ai
The Every Podcast is Every's flagship show. Co-hosts Dan Shipper and Natalia Quintero talk with founders, researchers, writers, and operators about what they're building and how they use AI in their own work. The show also takes you behind the scenes at Every. We share how our team is using and exploring AI, including what we're trying, what's working, and what we're learning along the way. Formerly known as AI & I. Read more at every.to.
Fred Graver discusses how many people in Hollywood are using AI even if they refuse to admit it. He explains his career background and how he envisions AI as a virtual writer's room rather than a replacement for human creativity.
Fred Graver reflects on his extensive career path, starting from typing at National Lampoon, writing for David Letterman and Norman Lear, working with Disney Imagineers, and serving as head of TV at Twitter during its early startup phase.
Fred Graver mentions that Martin Scorsese is among the first prominent filmmakers to openly work with an AI company to create storyboards, highlighting the evolving acceptance of AI tools in film production phases.
Fred Graver explains that he teaches an online class at the Barcelona School of Art and Design where European film schools have embraced AI, and he shares a custom AI skill he created to help users build pitch decks using structural frameworks like Ken Adams.
Sam Altman shared insights at Dev Day on how AI is not only increasing developer productivity but also revealing latent demand for goods and services, suggesting a future with more work, not less. He emphasized that AI's impact will be human-centered, focusing on augmenting human capabilities rather than wholesale replacement.
OpenAI showcased a significant expansion of its offerings at Dev Day, launching 22 new features, a substantial increase from previous years. Sam Altman attributed this rapid development to the company practicing what it preaches regarding AI-driven productivity.
Sam Altman described his new 'Dot' feature, an AI agent working in the background, as a personal productivity tool that has helped him reclaim his mornings and mental space. He shared how it intelligently filters information and handles tasks, allowing for focused work and personal time.
OpenAI is developing 'Space,' a new suite of tools designed for collaboration between humans and AI. Sam Altman explained that current software is not optimized for this type of interaction, especially with multiple AIs working together, and sees 'Space' as a crucial area for future development.
Sam Altman contrasted the potential AI future with historical industrial revolutions, envisioning a 'renaissance' where AI empowers individuals and small teams to create. He stated OpenAI's commitment to providing tools for builders, believing more innovation comes from outside their company than within.
OpenAI is introducing 'live documents' that automatically update with new information and external changes. Sam Altman highlighted a personal dashboard that dynamically summarizes the business based on his evolving interests, showcasing a new way to interact with and understand complex data.
Sam Altman discussed the Decisions API and the emergence of models like JEV, indicating OpenAI's strategic focus on increasing inference speed and reducing costs for AI models. He noted that while OpenAI aims to cover the main 'workhorse' models, new architectures and technologies will likely emerge from other labs.
OpenAI is allowing users to bring their ChatGPT subscriptions to third-party applications, aiming to reduce the financial burden on developers and encourage innovation. Sam Altman expressed excitement for unforeseen applications that will emerge from this new ecosystem.
Katie Parrott, a staff writer at Every, shares her journey from AI skepticism to leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Codex to enhance her writing process and career. Initially turning to ChatGPT as a career coach after being laid off, she discovered its potential as a 'tool for thought' to externalize her thinking and gain perspective.
Katie Parrott describes how she transformed into a 'content agency of one' by leveraging AI to manage an overwhelming freelance workload. By focusing on 'context engineering' and providing detailed foundational information, she was able to generate a high volume of content, including blog posts, ebooks, and social media updates, in a short period.
Katie Parrott discusses how AI has become a powerful supportive technology, helping her manage bipolar disorder and anxiety. She shares how AI tools have reduced friction in her daily life, from making medical appointments to managing her inbox, allowing her to focus on more impactful work.
Katie Parrott's initial AI career coach, a ChatGPT instance, has evolved into a sophisticated Codix project. This project now includes a dossier on her role, context about Every's brand positioning, and manages her priorities, project management, and Kanban board, acting as a 'chief of staff'.
Katie Parrott discusses the launch of her Compound Writing plugin, inspired by Kieran Klassen's Compound Engineering. The plugin aims to improve writing by treating feedback as cumulative, offering a structured 'workout system' that incorporates elements from esteemed writers like Kurt Vonnegut and Alfred Hitchcock to enhance the writing process.
Katie Parrott presents her thesis that education and access are paramount for the equitable distribution of AI's benefits. She advocates for making AI tools accessible to a broader range of people, regardless of their location or economic background, to prevent value from concentrating among a select few.
Will, CEO and CIO of a nearly $10 billion AUM hedge fund, emphasizes the necessity of embracing AI for competitive advantage. He believes it's irresponsible to ignore tools that enhance speed and effectiveness, stating that the firm has been using advanced statistics and AI concepts for years and launched an internal AI program two years ago. He aims to lead by example to drive AI adoption within his 400-person firm.
Will, CEO of a major hedge fund, shared his background as a 'bonafide nerd' with a PhD in math from Oxford and an early career in algorithmic trading. He explained that his firm has long incorporated advanced statistics and machine learning into their quant trading strategies. The recent accessibility and power of AI tools, particularly for structured data, has accelerated his conviction in their strategic importance.
Will, a hedge fund CEO, feels a strong sense of responsibility to lead his firm's AI adoption, stating that any disruption due to AI would be his fault. He believes his background in mathematics and coding, combined with his firm's long history in quant trading, positions them well to navigate the AI revolution. He initiated an internal AI program two years ago and emphasizes that the firm is already implementing AI solutions.
Will, CEO of a large hedge fund, views the integration of AI as a profound responsibility to his employees and investors. He aims to communicate the firm's serious commitment to AI, starting with his own leadership. He believes that the ability to pivot quickly, characteristic of his role as owner-operator, is a significant advantage in navigating the AI landscape.
A CEO uses a naval analogy to describe how companies of different sizes adapt to technological change, particularly AI. He likens a startup to a canoe, a 400-person company to a cruise ship, and a 10,000-person company to a battle cruiser. He praises his own firm's ability to 'point the cruise ship' quickly in adopting AI.
Sarah emphasizes a historical pattern in consumer technology, noting that early successful companies like Google were led by deeply technical founders. As the technology matured, product thinkers and experience innovators like those at Snap and Instagram took the lead. She predicts a similar trajectory for AI products.
Sarah believes that despite ChatGPT's advanced capabilities, its current 'single player mode' limits its potential. She suggests that the next major consumer win in AI will come from a user-generated content (UGC) community where skilled users make the technology more accessible for others.
The host highlights OpenAI's unique position of a research lab accidentally creating a massive consumer product, drawing parallels to Google's origins. Sarah notes that venture capital typically doesn't favor long-term, uncertain research bets, but such bets can pay off significantly with new technology paradigms.
Sarah predicts that the future of AI product development will be dominated by 'product geniuses' rather than solely technical founders. She observes a shift in hiring trends, with companies increasingly seeking individuals who can effectively leverage and conceptualize AI tools.
A key debate in AI is whether it will lead to more product commoditization or specialization. Sarah argues for the latter, suggesting that companies excelling at building highly specialized AI products will thrive, creating opportunities for platforms built on top of AI models.
Kevin Kelly shared his early experiences with virtual reality in 1987, noting its significant cost difference compared to today. He expressed surprise at how slowly VR technology has progressed, suggesting it's still waiting for its 'LM moment.'
Kevin Kelly discussed his profound admiration for Annie Dillard's writing, particularly 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,' which he discovered in a library in Sri Lanka. He credits her unique blend of detailed observation, scientific trivia, and profound introspection as a key influence on his own writing.
The conversation highlighted Annie Dillard's ability to balance descriptions of beauty with explorations of the world's 'worst' aspects, such as her chapter on insects. Kelly noted that this capacity for both the sublime and the stark makes her writing particularly compelling.
Chris, co-founder and CEO of Granola, suggests that the initial hype around AI meeting notes is just the beginning of a larger computing revolution. He believes the current state of AI applications will pale in comparison to what's coming next, focusing on how work interfaces will evolve in an AI-native world.
Granola CEO Chris shared his perspective on the inherent difficulty of startups, stating that they are 'knife fights' regardless of whether they are succeeding or failing. He admitted he was unprepared for the intensity of managing a successful startup, likening it to desperately trying not to fall off a surfboard during a big wave.
Dan, CEO of Every, highlighted the rapid pace of change in the AI industry, mentioning the recent release of Claude's Slack agent. He emphasized the need for companies to be prepared for quick shifts and to build on foundational elements that will be important for the future.
Chris, CEO of Granola, addressed the issue of competitors copying their AI meeting notes feature, including Notion, OpenAI, and Zoom. He takes a long-term view, stating that current competition is less important than capturing future opportunities in the evolving AI landscape. He also noted that they were inspired by earlier meeting note-taking AI.
Chris, CEO of Granola, identified a significant challenge in scaling the 'soul' or consistent, coherent feel of their product as the team grows. He finds it difficult to maintain this quality while also benefiting from a larger team working on complex problems.
Dan, CEO of Every, shared a mental model for structuring early-stage product teams, dividing roles into 'pirate' and 'architect.' The pirate focuses on rapid development to find value, while the architect pairs with them to ensure sustainability and scalability.
Chris, CEO of Granola, discussed the significant challenge of scaling his team from a previous startup of 12 people to their current size of between 16 and 70. He highlighted organizing humans and maintaining product coherence as key difficulties in this growth phase.