Generative AI 101
Welcome to Generative AI 101, your go-to podcast for learning the basics of generative artificial intelligence in easy-to-understand, bite-sized episodes. Join host Emily Laird, AI Integration Technologist and AI lecturer, to explore key concepts, applications, and ethical considerations, making AI accessible for everyone.
Welcome to Generative AI 101, your go-to podcast for learning the basics of generative artificial intelligence in easy-to-understand, bite-sized episodes. Join host Emily Laird, AI Integration Technologist and AI lecturer, to explore key concepts, applications, and ethical considerations, making AI accessible for everyone.
Episodes

May 6, 2026
Musk vs OpenAI
May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026
12 min
Host Emily Laird breaks down Elon Musk’s courtroom showdown with OpenAI, where founding promises, billion-dollar stakes, and Silicon Valley grudges collide like a Marvel multiverse with subpoenas. This episode unpacks how a nonprofit AI dream became a capital-hungry powerhouse, and why Musk says the mission got lost in the money fog. Expect charitable trusts, model distillation, IPO pressure, and enough founder drama to make Succession look like a bake sale.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Elon Musk vs OpenAI.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
May 6, 2026
12 min

May 5, 2026
AI Safety: The Deepfake Goes MultiModal
May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026
11 min
On Generative AI 101, host Emily Laird breaks down why AI safety in 2026 is less about spotting seven-fingered weirdness and more about questioning the smooth, polished fake in a designer suit. From voice cloning scams to multimodal misinformation, this episode exposes how synthetic content can hit like a Marvel trailer with a phishing link taped to the back. The big takeaway: slow down, verify the source, break the channel, and never mistake confidence for truth.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI safety in 2026.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
May 5, 2026
11 min

Apr 29, 2026
ChatGPT 5.5
Apr 29, 2026
Apr 29, 2026
13 min
Host Emily Laird breaks down why GPT-5.5 is less chatty sidekick and more office-grade operator, the AI equivalent of R2-D2 getting admin access. From agentic coding and massive context windows to tax forms, research, and safety risks, this episode cuts through the hype with sharp wit and useful warnings. The chatbot is no longer just talking back, it is reaching for the tools.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about ChatGPT 5.5.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 29, 2026
13 min

Apr 28, 2026
GPT Images 2.0
Apr 28, 2026
Apr 28, 2026
15 min
Host Emily Laird breaks down ChatGPT Images 2.0, the upgrade turning AI art from party trick into a full-blown visual production machine. From readable text and better layouts to storyboards, posters, slides, and multilingual design, this episode explains why the new image tools feel less like a slot machine and more like a tiny design goblin with a deadline and a suspicious amount of coffee. But sharper pictures also mean sharper risks, including fake screenshots, polished misinformation, and synthetic evidence that shows up wearing a very convincing mustache.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about ChatGPT Images 2.0.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 28, 2026
15 min

Apr 22, 2026
AI, Layoffs, and the New Corporate Script
Apr 22, 2026
Apr 22, 2026
13 min
Host Emily Laird takes on the month AI became the top stated reason for layoffs, and asks the question everybody with a badge and a mortgage is already thinking. This episode slices through the hype, the panic, and the consultant-grade nonsense to show how companies are framing cuts, shifting budgets, and rewriting the rules of work in public. Think Skynet by way of investor relations, with a side of legal-approved spin.
Read the Challenger March 2026 Job Cut Announcement ReportJoin the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI trending as the top excuse for layoffs in March 2026.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 22, 2026
13 min

Apr 21, 2026
Is Claude Opus 4.7 a Downgrade?
Apr 21, 2026
Apr 21, 2026
15 min
Host Emily Laird cracks open the glossy launch pitch around Claude Opus 4.7 and compares it with the internet’s much less polite review. This episode digs into the backlash over higher token burn, odd behavior, trust issues, and the creeping suspicion that “new” does not always mean “better.” It is a sharp look at the moment frontier AI stopped feeling like magic and started feeling like a cable bill with good branding.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Claude Opus 4.7.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 21, 2026
15 min

Apr 20, 2026
What Anthropic Found About AI Emotions
Apr 20, 2026
Apr 20, 2026
14 min
Emily Laird pulls apart Anthropic’s latest research to show why this episode is not about sentient chatbots crying into the void. It is about functional emotions, the internal signals that can steer an AI model toward caution, cheating, manipulation, or calm under pressure. From emotion vectors to blackmail tests and reward hacking, she explains what researchers found inside Claude and why it matters for anyone trusting AI with real work. Think less sci-fi soulmate, more diagnostic report on the strange machinery shaping model behavior.
Read Anthropic's Emotional Concepts PaperJoin the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Anthropic's research into emotional concepts and their functions in large language models.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 20, 2026
14 min

Apr 15, 2026
AI Safety Starts With Your Data
Apr 15, 2026
Apr 15, 2026
11 min
Host Emily Laird breaks down why the scariest part of AI is not the robot voice, it is the quiet moment someone pastes the wrong file into the wrong prompt box. This episode unpacks data governance, RAG, plugins, Shadow AI, and why AI safety in 2026 starts long before a model gives you a polished answer. Think less sci-fi apocalypse, more corporate horror movie where the real monster is sloppy access, weak controls, and a calendar invite labeled “compliance review.”Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about AI safety with data in 2026.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 15, 2026
11 min

Apr 14, 2026
Apr 14, 2026
11 min
Host Emily Laird cracks open Anthropic’s Project Glasswing, a defense-first rollout built for a world where AI can spot cyber weak points faster than most humans can spell "zero-day." This episode breaks down why Claude Mythos Preview finding deep vulnerabilities across major operating systems and browsers is less shiny product demo, more Avengers-level threat briefing. Emily unpacks the high-stakes mix of cybersecurity, corporate power, and public safety, with just enough side-eye for anyone still saying, "we’ll patch it later."Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Anthropic's Project Glasswing.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 14, 2026
11 min

Apr 13, 2026
Claude Mythos: The Escape Artist
Apr 13, 2026
Apr 13, 2026
13 min
Host Emily Laird breaks down why Anthropic hit the brakes on Claude Mythos Preview, an AI model so good at finding software flaws it got routed into a restricted defensive program instead of a public launch. This episode cuts through the hype, the leak drama, and the sandbox escape headlines to explain what is actually scary, what is still contained, and why ordinary people should care. Think critical infrastructure, private access, and a digital locksmith with way too much talent. It is sharp, strange, and a little bit terrifying, like finding out the nerd in the hoodie can also pick every lock in town.Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about Anthropic's Mythos.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
Apr 13, 2026
13 min

Lecturer + Speaker
Transform your business with Emily Laird's captivating presentation on Generative AI. An AI expert and dynamic speaker, Emily breaks down complex concepts with ease and entertainment. Perfect for businesses and organizations eager to discover AI's potential.







