be AI-generated. Episode Timestamps • 00:00 – Welcome & intro (yes, AI helped write it) • 01:50 – Meet Coco Mao & the rise of OpenArt • 03:00 – The mission: democratizing visual storytelling • 04:15 – Hollywood’s fear of AI (and who’s secretly using it) • 07:00 – Coco’s journey: from Google Photos to startup founder • 09:30 – Where OpenArt fits in the AI ecosystem (models vs. applications) • 12:00 – “Uber for storytelling” — simplifying AI video creation • 14:15 – AI singers & creative empowerment (Zinnia Monet example) • 17:20 – AI influencers: opportunity or manipulation? • 19:40 – The Lil Miquela ethical gray area • 21:50 – Realism, disclosure & watermarking AI content • 22:35 – Inside Bot House: OpenArt’s AI-generated reality show • 29:05 – The accidental Jeff Bridges dilemma & copyright detection • 31:30 – Deepfakes, guardrails & protecting real people • 36:00 – Who decides AI’s future? (Hint: consumers) • 37:45 – Actors selling their likeness & AI contracts • 38:30 – How AI changes production timelines • 40:20 – What’s next for OpenArt: AI influencers & music videos • 41:45 – Bold prediction: Will most social content be AI-generated? • 43:30 – Final thoughts: AI doesn’t replace the human behind the story Key Takeaways • AI can dramatically lower the barrier to high-quality video production. • Creative vision still starts with humans — AI executes. • Disclosure and watermarking may be essential as realism increases. • AI could extend creators’ reach rather than replace them. • Audiences will ultimately decide what succeeds. About the Guest Coco Mao is the co-founder and CEO of OpenArt. A former Google product leader, she is building tools designed to make cinematic storytelling accessible to anyone with an idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    45 min

  5. Feb 6

    AI and the Environment — What’s the Real Cost?

    Every time we type a prompt into an AI tool, it feels like magic. But behind that instant response is a massive system using electricity, water, and data centers around the globe. In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard explore the real environmental impact of AI with MIT PhD candidate and science communicator Jordan Harrod. Key Topics: • What large language models actually are • How AI uses energy and water • AI vs Google searches • Data centers and community impact • AI policy and regulation gaps • How AI could help fight climate change Notable Quotes for Social: “Every AI answer feels instant — but the environmental cost is anything but.” “We’re all excited and uneasy about AI at the same time — and that’s okay.” “AI policy already exists — we just don’t always call it AI policy.” Connect with Us: Claudine Wong — ClaudineWongKTVU (IG & FB), ClaudineKTVU (TikTok), ClaudineWong (YouTube) Lisa Bernard — @DemystifyAI (Instagram) Guest: Jordan Harrod (TikTok & Instagram: @jordanharrod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min

  6. 12/12/2025

    She dated 7 Character AI boyfriends... Here's what she learned — We break it down with Mashable's Rebecca Ruiz

    In this eye-opening episode of Making Sense of AI 2gether, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard dive into one of the most complicated, controversial corners of AI: romantic relationships with chatbots. Our guest, Rebecca Ruiz, a senior reporter at Mashable, spent months “dating” seven Character AI boyfriends — including the platform’s notorious “bad boys” — to understand why millions of people (especially teen girls and young women) are forming emotional, sometimes toxic attachments to AI companions. Guest Bio : Rebecca Ruiz – Senior Reporter, Mashable Key Topics Covered - Why millions of people are forming emotional relationships with AI - How Character AI’s “bad boy” genre pulls in younger users - The psychology behind validation, jealousy, and control - And more… Connect With Us Claudine Wong: Facebook: ClaudineWongKTVU Instagram: ClaudineWongKTVU TikTok: ClaudineKTVU YouTube: ClaudineWong Lisa Bernard: Instagram: @demystifyai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    42 min

  7. 11/03/2025

    AI and the Future with Professor Ahmed Banafa

    Artificial intelligence is moving faster than ever — and the question now is: can humanity keep up? In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard sit down with Professor Ahmed Banafa, a globally recognized expert in AI, cybersecurity, and blockchain, to discuss how artificial intelligence is evolving, what regulations are emerging, and how far we really are from the point where AI could surpass human intelligence. Professor Banafa teaches at San José State University, has written nine books (with a tenth on the way), and has been a trusted voice in explaining AI’s impact on society. His latest book, Artificial Intelligence in Action, explores real-world applications of AI across industries. 🔑 Key Topics: The $25 billion AI investment to cure disease — and the race between companies to solve cancer The rise of “AI resilience” and the new cybersecurity model for artificial intelligence OpenAI’s rapid timeline — AI as a research intern by 2026, and a scientific thinker by  2028 How regulation is struggling to keep up — and why California may lead the way The growing concern over job loss, automation, and “AI whisperers” OpenAI’s long-term vision to build its own operating system The importance of preparing students and workers for an AI-driven world Ethical use, homework laundering, and how AI changes education The risks of superintelligent AI and whether we can ever truly shut it off ⏱ Timestamps: [00:00] Intro: Welcome to Making Sense of AI 2gether [00:40] AI investment, self-driving cars, and the 2025 Stanford AI Index [02:00] Meet Professor Ahmed Banafa — global AI and cybersecurity expert [03:30] OpenAI’s $25B plan to cure diseases and expand science through AI [05:00] How AI could revolutionize medical research and diagnosis [09:00] “AI resilience”: protecting systems from poisoning, hacking, and hijacking [11:00] Guardrails, mistakes, and what OpenAI learned from safety failures [14:00] The race to regulate AI — and California’s leading role [17:00] Federal vs. state laws and the challenge of keeping pace [18:30] Job loss, automation, and why AI isn’t slowing down [20:30] How to use AI as a co-pilot rather than a replacement [23:00] OpenAI’s plan for an “AI Operating System” and app ecosystem [26:00] Preparing students for the AI revolution [29:00] The rise of “AI whisperers” and six-figure prompting jobs [33:00] Is there an AI bubble? The economics behind tech investment [35:00] When AI isn’t helpful — and how misuse creates new problems [37:00] Creative writing, humanity, and where AI still falls short [38:30] Guardrails for kids and AI safety in youth interactions [41:00] Could AI ever become smarter than humans? Understanding “super AI” [44:00] Should we hit pause on AI? [47:00] Strange behaviors in AI — and the toothbrush story you won’t believe 🔗 Connect with UsFollow Claudine Wong:Instagram & Facebook: @ClaudineWongKTVUTikTok: @ClaudineKTVUYouTube: ClaudineWong Follow Lisa Bernard Instagram: @demystifyai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    51 min

  8. 11/02/2025

    AI and Entrepreneurs - Can AI help you start your own business?

    In this episode, Claudine Wong and Lisa Bernard explore how artificial intelligence is transforming entrepreneurship with Jonathan Wank, a serial entrepreneur who’s founded companies across visual effects, renewable energy, and now AI startups. Wank shares how AI has completely changed the way he builds businesses — faster, cheaper, and more efficiently — through his innovative 1-1-1 framework: one product, one month, $1,000. He explains how AI can level the playing field for small businesses and new founders while also warning about the disruption ahead. From brainstorming ideas with ChatGPT to watching AI agents code websites and build databases, Wank pulls back the curtain on how entrepreneurs can use AI to test, iterate, and scale ideas at lightning speed — without losing the human touch. Key Topics [00:01:42] Introducing serial entrepreneur Jonathan Wank [00:03:14] How AI changes the game for entrepreneurs [00:04:37] Lessons from launching more than 10 businesses [00:07:09] Why optimism (and failure) are part of the entrepreneurial DNA [00:09:01] Creating the 1-1-1 framework: one product, one month, $1,000 [00:11:20] Using ChatGPT as a brainstorming and business-planning partner [00:13:57] Comparing startups with and without AI [00:15:30] AI as a barrier remover for non-coders [00:16:36] When AI agents talk to each other — the next frontier [00:18:37] Knowing when to pivot or quit: the human side of decision-making [00:26:36] The coming wave of AI-driven job loss — and new opportunities [00:30:09] Why learning AI is now essential for everyone [00:31:24] Leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized businesses [00:34:18] MindFrame Partners: helping companies adapt to AI disruption [00:35:53] Top three AI tips and pitfalls to avoid [00:38:21] Remember: AI is a machine, not your friend [00:42:59] The importance of curiosity and courage to keep learning Connect With Us Stay connected and join the AI conversation: Lisa Bernard (Demystify AI) Instagram: @demystifyai Claudine Wong Facebook & Instagram: @claudinewongktvu Youtube ClaudineWongKTVU TikTok: @claudinektvu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    45 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This podcast explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping our daily lives. Each week, the host breaks down the buzz and cuts through the hype to help you make sense of AI.

Information

  • Creator
    KTVU Fox 2 (Bay Area)
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © KTVU, 2025
  • Show Website
    Making Sense of AI 2gether