Podcast simplifies the AI revolution with balanced, quality voices

‘Have you heard about this AI thing that’s going to be coming in?” my pensioner mother asked me with not a little trepidation in her voice.

I raised my eyebrows at this because, while the artificial intelligence narrative is starting to explode, the reality is that AI has been with us in one form or another for a while.

The predictive text on your phone? AI. Fun photo filters that make you look cuter? AI. GPS that also keeps you informed about traffic jams in real time? AI.

One of the most sensible things I have heard was a comment that although people are worried AI is going to take away their jobs, it is far more likely that people who are comfortable using AI will replace those who do not want to use AI at all.

I wanted to know more, so I turned to the Everyday AI podcast with Jordan Wilson.

Currently sitting on 328 episodes, it has something for everyone. Topics range from a breakdown of Apple’s AI announcements to the use of AI in scam detection. What I appreciated was that Wilson’s podcast brings it back to how you can, or are already, using AI in everyday life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWO2qOgFkmM

The first episode I listened to was great – how AI is changing the lives of high school pupils.

As a parent of two high school teens, I was curious to hear what they had to say. Wilson had three teen boys on the show. Their takes on the use of AI at school were interesting – and quite similar to what my own boys had to say. While some teachers are open to the idea that AI could be a tool, others are leery of students using it to cheat. One teacher told my son he was welcome to use AI to draw up graphic images for an advertising campaign, but another felt pupils were no longer writing their essays by themselves.

Once upon a time, people feared that sewing machines would replace the traditional sewing skills passed down from generation to generation. What has happened is that hand-sewn or hand-embroidered articles now fetch a premium and are valued for their individuality.

We may see the same happening with AI – where it is used to enhance people’s skills rather than replace them. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.