Today I sit down with Kelly Abbott, one of my absolute best friends and someone I have known for more than 20 years, and we get into a conversation I think all of us need to be having right now. Kelly is one of the most talented CIOs, internet entrepreneurs, and technology minds I know, and what I appreciate most about him is that he does not approach AI like a hype man. He approaches it like a builder, an artist, a strategist, and a deeply curious human being. That combination is rare. What really stands out to me in this conversation is that Kelly is not using AI in a shallow, gimmicky way. He is exploring how it can become a genuine creative partner. He walks me through a project he has built called Writer’s Room, a tool designed to simulate the collaborative energy of a real writers room so people can develop long-form fiction with multiple AI personas, story structure, quality control, continuity, and creative tension built in. It is a fascinating example of what becomes possible when you stop thinking about AI as a shortcut and start thinking about it as a thought partner. We also talk about the AI-generated video he created for Seven CTOs, and this part of the conversation opens up something deeper than tools alone. Kelly shares how he used AI to translate an inner idea into a full creative artifact by scripting with ChatGPT, shaping voice in ElevenLabs, experimenting with music, and embracing imagery, archetype, and non-deterministic outputs along the way. One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is hearing him describe why he chose an unexpected narrator voice and how he thinks about the relationship between text, emotion, music, image, and trust. It is a masterclass in taste, not just tech. We also get honest about the tension many people feel around AI. I say in the episode that I am less worried about AI destroying the world by itself than I am about people using it stupidly and at scale. Kelly does not brush that off. He agrees that the concern is real, and he makes a strong case that the answer is not avoidance. The answer is learning. He talks about why he teaches Claude in particular, why he respects Anthropic’s stance on safety, and why becoming capable with these tools puts you in the driver’s seat instead of leaving you vulnerable to being outpaced by them. Another piece I love is that this conversation is not just about AI in the abstract. It becomes personal. Kelly starts exploring what it could look like to use tools like NotebookLM to understand my body of work more deeply, surface the real pain points my clients face, and eventually help build something like an on-demand “Johnny brain” people could interact with for coaching and insight. That is where this episode gets especially exciting to me, because it moves from fascination to application. We are not just asking what AI is. We are asking how to use it in service of real communication, real creativity, real usefulness, and real human connection. And then, because life is funny and friendship matters, we close by telling the story of how Kelly and I first met on a flight to South by Southwest. It starts with him defending an empty seat, me walking back up the aisle in a too-tight Flash T-shirt, and Kelly greeting me with, “I don’t like you very much right now.” What followed was a conversation, a weekend, and a friendship that has lasted for decades. Honestly, that ending says a lot about this whole episode. Beneath all the tools and ideas is something more important: curiosity, candor, play, and the willingness to engage what is right in front of you. This episode matters because AI is not coming someday. It is here. And like it or not, all of us need to get familiar with what it can do, where it helps, where it misleads, and how to use it without giving up our judgment, our values, or our originality. That is why I expect this to become a semi-regular part of the podcast. Key Takeaways AI becomes far more useful when you treat it as a creative partner rather than a magic shortcut. Kelly’s “Writer’s Room” concept shows how AI can simulate diverse voices, roles, and editorial functions to strengthen storytelling and idea development. A learner’s mindset still matters as much as any tool. Kelly says one of his advantages has always been being “a page ahead in the manual” because he stayed up learning. Great AI output still depends on human taste, curation, and judgment. The tools can generate, but the human being still has to choose. Non-deterministic outputs are not always a flaw. In creative work, unpredictability can actually produce something more alive and surprising. Voice, music, and image are not separate from strategy. They shape trust, tone, and emotional impact. AI literacy is quickly becoming a real professional advantage. The people who learn how to use these tools well will be far less likely to be overwhelmed by them. Safety matters. Kelly makes a clear distinction between powerful use and careless use, which is one reason he emphasizes Claude and Anthropic’s public posture around AI safety. The future is not only about automating tasks. It is also about making your ideas more discoverable, more creative, and more accessible to the people you serve. Friendship, curiosity, and long conversations still matter. Some of the best ideas begin with a human relationship, not a prompt. Addressing Relevant Issues This conversation touches a nerve that a lot of people are feeling right now. We are living through a moment where AI is moving faster than most people can comfortably track, and that creates a strange mix of excitement, intimidation, skepticism, and risk. This episode speaks directly to that. We get into leadership, creativity, communication, entrepreneurship, technology, safety, and discernment. We also touch the deeper issue underneath all of it, which is whether we are going to let technology flatten our humanity or help us express it more powerfully. To me, that is the real issue. Not whether AI exists, but whether we develop the judgment, character, and skill to use it well. Why This Episode Matters This episode matters to me personally because Kelly is not just a brilliant technologist. He is someone I trust. That matters a lot in a space where there is so much noise, so much hype, and so much confident nonsense. What really stands out to me is that Kelly brings both depth and play to this conversation. He understands the technical side, but he also understands voice, story, aesthetics, and what makes something actually resonate. I think listeners will come away with something rare here: not just more information about AI, but a healthier and more useful way to think about it. And honestly, I care about this because I do believe we all need to start getting familiar with what these tools can do. The people who learn thoughtfully are going to be in a much stronger position than the people who ignore this and hope it goes away. Resources Mentioned Writer’s Room Studio — https://writersrooms.studio/ Kelly’s AI video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XteCrxWZIvA ElevenLabs — https://elevenlabs.io/ Mother / music sample generation invite — https://mother.is/invite/USER-D071D3FA Ideogram — https://ideogram.ai/ Google Flow — https://labs.google/fx/tools/flow NotebookLM — https://notebooklm.google.com/ BOL Agency — https://www.bol-agency.com/ The K State — https://thekstate.com/ Connect & Subscribe If this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe to Live Like a Leader, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who is trying to make sense of AI, leadership, creativity, or where communication is headed next. Next Steps A good next step is to spend a little time with Kelly’s work and then actually try one of the tools we discuss. Don’t just have an opinion about AI from a distance. Get your hands on it. Explore it. Test it. See where it helps, where it falls short, and where your own judgment needs to get stronger. And if this conversation resonates, stay with us, because this is going to be an ongoing part of the show. ----- Kelly Abbott is Chief AI Officer at BOL Agency and founder of K-State LLC, where he helps organizations stop talking about AI and start operating with it. A two-time exit founder (Match.com, Adobe), Kelly now builds AI-native systems for marketing agencies, law firms, and enterprise teams. He trains teams on Claude, designs agentic workflows, and creates products at the intersection of AI, music, and creative technology. He lives in Washougal, WA with his family. Ohio State alum. Still writing stories. -------- John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com. Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
