Leaders of AI is the go-to AI podcast that delivers real insights for today’s decision makers.
About the hosts: Co-host Julia McCoy is an innovative entreprene...
E12: AI, Ego Death, and the End of Reality? | Sam Rad | Leaders of AI
Join Julia McCoy and Dave Shapiro in Episode 12 of Leaders of AI as they sit down with radical futurist and anthropologist Sam Rad, author of Radical Next. Dive into a mind-bending conversation about AI’s existential impact on humanity, societal collapse, and the rebirth of systems.
💥Key topics discussed:
Societal paradigm shifts: Death and rebirth cycles of global systems (economy, governance, identity).
AI’s existential questions: “What does it mean to be human in a post-reality world?”
Perception manipulation: How tech (VR, algorithms, urban design) warps reality today.
Decentralized futures: Blockchains, DAOs, and the collapse of nation-states.
Art vs. AI: Why creativity is humanity’s last stand against bland AI-generated content.
Quantum computing: The coming “post-quantum” chaos and cognitive security threats.
Team Human: Balancing techno-optimism with radical reconnection to humanity.
Order Sam’s groundbreaking book Radical Next and learn why the stakes have never been higher.
🔥 Smash that LIKE button if you’re ready for the AI revolution, and SUBSCRIBE for weekly deep dives into tech’s future!
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Follow Hosts/Guests
Julia:
https://www.instagram.com/juliaemccoy/
https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaMcCoy
Dave:
https://x.com/DaveShapi
https://www.youtube.com/@DaveShap
Sam Rad:
https://sam-rad.com/
https://www.instagram.com/samradofficial/
Learn About First Movers
www.firstmovers.ai
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E11: DeepSeek-R1: The $5M AI Model Disrupting Silicon Valley | Leaders Of AI
🚀 Episode 11 Alert! David Shapiro hosts John Gibbs (CEO of Automattic, PhD, and host of Doctor Know It All) for an explosive discussion on DeepSeek-R1—the Chinese AI model rattling global markets and rewriting AI economics.
💥 In this episode:
Why NVIDIA’s stock crashed 17% overnight
Can a $5M open-source model outperform billion-dollar projects?
Geopolitical chess: China’s AI surge vs. Western dominance
The "Mozart Paradox": How constraints breed AI innovation
Ethical minefields: Copyright, job displacement, and AGI’s looming shadow
🔍 John breaks down why synthetic data and self-play reinforcement learning could democratize AI, why Hollywood isn’t safe from disruption, and how leaders can navigate the AI arms race.
🔥 FOLLOW for weekly deep dives into tech’s future!
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-ai/id1776902731
Watch YouTube to catch the video versions: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersofaipodcast
Follow Hosts/Guests
Julia:
https://www.instagram.com/juliaemccoy/
https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaMcCoy
Dave:
https://x.com/DaveShapi
https://www.youtube.com/@DaveShap
John Gibbs:
https://www.youtube.com/DrKnowitallKnows
https://www.instagram.com/drknowitallknows
Learn About First Movers
www.firstmovers.ai
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53:04
E10: The Future of Jobs, Governance, and Humanity | Emad Mostaque
In this episode of Leaders of AI, we sit down with Emad Mostaque. Emad is the Founder & CEO of Intelligent Internet and Founder and Former CEO of Stability AI.
Emad shares some chilling predictions about the future of work, revealing how AI will soon surpass human capabilities in nearly every field. He discusses the impending "end of jobs," the rise of AI-powered economies, and the urgent need for societal adaptation. Emad also offers crucial advice for navigating this AI-driven future, emphasizing the importance of embracing AI and developing new skills.
Emad’s Article: When Capital No Longer Needs Labor, How Does Labor Gain Capital
https://x.com/ii_posts/status/1877018732733612367
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-ai/id1776902731
Watch YouTube to catch the video versions: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersofaipodcast
Follow Hosts/Guests
Julia:
https://www.instagram.com/juliaemccoy/
https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaMcCoy
Dave:
https://x.com/DaveShapi
https://www.youtube.com/@DaveShap
Emad:
https://x.com/EMostaque
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52:52
E9: How to Use AI to Transform Work and Life | Mark De Grasse
In this episode of Leaders of AI, Julia McCoy and Dave Shapiro welcome Mark De Grasse, former President of DigitalMarketer turned Founder of AI Branding Academy. Dive deep into the world of artificial intelligence and discover how it's liberating creators from mundane tasks, redefining marketing strategies, and empowering businesses to innovate. From personal branding insights to the future of content creation, Mark shares actionable tips and thought-provoking ideas that will change how you approach AI.
Leaders of AI with Dave Shapiro and Julia McCoy is now streaming on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music & Audible, TuneIn/Alexa, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, PlayerFM, and Pandora. Subscribe where you most enjoy listening to podcasts.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-ai/id1776902731
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cSEJuGv52Bl4CN8ESLgJb
Watch YouTube to catch the video versions: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadersofAIPodcast
Follow Guests/Hosts
Mark:
https://markdegrasse.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdegrasse/
Julia:
https://www.instagram.com/juliaemccoy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaemccoy/
Dave:
https://x.com/DaveShapi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveshap/
Learn About First Movers
www.firstmovers.ai
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46:51
E8: The AI Revolution is HERE: Why 2025 Will Change Everything (2024 Look-Back & 2025 Highlights)
In this riveting first 2025 episode of Leaders of AI, visionaries Julia McCoy and Dave Shapiro unpack the staggering developments in artificial intelligence, making bold predictions for 2025 and beyond. The conversation dives deep into how OpenAI's O3 breakthrough signals we've entered a new era of AI capabilities - one that's advancing far faster than even industry experts anticipated. They explore how 2025 will be the "Year of the Agent," with autonomous AI systems set to transform every industry, followed by mass robot deployment in 2026 and the dawn of superintelligence by 2027.
The hosts share personal insights about how AI is already revolutionizing creative work, with Julia revealing how she used AI to write a viral book in just one hour that outperformed her previous nine books. Dave discusses the profound implications of quantum computing breakthroughs, explaining how they could enable discoveries in materials science that seem like science fiction today. Most importantly, they stress that while these changes may seem overwhelming, the key is to start adapting now rather than waiting for future developments.
This episode serves as both a wake-up call and a practical guide for viewers, emphasizing that success in the AI age isn't about replacing human creativity but augmenting it with new tools. The hosts argue that those who embrace AI integration today will be best positioned to thrive in tomorrow's transformed landscape. This conversation captures a pivotal moment in human history, as we stand on the brink of changes that will reshape society more dramatically than any previous technological revolution.
Leaders of AI with Dave Shapiro and Julia McCoy is now streaming on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music & Audible, TuneIn/Alexa, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, PlayerFM, and Pandora. Subscribe where you most enjoy listening to podcasts.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-ai/id1776902731 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cSEJuGv52Bl4CN8ESLgJb Watch YouTube to catch the video versions: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadersofAIPodcast
Leaders of AI is the go-to AI podcast that delivers real insights for today’s decision makers.
About the hosts: Co-host Julia McCoy is an innovative entrepreneur who grew her name to one of the best in the world at content marketing, back when it was done 100% by humans. She sold her 100-person writing agency in 2021 to enter the realm of AI. Today, she lives, breathes and sleeps the science of how to bring businesses and marketing teams into the AI age, personally leading AI integrations for marketing teams at her AI consulting company First Movers. Co-host David Shapiro is one of the most respected voices on the internet regarding AGI and how automation will affect humanity, with a near-20 year background in building custom AI-driven infrastructure implemented by brands like NASA. Semi-retired, he writes, speaks and thinks the future of AI and humanity on Leaders of AI with Julia McCoy and special guests.
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