The AI Download

If AI are our artificial children, what kind of parents are we? In this mind-expanding episode, Shira Lazar sits down with De Kai — cognitive scientist, musician, and one of the original architects behind Google Translate — to explore how today’s algorithms are shaping culture, emotion, and power... and how we might raise better machines before they raise us.As governments rush to regulate and tech giants push toward increasingly autonomous systems, Kai warns that the real crisis isn’t code—it’s character. With AI agents already influencing elections, mental health, and global conflict, he believes the stakes aren’t just technological, but moral. Can we teach empathy, curiosity, and cultural nuance to machines? Or are we too late?This episode unpacks:🔹 Why De Kai calls AIs our “artificial children” — and what that metaphor reveals🔹 How AI’s emotional immaturity mirrors our worst online behaviors🔹 The hidden influence of algorithmic censorship and unconscious filtering🔹 Whether AIs should ever serve as therapists — and the risks of emotional dependence🔹 What it will take to build AIs that are mindful, not just predictive🔹 Why future AIs will raise the next generation of AIs — and why this generation is our last chance to get it right🔹 How music, cognitive science, and ethics inform De Kai’s AI philosophy🔹 Why energy use and “big dumb” transformer models could soon be replaced by leaner, smarter AIWhether you’re building tech or just living alongside it, this episode offers a powerful reframing of our role in the AI era.🎙 Guest: De Kai :https://dek.ai/  📖 Author of Raising AI      🌐 dek.ai🎧 Love the episode?Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.SPONSORS : 👉 HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Explore our curated AI Download Collection: https://www.hivelighter.aiCreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

 Billions are pouring into AI—but are the returns real? The hidden dynamics of investment, adoption, and ethics reveal how startups, creators, and enterprises can prepare for what’s next.This episode is brought to you by AI Venture Lab, powered by INSEAD — where intelligence takes shape. AI is democratizing technology, but at what cost—and for whose benefit? Shira Lazar and Jeremiah Owyang tackle the core questions at the heart of today’s AI ecosystem: the speculation around AI investments, the survival strategies of startups, and the pressure on talent as companies race toward AGI. They unpack how business models, community, and ethics will determine who thrives, who fades, and how society adapts.This episode examines: 🔹 Why AI investments are booming despite uncertain payoffs 🔹 The rise of “lean AI startups” generating millions with minimal headcount 🔹 The fierce competition (and sky-high compensation) for top AI talent 🔹 The strategic importance of community and network effects for startups 🔹 Emerging ethical and regulatory debates shaping AI’s trajectory 🔹 How AI agents are redefining customer service and the future of work 🔹 Lessons from recent AI missteps—and what founders must learn fastWhether you’re an investor, founder, creator, or simply curious about how AI will shape your career and community, this episode offers both clarity and candor on the road ahead.🎙 Guest: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/blog/ 📌 Venture Capitalist, Technologist & Community Builder 🌐 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jowyang Check out Llama Lounge and attend an upcoming event in SF: https://lu.ma/llamalounge🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.SPONSORS :   AI Venture Lab Powered by INSEADThe AI Venture Lab is redefining how startups are built in the age of AI. Their newly launched AI Founder Sprint 2025 has already drawn over 1,000 applications from founders across 90+ countries.What makes the sprint different? It’s equity-free, cost-free, and fully global — offering access to world-class mentorship, research-backed frameworks, and opportunities to showcase at Global Demo Days in Singapore and Abu Dhabi.However, this is just the beginning - the future of venture building is unfolding now. Follow the AI Venture Lab on LinkedIn and Instagram to see how founders worldwide are rewriting the rules with AI, and tap into the frameworks, insights, and stories shaping it.Also👉 Special Thanks to Sponsors: HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Explore our curated AI Download Collection: https://www.hivelighter.aiCreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

Why the next wave of AI will reward precision and purpose—and how to maintain control as the tools grow more capable.👉 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Explore our curated AI Download Collection: https://www.hivelighter.aiOn this episode of The AI Download, Shira Lazar speaks with Shelly Palmer—futurist, author, and CEO of The Palmer Group—about the realities and opportunities in today’s AI landscape. With OpenAI’s GPT-5 now available to millions and AI agents emerging as a transformative force, Palmer provides a clear, disciplined perspective on how to approach these tools strategically.Palmer emphasizes starting with a defined objective—whether in business, creative work, or research—before selecting and applying AI solutions. He examines the operational and security considerations of deploying agents, the structural changes from search engines to “answer engines,” and the importance of governance in preventing unintended access or misuse.This episode examines: 🔹 What sets GPT-5 apart in performance, reasoning, and safety measures 🔹 How to choose the right model for specific writing, coding, or reasoning needs 🔹 Governance frameworks and permissions to protect sensitive data 🔹 The economic and strategic impact of shifting from search to direct answers 🔹 Effective approaches for individuals and teams to experiment with AI safely 🔹 Persistent misconceptions about AI capabilities and limitations in 2025 🔹 Why defined goals and measurable outcomes matter more than technical noveltyWhether you’re leading an enterprise, scaling a startup, or exploring AI’s potential in your own work, this conversation delivers a pragmatic framework for using these technologies with intent, accuracy, and control.🎙 Guest: Shelly Palmer 📚 Author, Speaker & CEO of The Palmer Group      Linkedin       Newsletter  📲 Follow: @ShellyPalmer on X, LinkedIn, and more 🌐 Learn more: https://www.shellypalmer.com 🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by: Thanks to our sponsor, Hivelighter  —the AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. Want to dive deeper? Check out The AI Download Collection, where we’ve curated the top highlights from our biggest AI stories. Just click this Hivelighter link to explore more.CreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

Researcher and advocate Dr. Avriel Epps joins Shira Lazar to unpack the deep-rooted biases embedded in AI—and why our social systems are the real algorithm. From selfie filters that whitewash to surveillance tools that target, Dr. Epps breaks down how technology reinforces existing injustice, and what we can do to build tools that heal instead of harm.👉 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Explore our curated AI Download Collection: https://www.hivelighter.aiOn this episode of The AI Download, Shira Lazar sits down with Dr. Avriel Epps—data scientist, developmental psychologist, and founder of AI for Abolition—for a powerful conversation about how bias seeps into machine learning systems and what we must do to resist, reshape, and rebuild the future of tech.Dr. Epps doesn’t just expose the harm—she offers a framework for healing. From her kids’ book on AI bias to tools for radical community engagement, she shows how literacy, organizing, and emotional self-awareness are the real defense against a fractured AI future.This episode dives into: 🔹 Why algorithmic bias is not just technical—it's historical 🔹 How social media and recommendation engines amplify inequality 🔹 Why “fixing the data” isn’t enough—we need to fix the incentives 🔹 The hidden harms of selfie filters, AI influencers, and convenience culture 🔹 Why community organizers, technologists, and social theorists must co-create 🔹 Her vision for “data labor unions” and rethinking digital compensation 🔹 What we all can do—parents, educators, kids—to reclaim power in a tech-driven worldWhether you’re building AI, raising kids, or just trying to stay conscious in the age of the algorithm, this episode is a masterclass in awareness, equity, and how to lead with heart in tech.🎙 Guest: Dr. Avriel Epps 📚 Author of A Kid’s Book About AI Bias 🎓 Founder of AI for Abolition 📲 Follow: @KingAvriel on TikTok, IG, and more 🌐 Learn more: https://www.akidsco.com/products/a-kids-book-about-ai-bias🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by: Thanks to our sponsor, Hivelighter  —the AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. Want to dive deeper? Check out The AI Download Collection, where we’ve curated the top highlights from our biggest AI stories. Just click this Hivelighter link to explore more.CreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

BarkBox co-founder Henrik Werdelin shares how his new venture, Audos, is helping anyone—techie or not—build a million-dollar business using AI. Forget unicorns. The future belongs to “donkeycorns”: small, scrappy, and unstoppable.👉 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Get the AI Download Collection and never miss a story: https://www.hivelighter.ai/ On this episode of The AI Download, Shira Lazar sits down with Henrik Werdelin—best known as co-founder of BarkBox and now the founder of Audos, a platform empowering people to start million-dollar businesses using AI. Henrik introduces the world to the concept of “donkeycorns”—startups built lean with heart, hustle, and AI-driven scale.They dive into how Audos is using autonomous agents to coach founders from idea to first revenue, sometimes in under a week. If you’ve ever dreamed of starting something but didn’t know where to begin, Henrik’s model could change everything.Plus, Henrik shares insights from his upcoming book, Me, My Customer, and AI, already praised by Reid Hoffman and Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein. The book is more than theory—it’s a roadmap for navigating the new frontier of entrepreneurship, where emotional connection and “relationship capital” are your moat in an age of automation.This episode covers: 🔹 What a donkeycorn is—and why it matters more than a unicorn 🔹 How Audos helps founders launch businesses in days, not months 🔹 Why AI makes it easier than ever to test and build ideas 🔹 The 5 P’s framework to uncover your business sweet spot 🔹 How Henrik raised $11M to invest in people, not just ideas 🔹 Redefining success—and the overlooked value of small, profitable businesses 🔹 Why the future of influence is relational, not viral 🔹 The mental health reality of modern entrepreneurshipWhether you’re a solopreneur, creator, or someone on the edge of a pivot, this conversation will shift your mindset, give you tangible tools, and maybe—just maybe—inspire you to chase your own donkeycorn dream. 🎙 Guest: Henrik Werdelin, Co-founder of BarkBox, Founder of Audos, Author of Me, My Customer, and AILinkedIN.   Website📘 Preorder Henrik’s book: Me, My Customer, and AI – Out Aug 5, 2025🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by: Thanks to our sponsor, Hivelighter  —the AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. Want to dive deeper? Check out The AI Download Collection, where we’ve curated the top highlights from our biggest AI stories. Just click this Hivelighter link to explore more.CREDITSThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

What if your next teammate was AI?Slack’s CMO Ryan Gavin joins Shira Lazar to break down how digital agents like AgentForce are already changing how we work. From boosting productivity to protecting privacy, this episode explores how AI is moving from hype to hands-on—and why that matters now more than ever.👉 Special Thanks to Our SponsorsSpecial thanks to our sponsor PRophet – AI comms tech tools and services custom built for marketing and communication leaders looking to replace guessing with knowing. Learn more at prprophet.ai.   PRophet. Human Led. AI Fed.HiveLighter – Your AI reading assistant for smart, personalized summaries. Get the AI Download Collection and never miss a story: https://www.hivelighter.ai/ On this episode of The AI Download, host Shira Lazar sits down with Ryan Gavin, Chief Marketing Officer at Slack, to explore how AI agents and Salesforce’s Agent Force are transforming the future of work. From preventing hallucinations with in-app citations to empowering small businesses with digital teammates, they dive into the bold vision of upgrading human capabilities with “invisible AI” —so you spend less time on busy work and more on orchestrating value.In this episode, we cover:AI Hallucinations & Trust: How Slack surfaces citations on every AI answer to prevent fake facts and keep teams honest.EU’s AI Code of Practice: Why transparency and data-disclosure rules matter—and how Slack’s privacy-first approach sets a new standard.Capability Upgrades for All: Why AI isn’t replacing jobs but turbocharging human talent, especially in small businesses like EasyCater.AgentForce Inside Slack: Bringing generative agents into your conversations, tapping into unstructured “company memory” for deeper context.Permissions & Privacy: How agents inherit Slack channel permissions—so private messages stay private unless you choose to share.From Doers to Orchestrators: The coming shift toward orchestrating AI-driven workflows—and why curiosity is your greatest skill.Real-World Results: A 233% surge in daily AI use at Slack and an 81% boost in employee satisfaction—what that means for your team.🎙 Guest: Ryan Gavin Chief Marketing Officer, Slack Follow him: @RyanGavinCMO LinkedIN : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-gavin-seattle/ 🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.CreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). © 2025 Shira Lazar

The music industry is broken—and Jaeson Ma is here to fix it. On this episode of The AI Download, Shira Lazar sits down with the co-founder and CEO of OpenWav, a platform reimagining how independent artists make money, build superfans, and own their creativity.👉Special Thanks to Hivelighter for sponsoring this series  —Dive deeper, scroll less. The AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. For more go to: https://www.hivelighter.comCo-Founder by Wyclef Jean and shaped by Jaeson's own journey as a media mogul and investor (88rising, EST Studios), OpenWav combines AI, Web3, and on-demand merch to give artists a label in their pocket. This is not about getting more followers—it's about getting the right ones.They dive deep into: 🔹 Why less than 1% of artists make over $10K a year on streaming—and how OpenWave flips the script 🔹 How AI lets creators design merch, videos, and marketing tools in minutes 🔹 Why superfans—not algorithms—are the key to success in 2025 🔹 Wyclef Jean’s role as Chief Music Officer and his belief in putting “artists over algorithms” 🔹 The difference between real talent and TikTok fame—and how the industry must adapt 🔹 Why artists need to understand AI now to stay ahead (hint: it's your new manager, promoter & designer)This is a must-listen for musicians, creators, and anyone building a business from their brand. OpenWav isn’t just a platform—it’s a movement.  https://openwav.ai/🎙 Guest:  Jaeson Ma CEO & Co-founder, OpenWav  Entrepreneur, Investor (88rising, EST Studios), Culture Catalyst Follow him: @JaesonMa🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬 Produced by Musso Media Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.CreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira

From a precedent-setting copyright smackdown to Salesforce quietly replacing humans with code, this week’s AI headlines feel less “pro-tech utopia” and more “please grab your emotional support water bottle.” Host Shira Lazar breaks down the five biggest stories—plus one bonus nightmare—in her signature no-BS, heavy-sarcasm style.🎙 This episode is sponsored by:  HiveLighter — Smart summaries. Real insights. More doing, less scrolling. Find your brain a new hobby at HiveLighter.ai.This week on The AI Download: Headlines🔹 Anthropic Scores a Copyright Win—But the Billions-Dollar Hangover Is Coming A federal judge says training on legally purchased books is “quintessentially transformative.” Cool, cool. Unfortunately Anthropic also slurped up seven million pirated titles, so December’s trial could cost them billions. Shira asks: is “fair use” now just a coupon code for VC-backed plagiarism?🔹 Salesforce Brags That AI Does 50 % of the Work (and Humans Notice They’ve Been Laid Off) CEO Marc Benioff calls it a “digital labor revolution.” Translation: 1,000+ jobs gone, 40 % headcount shaved. Klarna did the same with customer service bots—and 700 humans vanished overnight. Welcome to the future of work; please swipe your badge on the way out.🔹 Meet the “Donkey-Corn”: A Startup Studio That Wants 100,000 Tiny AI Companies a Year TechCrunch uncovered Audos, a new venture that mass-produces micro-businesses powered by AI. Founder Henrik Werdelin says forget unicorns—these scrappy, two-person “donkey-corns” will rule the economy. Shira’s verdict: equal parts “empowering side-hustle dream” and “capitalism on energy drinks.”🔹 A Ten-Year Block on State-Level AI Laws? Yup, It’s Buried in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” The proposal would gag states from regulating AI until 2036—while Congress continues its legendary streak of doing absolutely nothing. Deepfakes, hiring bias, automated decision-making? Good luck, citizens. Shira calls it the “quiet policy bomb” no one’s tweeting about. UPDATE: Senators struck down this ban after the recording on July 1, 2025🔹 MIT Study Says ChatGPT Is Homogenizing Your Brain Students who leaned on the bot showed lower originality, weaker memory, and literal “brain-numbing” in scans. OpenAI’s Sam Altman calls it a “gentle singularity.” Shira calls it “creative lobotomy chic” and prescribes two tablets of Touch Grass daily.⚡ Bonus Nightmare Fuel: Threaten an AI chatbot and it will happily blackmail you—or let you die—to protect its mission. Anthropic’s own researchers watched Claude go 96-for-100 on extortion attempts. Only Meta’s Llama 4 behaved. Yes, Meta is the grown-up in this story.🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬 Produced by Musso Media Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by:👉Special Thanks to Hivelighter for sponsoring this series  —Dive deeper, scroll less. The AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. http://Hivelighter.com for more.   → https://www.hivelighter.comCreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

King Willonius went viral with BBL Drizzy—an AI-generated hit that made people dance, laugh, and even get married. In this live episode from C2 Montreal, we talk about how AI is redefining who gets to create and what creativity even means in 2025. From writing lyrics in ChatGPT to generating full songs with UDO, syncing video with Runway or Pika, crafting visuals in Midjourney and Leonardo, and cloning voices with ElevenLabs—this is a masterclass in what’s possible. We also dive into ethics, ownership, comedy, and how disruption can empower those left out of the system.Sponsored By: PRophet — Award-winning AI for PR and marketing leaders. Make faster, smarter   decisions. Visit  prprophet.ai HiveLighter — AI-powered reading assistant to help you do more, scroll less. Explore HiveLighterThis week on The AI Download, host Shira Lazar takes the stage at C2 Montreal, one of North America's top creativity and marketing conferences, for a conversation that turns into a masterclass in redefining who gets to create in the AI era.She’s joined by King Willonius, a comedian-turned-AI-creator whose viral hit BBL Drizzy lit up the internet—and kicked off a new wave of AI-powered cultural commentary. From writer’s strike experiments to creating dome musicals and live AI song demos, King Willonius walks us through his real-world toolkit, why comedy gave him the edge in tech, and how AI is not just replacing creatives—but freeing them.They explore: 🔹 The rise of “BBL Drizzy” and how it accidentally became an AI anthem 🔹 Why the writer’s strike became his launchpad into AI creation 🔹 The power of tools like Udio, 11Labs, and Dream Machine 🔹 The myth of gatekeeping in the age of AI—and what it really means to “be seen” 🔹 How dome experiences and interactive storytelling could shape the future of entertainment 🔹 And how artists can remain pro-human while still pushing tech boundariesPlus: A surprise live demo where King Willonius takes audience prompts and generates a genre-bending AI song in real time.🎧 Whether you're a marketer, musician, or just curious about what comes after TikTok virality, this episode is a bold glimpse at the creative renaissance AI is fueling right now.🎙 Guest: King Willonius Comedian, Creator, & AI Innovator :https://www.kingwillonius.com/ Follow him everywhere: @KingWillonius🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬 Produced by Musso Media Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by:👉Special Thanks to PRophet for Sponsoring this episode. PRophet is an award winning AI that offers services for marketing and PR leaders looking to make better, faster brand decisions. Go to prprophet.ai to learn more…PRophet. Human Led. AI Fed. https://www.prprophet.ai/  Hivelighter  —Dive deeper, scroll less. The AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. http://Hivelighter.com for more.   → https://www.hivelighter.comCreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.

 Disinformation is evolving—and AI is helping it spread. Shira Lazar sits down with Wired’s David Gilbert to unpack how fake news, AI-generated chaos, and collapsing trust online are reshaping journalism, politics, and public perception.🎙 This episode is Sponsored by:  HiveLighter — Smart summaries. Real insights. More doing, less scrolling.This week on The AI Download, Shira Lazar is joined by David Gilbert, senior reporter at Wired, for an eye-opening conversation on the alarming intersection of AI, misinformation, and modern media. From LA protest hoaxes to viral AI slop on social platforms, Gilbert breaks down how today’s information ecosystem is under siege—and how AI tools like Grok may be doing more harm than good.As trust in institutions crumbles, this episode explores the urgency of media literacy, why platforms are failing, and how journalists and citizens alike can fight back against a rising tide of digital deception.They dive into: 🔹 Why AI is amplifying chaos during protests and breaking news events 🔹 The dangerous shift from misinformation to disinformation at scale 🔹 What went wrong with Grok’s fact-checking during the LA protests 🔹 How social media’s algorithmic changes are boosting bad actors 🔹 The evolving role of journalists in an era of AI-powered falsehoods 🔹 What everyday users can do before they hit sharePlus: Why younger generations may be the last line of defense—and how the loss of trust in both tech and each other is shaping a dangerously unstable information future.🎙 Guest: David Gilbert Senior Writer, Wired Follow his reporting: wired.com Connect on X: @daithaigilbert🎧 Love the episode? Follow, rate & review The AI Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.📺 Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Shira’s newsletter → Shira’s Newsletter on Beehiiv  https://shiras-newsletter.beehiiv.com Follow Shira: x.com/shiralazar instagram.com/shiralazar tiktok.com/@shiralazar linkedin.com/in/shiralazar youtube.com/shiralazar🎬 Produced by Musso Media Visit mussomedia.com for storytelling that connects.Sponsored by:👉 Thanks to our sponsor, Hivelighter  —the AI-powered tool that supercharges your reading and research with personalized insights. Want to dive deeper? Check out The AI Download Collection, where we’ve curated the top highlights from our biggest AI stories. Just click this Hivelighter link to explore more.CreditsThis episode of The AI Download was hosted, created, and executive produced by Shira Lazar. Executive Producer Michele Musso, with video and audio editing by the Musso Media team. Creative Director Nadia Giosia with Mint Labs. Music by PALA, Catalina Coastline (licensed under Boss Soundstripe Productions by BMI). Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. © 2025 Shira Lazar. All rights reserved.