Weekly News Roundup (22AUG24)

Summary In this episode, Ben Etherington, CTO and co-founder of Webforge, shares his journey from the film industry to AI and his expertise in helping businesses implement AI effectively. The discussion explores the importance of data readiness, the challenges of outdated processes, and the role of company culture in adopting AI. Ben also touches on the future of AI, ethical considerations, and the differences between the US and UK tech landscapes. The episode wraps up with insights on building client trust and a light-hearted conversation about the challenges of having famous namesakes. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:07 Being Technical and Having Sales Skills 16:55 Webforge's Consulting, Strategy, and Education Services 26:00 Misconceptions and Challenges in AI Implementation 29:40 Conducting AI Readiness Audits 33:10 Poly-Structured Data Challenges 46:54 Working with SMBs: Trust and Value Propositions 58:35 Challenges of Compartmentalized Businesses 01:05:26 The Need for Transparency and Action in the AI Industry 01:07:32 Dispelling Misconceptions about Americans 01:11:41 Ranking Higher on Google: Building a Personal Brand 01:20:22 Inspiration from AI Thought Leaders Connect with Ben - ⁠LinkedIn

Summary AdCreative.ai has scaled from 0 to 35 million ARR in 18 months by simplifying the ad creation process using AI. They have developed Ad LLM, the world's first fine-tuned AI model based on advertising data, to generate high-converting ad inferences. The CEO, Tufan Gok, has a background in mechanical engineering and freelancing in paid advertising. His curiosity and passion for new technologies have driven his success as a growth hacker. AdCreative.ai is focused on solving the creative problem in advertising and aims to become the leader in the industry. Tufan Gok reflects on his journey as a startup founder and the personal and professional growth he has experienced. He emphasizes the importance of adapting as a company scales and the need for different skill sets at each stage. He also discusses the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at AdCreative.aiand how they maintain it through careful hiring and fostering a supportive environment. Tufan shares his infectious energy and passion for AI and marketing, highlighting the potential of AI in the medical industry. He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to find a market with a clear problem and solve it with AI. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:23 The Role of Curiosity and Passion in Entrepreneurship 12:31 The Impact of AI on Growth Hacking 24:13 Introducing AdLM: An Ad-Centric AI Model 32:56 Simplifying Ad Creation with Instant Ads 40:15 The Future of Advertising: Seamless and Instant Ad Generation 45:04 Building a Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship 47:28 Finding Happiness in Simplicity 51:50 The Future of AI in Healthcare and Education Connect with Tufan — LinkedIn

Summary In this episode of the AI Report, Liam interviews Olga Beregovaya, the VP of AI at Smartling, the number one AI translation platform. Olga has 20 years of experience in the machine learning and AI industry, with a background in linguistics. They discuss the role of AI in translation, the evolution of language AI models, and the challenges and opportunities of running an AI-focused company. Smartling's mission is to provide human-quality translation through automated means and make global communication seamless. The company culture is characterized by an innovative spirit, agility, and a focus on customer needs. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:28 Transformative Developments in Language AI 12:28 Competition and Advancements in the AI Landscape 15:14 The Open Source vs. Closed Source Debate in AI 18:18 Smartling: Revolutionizing Translation Automation 21:59 Moving Towards Human Parity in Machine Translation 26:15 Smartling's Mission: Human-Quality Translation and Seamless Global Communication 29:34 Growth in the Enterprise Level and Focus on Innovation 31:23 Trend Towards Full Automation in the Translation Industry 33:35 Running an AI-Enabled Company: Agility and Focus 40:04 The Role of a VP of AI at Smartling 43:49 Company Culture: Innovative Spirit and Inspiration 46:57 Connecting with Smartling Connect with Olga - LinkedIn

Summary In this episode, Liam interviews Davis McCondichie, co-founder of Swipe Labs. They discuss Davis' background, including his lawn care business and passion for photography, as well as his journey into the world of AI and advertising. Davis shares insights into writing scripts for YouTube videos and understanding human psychology to create engaging content. In this part of the conversation, Davis McCondichie and Liam discuss the importance of voice and personality in content creation, the preference for British accents, the use of female voice actors, and the impact of AI on scriptwriting. They also explore the concept of going viral, the components of virality, and the role of novelty and conversation. They touch on the cycles of old content becoming new again and the influence of algorithms on social media platforms. In this conversation, Davis McCondichie discusses the challenges and strategies of growing on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. He explains how platforms like Reels and TikTok penalize organic advertisements and incentivize paid ads. Davis also emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality content, building a community, and engaging with the audience. He shares insights from his experience at Swipe Labs and highlights the significance of communication and trust in client relationships. Davis concludes by expressing his passion for storytelling and advertising. Connect with Davis — [email protected] SwipeLabs

Just a few decades ago, about 90% of legal defendants could count on having effective legal counsel throughout their proceedings. Today, that figure has completely inverted. Due to rising costs within the legal system itself, as well as other factors, more people than ever are trying to navigate a system with very real and far-reaching consequences in their lives with no training and little guidance. Sam and his team are working to fix that. A former attorney, Sam leveraged his experience to build several tools that guide people through their legal challenges, and hopes to continue his fight to bring access to legal resources to everyone. Join us today as we hear his perspective on the future of legal representation, and his story about how he took on the Australian government and won.

Summary In this conversation, Liam Lawson and Elliot Raine discuss the use of AI in scaling businesses. They cover topics such as AI as a marketing machine, AI fit in marketing, building AI systems, and leveraging AI in different aspects of business. They also explore the importance of product quality, revenue generation activities, and the role of AI in lead generation and customer acquisition. The conversation provides insights into how AI can be used to optimize marketing efforts and drive business growth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Live Event Start 02:26 Introduction to Elliot Raine and Topic Overview 03:22 AI as a Marketing Machine for 10Xing Your Results 08:05 Revenue Generation Activities and the Importance of Product Quality 13:41 Optimizing Lead Generation and Customer Acquisition with AI 19:23 Leveraging AI in Email Marketing, Social Media, and Paid Advertising 31:29 Paid Advertising: The Most Predictable Way to Grow Your Business 39:03 The Importance of AI CRM in Business Growth 45:43 Conclusion and Closing Remarks ⁠⁠Connect with Elliott

On today's news roundup: Procreate takes a stand against AI, custom-made GPT4o's, and overall panic throughout Fortune 500 companies.

Episode Summary In this conversation, Liam Lawson interviews Andrew Mounier, a B2B SaaS marketing expert, about his background and experiences in scaling companies. They discuss topics such as the importance of building relationships, the transition from a political science degree to entrepreneurship, and the motivation behind Andrew's career choices. They also touch on the process of hiring and finding the right fit in a company, as well as Andrew's passion for building a better world through technology and social purpose. In this conversation, Liam Lawson and Andrew Mounier discuss the use of AI in marketing, the importance of human touch in customer service, and the future of AI in various industries. They also touch on the need for individuals to upskill themselves in AI and the potential job displacement that may occur. Andrew shares his personal goals of launching a climate tech business, owning a farm, and creating a retreat focused on mindfulness and human connection. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:43 Building Relationships and Thriving in the B2B SaaS Space 05:04 Transition from Political Science to Entrepreneurship 08:38 Balancing Personal Projects and Career Growth 10:45 Prioritizing Equity and Ownership in Job Opportunities 16:17 Servant Leadership and Empowering Teams 20:16 Finding Alignment in Job Opportunities 24:06 Lately: Using AI for Social Media Marketing 39:07 The Role of AI in Marketing and Customer Service 44:37 The Importance of Upskilling in AI 50:17 The Future of AI: Creativity and Mindfulness 01:07:16 Andrew's Personal Goals: Climate Tech, Farm Ownership, and Mindfulness Retreat ⁠Connect with Andrew

Whether you're a first time listener or a longtime fan, you're safe to think we're pretty AI forward here. But in all our talk about AI being the future, it can be easy to lose sight of the actual future: our kids.AI is bringing up all kinds of issues critical for both society at large and individual parents, like me. What kind of world are we creating? How will our kids find their place? What does their education to get them ready look like?We're on with Edward Glassman, faculty and leading voice of the AI Task Force at Philadelphia's prestigious Springhill Chestnut Hill Academy, on what it looks like to raise the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, how to navigate AI in the education space, and what it means to be a parent and teacher in this age of transition.

Summary In this conversation, Liam Lawson interviews Justin Hardy, an expert in building funnels. They discuss the importance of using funnels for conversions and how AI can speed up the funnel creation process. Justin provides a step-by-step guide on building AI funnels and shares insights on creating effective sales pages. He emphasizes the need to focus on one skill, find an AI tool that augments it, and become really good at it. Justin also highlights the opportunities that AI brings for entrepreneurs and advises starting small and growing from there. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Justin Hardy and Funnel Building 02:24 Understanding Funnels and their Benefits 05:46 Using AI to Speed Up Funnel Creation 10:32 Step-by-Step Guide to Building Sales Pages 14:41 Using AI Prompts to Create Landing Page Copy 20:26 Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in the AI Era 38:00 Advice for Starting a Business in the AI Era Connect with Justin