FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast

AI image and video generation can produce stunning results, but ask it to draw the same character twice and chaos ensues.In this episode, Rob and Jason tackle one of the biggest creative challenges in generative AI: consistency.From moody Midjourney portraits to pixel-perfect Runway videos, the duo breaks down tools, workflows, and techniques to help you keep your characters, styles, and scenes on track, even if AI tries to derail them. Whether you're illustrating a children's book or building your next short film, this episode is your crash course in wrangling AI models like a pro. Plus: Sherlock Holmes stops by to investigate why your AI can't remember what a green shirt looks like.Bonus Resource from Rob Laughter!Check out Rob Laughter’s latest blog post, 10 Handcrafted Style Codes to Make Your Midjourney Images Pop. He breaks down how to use Midjourney style codes (via mood boards and personalization) to dial in your image style like a pro. Plus, he shares 10 ready-to-use codes to get started. A perfect companion piece!00:00 – Cold Open: Sherlock on AI Inconsistency01:27 – Intro to Fuse & Episode Topic02:06 – Host Updates & AI Projects03:14 – Real-World Challenges with Consistency05:02 – Why AI Struggles with Consistency07:12 – Treating AI as a Creative Partner09:04 – Level 1: Prompts & Seeds13:28 – Level 2: Reference Images16:36 – Style References & Mood Boards21:58 – Character References22:59 – Video Consistency Techniques27:58 – Advanced Tools: ControlNet30:11 – Jedi Mode: Training a LoRA Model34:58 – Building a Training Dataset37:45 – Captions, Trigger Words, and Execution41:05 – Video LoRA Models & Use Cases42:20 – Post-Generation Fixes: Face Swap & Inpainting47:50 – Workflow Recap & Key Takeaways50:13 – Wrap-Up & Teaser for Next EpisodeThis episode is brought to you by your imagination. Train it like a LoRA, and show it something new.Tools & Resources Mentioned:Flux LoRA Training: fal.aiFlux Fill (Inpainting with LoRA Support): fal.ai/models/fal-ai/flux-lora/inpaintingMidjourney Mood Boards: updates.midjourney.com/profiles-and-moodboardsLeonardo.ai Moodboards Tool: leonardo.aiRunway Asset Controls & Reference Images: runwayml.com/product and help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408611980563-Managing-assetsSocial Media & ContactInstagram: @aicreativepodcastWebsite: aicreativepodcast.comListener Mail: [email protected]: The AI Creative Podcast is a production of Rob Laughter Creative and Midnight Oil Productions. Hosted by Rob Laughter and Jason Moore. Produced by Liz Baker.

Is AI coming for your job?In this episode, Rob and Jason tackle one of the most urgent questions facing the creative world: Will AI replace creatives? From freelance writers and graphic designers to filmmakers and strategists, AI is reshaping the landscape, and not everyone is feeling optimistic. Rob and Jason explore both sides of the debate: the fear, the opportunity, the real-world job loss, and the tools helping creatives stay ahead. Drawing on industry research, personal experiments, and voices from across the creative spectrum, this episode offers both sobering realities and hopeful strategies for staying relevant.Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a skeptical artist, or just trying to futureproof your career, this one’s for you. This episode is brought to you by The AI Collaborative — a community + coaching space for learning and growing with generative AI. Apply to join at roblaughter.com/collaborative0:00 – Cold Open Satire: “Replace You” AI Ad1:25 – Podcast Intro & Hosts Welcome1:51 – Is AI Going to Take My Job?2:09 – Jason’s Viral Video & New AI Tools3:21 – Adventure GPT & Agents Discussion5:06 – The Big Question: Will AI Replace Creatives?7:02 – Industry Impact & Job Disruption Stats9:33 – Creative Roles Being Disrupted by AI13:02 – Real-World Creative Reactions to AI17:49 – Industry Leaders’ Views on AI24:53 – Staying Relevant as a Creative in the Age of AI28:01 – Fusing AI Tools into Creative Workflows33:08 – Tracking AI Trends Without the Hype38:27 – Cross-Disciplinary & Strategic Skill Building43:07 – Final Thoughts: Future-Proofing CreativityHere are some of the AI tools and resources mentioned in the episode:- Claude 3.7 (used for code generation)- V2 (Google's image-to-video model)- Adventure GPT (Rob's retro text adventure game experiment)- OpenAI Operator (agentic AI research preview)- 11 Labs (AI dubbing & voice tools)- Midjourney & Ideogram (image generation tools)- Photoshop Generative Fill (built-in AI tools)- BuzzFeed layoffs & AI adoption (case study)- Zork (classic text-based game)- Matt Wolfe, Theoretically Media, MattVidPro (YouTube AI influencers)- Adobe Generative AI Survey (industry insights)FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast is a production of Rob Laughter Creative and Midnight Oil Productions.Hosted by Rob Laughter and Jason Moore.Produced by Liz Baker.Learn more and follow along at aicreativepodcast.com.

Think AI will just write your book for you with the push of a button? Think again. In this jam-packed episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, Rob and Jason break down exactly how creative professionals can use AI as a writing assistant—not a replacement.From brainstorming and outlining to editing, research, and marketing, the duo walks through every stage of writing a book with AI as your creative co-author. Whether you're tackling your first children's story or a 260-page thesis, this episode is a practical guide to getting your ideas out of your head and onto the page—with a little help from your friendly neighborhood language model.00:00 – Cold Open: Generative AI Rap 01:06 – Why You Don’t Just “Let AI Write the Book”02:22 – Rob & Jason’s Personal Book Projects03:36 – What Makes GPT-4.5 Different?04:06 – Getting Started: From Idea to Hook05:08 – Prompting for Creative Brainstorming06:49 – Why Rob Is “Anti-Prompt” (But Not Really)07:50 – Using AI to Solve Story Problems09:48 – Structuring & Outlining with AI11:45 – Real-World Book Writing Workflow (Jason’s Process)14:22 – Matching AI to Your Voice & Style17:00 – Style Guides, Custom GPTs & Ghostwriting Tips20:03 – The Danger of Over-Reliance on AI21:26 – Editing: When to Use AI & When to Call an Editor26:28 – Using AI for Research (But Trust, Then Verify)29:41 – Deep Research: Your New Secret Weapon34:04 – Letting AI Format Citations (Smart!)36:15 – Publishing & Promoting with AI Tools37:48 – Marketing Assets, Book Trailers & Social Content40:30 – Teaser for Next Episode: “Is AI Going to Take My Job?”This episode is sponsored by Invite Press, publisher of AI and the Church. Discover books and resources rooted in grace, transformation, and practical theology at inviteministries.org.Here are some of the AI tools and resources mentioned in the episode:ChatGPT (OpenAI)Claude (Anthropic)Gemini (Google)Deep Research (OpenAI)Perplexity – AI Search AssistantGrammarly – AI-Powered EditingIdeogram – AI Image Generation for CoversMidjourney – Concept Art GeneratorElevenLabs – AI Voice GenerationSuno AI – AI Music CreationUdio – AI Soundtrack GenerationRunway ML – AI Video & Visual EffectsFUSE: The AI Creative Podcast is a production of Rob Laughter Creative and Midnight Oil Productions. Hosted by Rob Laughter & Jason Moore. Produced by Liz B. Baker.

Open source AI is changing the game for creatives, developers, and innovators. In this episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, Rob and Jason dive deep into open source AI models, how they compare to commercial options, and why they might be the key to unlimited creative freedom. From local LLMs and image generators to the latest AI video models, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to harness AI without restrictions.Is open-source AI the future of creative work? Tune in to find out!0:01 - Cold Open0:54 - Welcome to FUSE1:11 - AI Community & Resources2:36 - AI for Social Media3:51 - What is Open Source AI?5:02 - OpenAI vs Open Source 6:09 - Benefits of Open Source AI11:10 - Running AI Locally14:54 - Top Open Source LLMs18:40 - Choosing the Right Model21:58 - Open Source Image Generation25:46 - Running AI Image Models Locally32:40 - The Future of Open Source AI Video41:45 - How to Get StartedThis episode is brought to you by the AI Collaborative—your gateway to mastering AI for creativity, productivity, and innovation. Join today: roblaughter.com/collaborativeLinks & References:Open-Source AI Models Online:Fal.AI (Run Open-Source AI Models)Replicate (Cloud AI Model Hosting)Hugging Face (AI Model Library)Open-Source LLMs & Chat Tools:Open WebUI (Chat Interface for AI Models)Ollama (Run LLMs Locally)LLaMA 3 (Meta’s AI Model)Command R+ (Cohere’s AI Model)Open-Source Image Generation:Stable Diffusion- ComfyUI (Advanced Image Gen UI)InvokeAI (Beginner-Friendly Image UI)DrawThings (Mac Image Generator)Rob’s Fine-Tuned AI Models Open-Source AI Video:Hanouan (AI Video Model)SkyReels (Advanced AI Video)LTX Video (Lightweight AI Video)Rob’s AI Resources & Guides:Rob’s GitHub (ComfyUI Workflows & AI Resources)Rob’s Medium (Guides on Running AI Locally)

Everyone loves free! In this episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, Rob and Jason dive into the best free AI tools for creatives. Whether you're an artist, musician, filmmaker, or just AI-curious, this episode is your guide to free chatbots, image generators, music makers, and video tools.From ChatGPT’s free tier to top-tier image models like Ideogram and Leonardo, we break down what you can do without spending a dime—and where the limitations start to kick in. Plus, we explore AI-powered music and video tools that let you experiment, play, and create, all for free.And stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we tackle open-source AI models—the truly free frontier of AI creativity!00:00 - AI-Generated Intro Song (Created with Udio!)00:47 - Welcome to FUSE! Rob & Jason’s latest AI projects03:13 - Chatbots: The best free chat AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & more)10:27 - Image Generators: Free tools for AI-generated art (DALL-E, Ideogram, Leonardo, & others)15:47 - Video Tools: Free AI video generators (RunwayML, Kling, Luma & more)23:40 - AI Music Tools: Udio vs. Suno, and the future of AI-generated music29:05 - When Free is Great… and When It’s Not32:00 - Next Week’s Teaser: Open-source AI tools & total creative freedomLLMs:ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.comClaude: https://claude.aiGemini: https://gemini.google.comPerplexity: https://perplexity.aiDeepSeek: https://deepseek.comImage Generators:DALL-E: https://openai.com/dall-eIdeogram: https://ideogram.aiLeonardo AI: https://leonardo.aiKrea AI: https://krea.aiVideo Tools:RunwayML: https://runwayml.comKling AI: https://klingai.comLuma Labs: https://lumalabs.aiMinimax: https://hailuoai.videoAI Music Generators:Udio: https://udio.comSuno AI: https://suno.aiRiffusion: https://www.riffusion.comPodcast & Social Media Links:Podcast Website: https://aicreativepodcast.comListener Mail: [email protected]: https://instagram.com/aicreativepodcast

Copyright is a hot topic for creatives, and AI has added a whole new layer of complexity. In this episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, Rob and Jason take a deep dive into the big questions surrounding AI-generated content and copyright law. Can you own what AI creates? Can you protect your creative style? And what does the latest report from the U.S. Copyright Office mean for AI creators? Tune in as we break down the legal landscape, explore landmark cases, and discuss best practices for protecting your work in the age of generative AI.00:00 - Intro & What We’re Working On02:00 - The Big Questions About AI & Copyright03:45 - Ownership vs. Copyright Protection07:00 - The History of AI and Copyright Cases10:00 - The Landmark Zarya of the Dawn Case14:00 - The Latest Copyright Office Report18:30 - Can You Protect Your AI-Generated Work?24:00 - AI Copying Creative Styles – What Can Be Done?29:00 - Ethical Considerations in AI Prompting31:00 - Final Thoughts & Takeaways

In this episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, hosts Jason and Rob discuss the evolving landscape of AI in filmmaking. They highlight advanced generative AI tools for video production, including SFX, voice, and music generation.The hosts also discuss ethical implications of AI in creative processes and provide practical advice on using various tools like Runway, Sora, and Cling for creating compelling video content.Additionally, they challenge listeners to experiment with AI-generated assets for their projects, offering insights into current capabilities and future potential.00:25 AI in Filmmaking: A New Era00:53 AI's Impact on Hollywood03:39 AI Tools for Everyday Creatives04:08 Personal Experience with AI Filmmaking06:25 The Role of Story in AI Filmmaking08:16 Ethical Considerations in AI Filmmaking18:34 Generating Video with AI: Methods and Models23:47 Voiceover and SFX31:19 Music Generation36:59 Choosing the Right AI Tools

In this episode of FUSE: The AI creative podcast, hosts Rob and Jason dive into the key themes and discussions from Jason's new book, 'AI in the Church: A Clear Guide for the Curious and Courageous.'They explore the use of AI tools like ChatGPT, ElevenLabs, and Runway ML for creative projects and discuss real-world applications and ethical considerations. They share insights on how AI can enhance, rather than replace, human creativity, particularly in ministry.Their conversation also touches on the balance between utilizing AI technologies and maintaining personal interactions within organizations. Listeners are encouraged to embrace AI tools responsibly to unlock new creative potentials.00:00 Welcome to Fuse: The AI Creative Podcast01:09 Jason's New Book: AI in the Church01:38 Demonstrating AI Tools in Real Life03:31 Challenges and Updates in AI05:27 The Role of AI in Ministry23:31 Ethical Considerations and Best Practices31:47 Closing Thoughts and Where to Get the Book

In this episode of FUSE: The AI Creative Podcast, hosts Rob and Jason reveal their go-to AI tools, ranging from chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude to image generators such as Ideogram and Stable Diffusion. They discuss their personal experiences with these tools, including the pros and cons, and how they fit into their creative workflows. The episode covers various categories including large language models (LLMs), music generation, sound effects, speech generation, and video generation tools. Highlights include a discussion on the ethical use of AI, the advantages of different subscription models, and the creative potential of these evolving technologies. 00:00 Introduction to AI Tools 00:56 Hosts Introduction and Episode Overview 01:14 AI Tools in Action 02:25 The Excitement Around AI 02:53 Regulations and Future of AI 03:28 Challenges and Limitations of Current AI 05:44 Exploring ChatGPT and Its Competitors 07:33 Deep Dive into ChatGPT Features 11:29 Comparing ChatGPT and Claude 15:16 Image Generation Tools 17:32 MidJourney and Ideogram 22:36 Music Generation Tools 24:04 Exploring Music Generators: Udio vs. Suno 25:16 Creative Uses of AI in Music 27:57 Ethical Considerations in AI Music Creation 29:17 AI Sound Effects: Revolutionizing Audio Production 32:43 The Future of Text-to-Speech and Voice Cloning 39:24 AI Video Generators: Tools and Techniques 46:29 Navigating the Rapid Evolution of AI Tools

In the first episode of Fuse, the AI Creative Podcast, hosts Rob and Jason introduce the show and discuss their journey to launching the podcast. They share personal experiences with AI in creative projects, explain their vision for the podcast, and break down the types of topics they plan to cover. The hosts emphasize the goal of exploring how AI can enhance creativity rather than replace it, advocate for ethical use, and encourage audience interaction. Their diverse backgrounds in art, graphic design, and technology aim to offer unique insights and thought leadership in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.