Show Notes: The 2025 AI Year in Review
Jonathan and I are sitting down to wrap up what has been a truly transformative year for the AI landscape
If 2024 was the year of hype, 2025 was the year of the "Great Separation," where we finally saw which players could execute and which were just blowing smoke.
This episode is a longer pod so here are the chapters to jump to if you are pushed for time:
00:00 Introduction and Year-End Reflection
00:22 OpenAI's Mixed Year
04:35 AI Market Trends and Investments
06:47 Google Gemini's Progress
09:48 AI Skillset and Workforce Impact
12:05 Microsoft Copilot's Struggles
16:21 Power and Infrastructure Challenges
19:38 Apple and Meta's AI Journey
22:45 AI Application Success Stories
28:52 Conclusion and Future Outlook
The Big Shifts of 2025
We dive deep into why Google Gemini has arguably won the year. While they started weak, they’ve successfully re-engineered their entire organisation around an AI ecosystem, delivering incredible tools like NotebookLM and Nano Banana.
On the flip side, OpenAI has had a mixed scorecard.
Despite holding 70% market share, they’ve faced a "Code Red" at year-end, pivoting away from broad "empire mode" experiments to protect their core LLM.
We also tackle the "Microsoft Problem".
Despite its reach, Copilot is struggling with user delight due to heavy corporate guardrails, leading to a disappointing adoption rate compared to sleeker apps like Gamma.
Key Takeaways
In this episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan Wagstaffe and I dive into a common failure mode we are seeing across the business landscape: the ‘start-stop’ motion of AI adoption.
Too many businesses treat AI implementation like a pit stop—they pull in to perfect their strategy or policy, but then struggle to get back into the race.
We discuss the real danger of ‘over-perfecting’ governance. While some leaders pause to hit 100% policy perfection, competitors and internal outliers race ahead at 70% readiness.
This creates a massive internal disconnect; when the company hits the brakes, enthusiastic employees often just go underground, building their own ‘shadow AI’ toolkits while the rest of the business stagnates.
Key Takeaways:
Measure Twice, Cut Once: Jonathan emphasises the importance of the ‘thinking phase’ before experimentation begins. Spending time defining playbooks and guidelines upfront prevents the frustrating scenario where Legal steps in weeks later to ban work that has already started.
Adopt 90-Day Sprints: To cure the start-stop cycle, we recommend working in 90-day sprints. Set your scope, run the sprint, and evaluate at the end. This structure prevents the distraction of constantly debating tool switches: like the recent Gemini vs. ChatGPT discourse & keeps the team focused on execution.
Leadership Clarity: Leaders must define three core themes and stick to them. This stability allows your AI champions to guide the rest of the team to maturity without the agenda constantly shifting.
Your Call to Action!
Stop aiming for a perfect policy that doesn’t exist. Establish your 90-day goals, empower your champions, and keep the momentum going.
If you enjoyed this discussion, please rate and review us in your podcast player.
For deeper analysis on these topics, Please subscribe to our supporting newsletter at aimoment.co.uk.
Thanks for listening
Danny Denhard
2026 Predictions: The Big Hack, Agentic Shopping, and Multiplayer AI
As we close out 2025, Jonathan and I decided it was time to get the crystal ball out and predict where the world of AI and business is heading in 2026.
While 2025 was about experimentation, 2026 is going to be the year of ROI, integration, and some serious security challenges.
Key Takeaways:
The Big AI Hack is Coming: My first prediction is a sombre one. We have already seen the Claude MCP hack, but I believe we will see a major, targeted attack on the big LLMs or agentic systems in 2026 . Hackers follow the money, and with agents now able to take action on our behalf, the "black hat" incentive is huge .
The End of "Blue Links": Jonathan predicts a massive shift in e-commerce. We are moving away from searching Google for a list of links to asking an AI to "find the best lawnmower" and having it present a single buy button . This means brands must offer pricing consistency; if your prices jump around, AI agents simply won't recommend you .
Multiplayer AI: I believe the days of "single player" AI are numbered. 2026 will be the era of "Multiplayer AI," where teams collaborate with LLMs inside shared workflows rather than isolated chat windows . This will finally drive better cross-functional connection .
Democracy’s Acid Test: We also discussed the upcoming US midterms . With the cost of creating deepfakes and AI content dropping to near zero, we expect a flood of disinformation that will test the limits of voter trust .
Take Action:
Audit Your Security: If you are using AI to write emails or manage tasks, double-check every hyperlink . Security against AI-assisted hacking must be a priority for 2026 .
Prepare for Agents: If you work in e-commerce, start thinking about how your product data appears to a machine, not just a human .
Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear your own predictions. Drop us a line at ai@dannydenhard.com and don't forget to subscribe to our supporting newsletter at aimoment.co.uk for deeper analysis .
We will see you next time!
In this week’s episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan (Wagstaffe) and I (Danny Denhard) dive into a topic that is bothering a lot of people right now: the growing disconnect between corporate AI hype and actual customer sentiment.
We discuss the reality that while businesses are rushing to tell everyone "we are AI everywhere" to satisfy investors and earnings calls, consumers are becoming increasingly irritated!
In fact, recent surveys suggest up to 80% of customers dislike or simply don’t care about AI features.
They just want their problems fixed quickly and without friction or want a better, cheaper product.
Jonathan and I also explore the "AI bubble" where companies market to their industry peers rather than their users.
I share a breakdown of the current App Store revenue leaders, highlighting how giants like TikTok and Google One are outperforming many pure-play AI tools by focusing on utility rather than just the technology itself and yes I know these tools have AI built in but the utility and entertainment value is the hook not AI!
Key Takeaways:
Stop Marketing "AI": Your customers don’t care how you solve their problem, only that you solve it. If you removed the label "AI," they would likely be just as happy if not happier, just having a product that works.
Ignore the Peer Pressure: Don’t force chatbots or features just because competitors are doing it. This often leads to "random activity" rather than disciplined strategy.
Empower the Front Line: Real innovation shouldn't be mandated from the boardroom. It comes from the people on the ground who understand the daily friction points customers face, yes listen to the board and market to partners, colleagues and shareholders with AI, you don't need to over do it with AI in consumer ads.
Call to Action:
If you want to move beyond the hype, focus on a "Human + AI" hybrid model.
Ask yourself: if we didn't mention AI, is this update still valuable?
For deeper analysis, subscribe to our newsletter at aimoment.co.uk.
If you enjoyed the chat, please leave us a rating or review.
In this festive episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan and I tackle the panic that often surrounds the holiday season.
We move beyond the hype to discuss how you can use AI right now to reduce the Christmas "faff", from managing the dreaded office Secret Santa to ensuring you don't burn the turkey.
We explore practical, hands-on use cases for Generative AI to make your holidays smoother.
Whether it is finding a unique gift for a colleague you barely know or reformatting a family recipe for a gluten-free guest, AI can be your ultimate holiday assistant.
We also look ahead to 2025, sharing our "Santa Wishlist" for the features we want to see next, including better voice analysis and seamless app integration.
Secret Santa Sorted: Stop worrying about what to buy for £10. We discuss how to prompt AI to give you 3 distinct options, practical, playful, and unique tailored to your colleague's interests.
The "Leftover Christmas Chef": Don't let food go to waste. We explain how to use AI on Boxing Day to turn your fridge contents into creative, 20-minute meals.
Dietary Inclusive Hosting: Hosting vegans or gluten-free guests? Learn how to use LLMs to adapt your traditional recipes instantly without losing flavour or upsetting your guests.
Budgeting Assistant: We discuss using AI to keep your spending on track, helping you allocate funds across gifts and food without the emotional stress.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and make AI actionable in your daily life, make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter. We dive deeper into these topics every Monday and Friday.
👉 Subscribe here: aimoment.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast player of choice, it helps us reach more leaders like you.
Ho ho ho Jonathan and Danny
The AI Moment: AI Is More Than Just The Web
Want to go deeper on our newsletter that supports each and every episode at dannydenhard.com/aipod
In this week's episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan and I step away from the keyboard to explore the "extended world of AI." Too often, the conversation is dominated by chatbots and browser-based tools, but the most disruptive shifts are happening in the physical world.
We discuss the imminent arrival of autonomous vehicles, specifically Waymo’s launch in London scheduled for 2026. This isn't just a transport update; it marks a pivotal shift in how we trust technology.
Jonathan highlights a crucial technical detail often overlooked: these vehicles aren't relying on the cloud.
They run on Small Language Models (SLMs)—highly efficient, on-device AI that functions offline. This is a massive signal for business leaders: you don't always need a giant, expensive model to solve complex problems.
We also dive into the next generation of wearables: moving from watches to smart jewellery and glasses.
This brings us to the core tension of the episode: Privacy vs. Utility. We seem willing to trade our data for convenience, like a watch predicting the flu before we feel it.
However, I introduce the concept of "For Me vs. Against We." Smart glasses might be useful for me, but do they work against society by recording others without consent?
As we approach 2026, which we identify as the "ROI Year" for AI, understanding these physical and ethical implications is no longer optional.
Key Takeaways:
The Rise of SLMs: Waymo proves that Small Language Models are robust enough for life-critical tasks. Businesses should look to SLMs for efficient, offline, and specific solutions rather than defaulting to massive LLMs.
The 2026 Timeline: We agree that 2026 is the year AI ROI "explodes." If you are still struggling with your data strategy today, you will be left behind when the hardware ecosystem matures in two years.
The "For Me vs. Against We" Test: Before adopting new tech (like smart glasses in the workplace), leaders must audit the social cost. Does the convenience for the user erode the trust of the wider team?
Quote of the Episode:
"Small language models, designed properly, can actually deliver an awful lot of performance." — Jonathan Wagstaffe
Do you have any questions for us? Contact us on ai@dannydenhard.com
How To Build AI Workshops That Actually Work - AI Moment Longer Episode 1
In this week's episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan Wagstaffe and I tackle a critical question facing almost every business leader right now: how do you run an AI workshop that actually changes behaviour?
Recorded on a day when half the internet (including ChatGPT) went down thanks to Cloudflare, we discuss why reliance on tools isn't enough you need resilience and a proper strategy. We break down the reality of the "AI bell curve" in your teams.
In any room of ten people, you’ll have two power users and two sceptics who refuse to engage. The magic happens when you can move that middle majority from fear to fascination.
The Pre-Work Requirement: Why I never start a workshop without surveying the team first. If you don't know the problem they are solving, you are just teaching them features, not workflows.
Breaking Muscle Memory: How to use practical exercises like "True or Fake" or "Vibe Coding" to force marketeers and sales teams out of their old habits and into immediate prototyping.
The EIE Framework: My "Educate, Inspire, Entertain" model. If you aren't entertaining your team, you aren't removing the fear barrier.
Sales Team Resistance: Why sales teams are often the hardest to crack but the quickest to convert once they see AI as a coach rather than a replacement.
Stop treating AI enablement as a "one-and-done" training day. You need to identify internal "Captains" and "Champions" to keep the momentum going. If leadership doesn't drive this top-down, you will remain stuck in a cycle of "start-stop" innovation.
Don't outsource your brain to an agency. Your goal must be self-sufficiency. Start your first internal experiment today—even if it's just getting your sales team to roleplay a difficult customer with an LLM. If you need a framework to get started, look at our "Educate, Inspire, Entertain" model or reach out to us for a workshop that moves the needle.
Want to go deeper on our newsletter that supports each and every episode at dannydenhard.com/aipod
Got questions contact us on ai@dannydenhard.com or via our site dannydenhard.com/aipod
Thanks for listening!
Danny Denhard & Jonathan Wagstaffe
-- Danny on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydenhard/
-- Jonathan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wagstaffe/
Show Notes: What Is Vibe Coding & How Could We Use It?
In this episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan and I tackle a phrase that has been buzzing around the industry this year: Vibe Coding. It might sound like just another buzzword, but for non-technical leaders, marketers, and product teams, it represents a massive shift in how we work.
We demystify what vibe coding actually is—essentially, using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Replit to "code up" solutions without needing a computer science degree. Whether it is automating a tedious weekly report that pulls data from five different sources or building a rapid prototype for a new campaign landing page, vibe coding is bridging the gap between having an idea and executing it.
Key Takeaways for you:
It is for everyone: You don't need to be a developer. Tools like Relay and Zapier allow you to script simple automations, while more advanced environments like Lovable or Cursor let you build actual web apps.
Speed to market: I shared how product teams are using this to test ideas. You can spin up a personalised landing page, run paid traffic to it, and validate a concept before committing expensive engineering resources.
The "Backend" Warning: We discussed a critical reality check. AI can build a beautiful interface, but you must ensure the plumbing (like email triggers or CRM updates) actually works.
Security First: A major watch-out from the episode—AI doesn't always follow security best practices. Be careful not to leave sensitive API keys or user data exposed in your generated code.
Don't be intimidated. Our advice is to start small. Go and play with a tool like Relay today. Try to script one boring task you do every week. It is about building confidence in a safe environment so you can eventually speed up your entire workflow.
Tools Mentioned: Relay, Zapier, Replit, Figma, Lovable, Claude, Cursor.
Thanks for listening today Danny Denhard & Jonathan Wagstaffe
• • Jonathan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wagstaffe/
Want to go deeper on our newsletter that supports each and every episode at dannydenhard.com/aipod
Got questions contact us on ai@dannydenhard.com or via our site dannydenhard.com/aipod
Why AI Is Google Gemini's To Lose
In this episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan and I unpack why Google’s slow start to the AI race was actually a strategic masterstroke.
We discuss how they are leveraging a 25-year search index to build a "data moat" that competitors simply cannot replicate. This isn't just about chatbots; it’s about a fundamental shift from an advertising giant to a subscription-based, AI-first ecosystem that integrates seamlessly into your daily workflow.
The Data Advantage: Google’s 25+ years of indexed history gives Gemini a massive "truth" advantage, reducing hallucinations compared to rivals.
Integration is King: The real win isn't a new LLM; it's AI baked into Docs, Sheets, and Gmail where you already work.
The Business Pivot: Managing the transition from ad revenue to AI subscriptions is a leadership feat that Google is navigating surprisingly well.
Unbeatable Free Utility: Tools like NotebookLM offer incredible value for free, often outperforming paid standalone tools.
The Agentic Future: We are moving to "Agent-to-Agent" commerce, where AI will soon buy products for you when prices drop.
Strategic Patience: Leadership didn't panic; they rebuilt from the ground up to ensure safety and utility before scaling.
Top Tools
Google Gemini
Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Gmail)
NotebookLM
Riverside & Descript (What we use for podcasting workflows)
"Gemini has access to a whole load of stuff that Claude and ChatGPT are busily scrambling to learn." — Jonathan Wagstaffe
"They've really worked it out to shift from an advertising-based company into an AI-first company." — Danny Denhard
"I do think out of all the really big companies, they've been the most thoughtful and frugal." — Danny Denhard
Google is proving that utility beats novelty.
Trust the Data: Use Gemini for research-heavy tasks where "truth" and sourcing matter more than creativity.
Prepare for Agents: Start thinking now about how "Agentic Commerce" will impact your business model.
Steal My Workflow: I save two hours a week by using Riverside, Descript, and Gemini to automate these very show notes.
Get in touch if you liked to discuss AI
ai@dannydenhard.com
The 2x2: Four Mindset Shifts for AI Success
Hello everyone, Danny Denhard here, and welcome back to The AI Moment!
In this episode, Jonathan and I break down the four essential mindset shifts, what we call the 2x2 Input and Outputs for AI Success that we’ve been discussing with leaders since the summer.
The biggest revelation is this: you don't need to be a technical whizz to succeed with AI; you just need to change the way you think about it.
The first two shifts are all about how you input information. Stop treating the LLM like a piece of software or a Google keyword search, and start treating it like a smart, high-performing intern.
Embrace Natural Language Dialogue: We’ve been trained by search engines to use short, disjointed keywords. This doesn't work with LLMs. They thrive on context and conversation. Tell it who you want it to be (the 'actor') and what you want it to do (the 'director's' command). Better yet, use voice! I've found that conversational voice inputs often lead to much better, more natural outputs.
Ask the AI How to Prompt It (Meta-Prompting): If you're stuck, remember this: the AI can teach you how to use it. Ask it for a step-by-step guide on how to complete a complex task. My personal recommendation? Give it three to five bullet points of context first. That small effort on your part gives the model enough to generate a perfect starting prompt for you to tweak.
The next two shifts are vital for managing the output. Without them, you're at the mercy of generic advice and, worse, hallucination.
Challenge its Confidence: Always remember that the big models still sometimes 'hallucinate' or give highly generic advice masquerading as specific analysis. Jonathan shared a fantastic example where an AI reviewed a website without ever actually looking at the live site! If an output seems too generic or unexpected, you absolutely must challenge it. Ask it: "Did you actually perform that action?"
Clarify the Logic: If the answer is unexpected but potentially real (like an odd list of competitors), don't dismiss it—question the logic. Dialogue with it and ask it why it reached that specific conclusion. I also advise asking the AI to "Explain it to me like a 10-year-old" to force it to simplify its logic, which often validates or invalidates its reasoning. Furthermore, always demand the sources it used, especially when searching the web.
This 2x2 framework should be your cheat sheet for every new AI project. Have a listen to the full episode and let us know what you think!
The Input Shift: Dialogue Over Software The Output Shift: Challenge and Verify
The AI Browser Wars: Utility vs. Security
Jonathan and I dived into what I’m calling the ‘AI Browser Wars’—the quiet but vital strategic shift happening right now. For years, browsers like Chrome and Safari were essentially afterthoughts for tech giants, slowing down innovation.
I believe that’s over. The browser is now the crucial ‘marketing moment’ where you choose your LLM ecosystem.
I’ve tested the main contenders: Dia (Atlassian), Comet (Perplexity), and Atlas (ChatGPT) and the innovation is staggering.
These new, Chromium-based tools are introducing agentic features.
This means they go beyond simple search; they act as your assistant. I use Dia to tag my calendar and instruct it, in natural language, to schedule invites without fumbling with multiple tabs. Even better, I've created a custom skill (Dia /50) that can instantly summarise a one-hour podcast, giving me the exec summary and key takeaways so I know if it’s worth my time. This is true time-saving utility.
Our Key Takeaways & Recommendations:
Embrace the Utility: These agentic features are genuinely boosting productivity. If you want to find working discount codes instantly or delegate repetitive tasks, these tools are built for it.
Beware the Hardware Barrier: Jonathan rightly flagged that many cutting-edge AI features, like those in ChatGPT Atlas, currently require an M-class chip, which means some Windows and older Mac users are currently locked out.
The New Traffic Paradigm: For business leaders, you must adapt. Your website traffic is no longer just ‘human’ or ‘bad bot.’ It’s now ‘human,’ ‘AI assistant,’ ‘AI agent,’ and ‘bot.’ You need a strategy to define what counts as 'good' traffic and how to enable or disable access for these different entities.
🛑 Security Warning is Critical: This is our most important recommendation. Since these AI browsers have the agency to touch your sensitive data (bank, calendar, company assets), the security and privacy risks are enormous. My advice is clear: Do not use these new browsers with your company’s sensitive assets until your internal IT or security teams have completed thorough, independent reviews. Enthusiasm for the tech is great, but caution around data integrity is paramount.
Sign up to the AI Moment Newsletter: aimoment.co.uk
Hello and welcome back to The AI Moment. In today's episode, Jonathan and I dive deep into a topic that's critical for every leader right now:
How AI is reshaping our teams, departments, and overall organizational design
It’s not a question of if this will happen; my belief is that it's already underway.
We're entering a period where department leaders will have to reorganize based on new AI tools and workflows.
This pressure isn't just coming from the top—from leadership or investors—but also from the ground up, as teams discover what these tools can do.
If you got to newsletter aimoment.co.uk there is a template you can fill out for your company or drop me an email ai@dannydenhard.com I will send you a personal copy.
As Jonathan rightly points out, it's not that AI will replace jobs, but it will absolutely replace tasks. This means we must use AI to "supercharge" and augment what our teams do
One major takeaway from this shift, as I see it, is that many specialists will need to become generalists. And this is an opportunity for the company but also for team members.
To help you get practical, I shared a few exercises I use with leadership teams to future-proof their strategy:
The 'Circles' Model: This involves drawing concentric circles to map which teams will be 'Powered by AI' (in the centre), 'Assisted by AI', 'Using AI', or have 'Limited AI' impact (on the outer ring).
User Journey Mapping: I also recommend mapping your customer's complete journey and then identifying every single point where an AI agent or bot could assist them.
To help you properly visualise these frameworks, I've included diagrams and visuals in our supporting newsletter.
Please subscribe for free at aimoment.co.uk.
You'll get the visuals from this episode and deeper insights delivered twice a week.
As always, if you have questions or topics you want us to cover, please get in touch
And if you enjoyed the episode, we'd be so grateful if you could leave us a rating and review.
Thanks for listening!
📣 Danny & Jonathan
Hello and welcome to The AI Moment! I’m (Danny Denhard) back with Jonathan for episode #31 on this episode we tackle one of the biggest challenges in AI right now: moving from hype to practical, safe adoption.
In my workshops with large companies, I see a major gap. Leaders are pushing a top-down mandate to "go optimise with AI," but teams haven't been given the guardrails. This leads to "shadow AI," where sensitive data is being uploaded to public tools without oversight.
To fix this, I introduced my "3 T's" framework, a simple model for anyone to evaluate AI tools and outputs.
TIME: This is the obvious one. Does it save you time or free you up for more important work? It's what draws us all in, but it's also a trap.
TRUTH: Is the output truthful? We all know AI hallucinates. If you just copy and paste without checking, you’re creating what Jonathan brilliantly calls "AI slop." You must be the human-in-the-loop.
TRUST: This is a two-part, critical question. First, do you trust the output enough to put your own name and reputation on it? Second, do you trust the tool with your private or company data?
The core takeaway is that this framework helps you move from being an "AI sheep" someone who just uses AI for speed, to an "AI lion," using it to critically augment your skills.
Your Call to Action:Think about the last AI tool you used. Run it through the 3 T's. Did it pass?
For a deeper dive and more frameworks like my "Two V's" (Verify and Validate), make sure you subscribe to our supporting newsletter, which comes out every Monday and Friday. You can find it at aimoment.co.uk.
And finally, if you found this episode useful, please leave us a rating and review on your podcast player.
It makes a huge difference. Thanks for listening!
Danny Denhard
Our Daily AI Tools & AI Tool Stack
Ever wondered which AI tools we actually use every day?
It's a question Jonathan and I get all the time, so in this week's episode, we're pulling back the curtain and walking you through our personal AI stacks.
I share my Google-heavy workflow 👀, explaining how I lean on Gemini for everything from deep research to drafting these very show notes.
I also discuss a tool that's been a complete game-changer for me personally: Elevenlabs. As someone with dyslexia, the ability to listen back to my writing to catch errors and check the flow has been transformational for my productivity and confidence.
Jonathan offers a different perspective, diving into his go-to tools like ChatGPT and Descript. He shares an incredible example of how Descript allowed him to turn raw video footage into a fully polished, captioned piece of content in just one hour, a job that would have previously taken a couple of days.
But our biggest takeaway for you is this: don't feel you need to use every tool out there.
We explain why it’s more effective to pick one primary large language model, whether it's Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude, and really master it for your own workflow.
AI Tools Mentioned:
Claude (Anthropic)
Comet (Perplexity AI Browser) - here’s my personal invite for you
NotebookLM (Google)
I have two apps you can try out yourself - (1) dannydenhard.co.uk/aistudio to mock up ads in 6 different environments like bus stops, Times Square, football stadiums etc and (2) 6x frame storyboard dannydenhard.co.uk/aistudio2
Copilot (Microsoft)
For a deeper dive and a complete list of all the tools mentioned, make sure you subscribe to our supporting newsletter at aimoment.co.uk. It goes out every Monday and Friday with the pod.
And if you enjoyed this episode, we'd be incredibly grateful if you could leave us a rating and review on your podcast player of choice. It truly helps us reach more people.
Cheers, Danny
Here's a quick explainer of a small but positive change of how Jonathan and I are going to be introducing 30-45 minute episodes to interview and learn from AI experts and leading minds working with AI to help you on your AI journey.
In this week's episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan and I tackle a term that's been unavoidable lately: "AI slop."
We're all seeing it, the endless stream of low-quality, inaccurate, and uninspired content flooding our feeds. But this isn't just about digital noise; it's a serious risk to your brand's reputation and the trust you've built with your audience. We discuss how easily the pressure to produce content at scale can lead to a "good enough" mindset, which simply isn't good enough anymore.
So, how do you fight back?
We explore the crucial mindset shift from chasing volume to delivering value. It's about using AI to augment your intelligence, not replace it. Jonathan introduces a brilliant analogy that cuts right to the heart of the matter: are you an "AI Sheep," merely outsourcing your thinking, or an "AI Lion," using these powerful tools to sharpen your ideas and deepen your expertise?
I also share a practical look into my own workflow, demonstrating how you can repurpose high-value content into different formats to reach your audience where they are, without sacrificing quality.
AI Tools Mentioned:
Sora 2 - OpenAI’s new app that dominated the US app store for over a week
NotebookLM - Both of our favourite tool by Google
Our core takeaway for leaders: In a world drowning in digital slop, your commitment to quality, authenticity, and verifiable authority is your greatest differentiator.
If you found this episode useful, please subscribe to our supporting newsletter for a deeper dive at aimoment.co.uk. And if you could take a moment to leave us a rating and review on your podcast player of choice, we'd be incredibly grateful. It truly helps us reach more listeners.
Making slides and decks in AI
Welcome back to the latest episode of The AI Moment.
Ever found yourself drowning in a sea of text, wishing you could wave a magic wand and turn it into a stunning presentation? This week, Jonathan and I explored exactly that.
We tackled the big question: what's the best AI for creating and polishing slide decks?
My top recommendation, and a real game-changer in my opinion, is Gamma (gamma.app). If you've got a document packed with great content but lack the designer's touch, this tool is for you. It excels at transforming text into visually engaging slides, empowering you to create decks you'd be proud to present. It truly unlocks your inner designer.
We also discussed how other tools like Microsoft’s Copilot are catching up, though they often need a firmer hand to guide them visually. The overarching theme is clear: AI is rapidly moving beyond a novelty and becoming an essential tool for business communications. It’s here to help us reclaim the hours spent tweaking slides, so we can focus on what really matters—the message itself.
So, here are your calls to action: Give Gamma a try with your next internal report or presentation and see the magic for yourself. We'd love to see what you create, so please do share your results with us!
AI Tools Mentioned:
And if you haven’t already, subscribe to our supporting newsletter at aimoment.co.uk for more in-depth insights. Finally, if you enjoyed the episode, a rating and review on your podcast player would be brilliant.
Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.
What is the future of advertising in the age of AI?
AI Moment Podcast 27
Hello and welcome back to the AI Moment.
Danny (Denhard) here breaking down podcast #27.
In this episode, Jonathan and I tackle a question I’ve been thinking about a great deal:
Q: What is the future of advertising in the age of AI?
—
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Want to go deeper on our newsletter that supports each and every episode at dannydenhard.com/aipod
—
Forget the simple, keyword-based ads we're used to. I believe we're heading towards a far more exciting and integrated future.
I shared my vision for a new hybrid ad model, one that blends the best of search, social media, and even traditional TV advertising to create something entirely new and genuinely useful.
Imagine ads that don't just answer a query but provide a personalised solution right there in the chat – a custom-built report, a pre-populated spreadsheet, or even the ability to buy an entire outfit with a single click.
This isn't just a theoretical concept; it's what I call ‘agentic’ advertising, and it’s going to force us all to rethink what an ad can be.
We also discussed the practicalities for businesses. How do you measure success when an ad delivers a bespoke, high-value asset instead of just a click? We explored the huge opportunities this presents but also considered the critical importance of brand safety in a world of potential AI hallucinations. Furthermore, I offered my predictions on how the major AI players like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini might specialise their ad offerings to cater to different markets, from consumer goods to complex developer tools.
It was a fascinating conversation that went deep into how advertising could transform from a necessary evil into a valuable service.
This is a massive opportunity for brands to connect with customers in a completely new way.
Got Your Own Question?
Got a question yourself? Happult contact us on ai@dannydenhard.com or message us via our site dannydenhard.com/aipod or via DM on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydenhard/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/wagstaffe/
In this episode of The AI Moment, Jonathan Wagstaffe and I dive into the new "Perplexity at Work" guide, and I must say, it’s genuinely impressive. When it first landed on my desk, I worried it was just another promotional PDF, but it's an incredibly useful 43-page "operating manual" for the modern worker.
The biggest strategic insight we both took away is that this guide signals Perplexity's clear ambition to evolve far beyond its origins as a simple "answer engine."
They are making a very strong, strategic play to become a complete, all-in-one "operating system" for your work. This means moving from a tool you just ask questions to an environment you work within.
I found its breakdown of how their entire suite of tools—the browser, the new email tool, and the core AI—are designed to work together seamlessly to be fantastic and a clear sign of this ambition.
We break down the key takeaways from our discussion, including:
The "Operating System" Play: This is Perplexity's big strategic jump. They don't want to be just another tab; they want to be the "full-service operating platform" that you work inside of, centralising your tasks and reducing your reliance on a scattered tech stack.
A Three-Stage Productivity Model: Jonathan highlights the guide's clever three-layer structure for achieving tangible, real productivity. It’s a clear path: 1. Block distractions (using AI to filter noise, not just turn off alerts), 2. "Scale yourself" (by treating your work as systems and automating the repetitive parts), and 3. Get measurable results (linking your AI use directly to outcomes and ROI).
Moving into "Notion" Territory: My own take is that this positions them as a direct competitor to tools like Notion. They are aiming to be that all-in-one suite that is both an assistant (helping you draft, research, or summarise) and an agent (autonomously managing tasks and workflows for you).
The Race for "Utility": This is all part of the wider, frantic race for AI companies to become an indispensable "utility." The goal is to become so embedded in your daily life—like your email client or browser—that you can't work without it. This is how they secure those crucial Daily Active Users (DAUs) and prove their long-term value. This guide is Perplexity's playbook for winning that race.
Our Core Takeaway & Call to Action:Go and read the guide. Jonathan and I both highly recommend it. Even if you are not a daily Perplexity user, the frameworks it teaches for reducing cognitive load, managing distractions, and structuring your work with an AI assistant are some of the most practical and valuable we’ve seen. These are universal skills for this new era of work, and it’s genuinely helpful for anyone on their AI journey.
Taking Control of Your AI's Memory
AI Moment Podcast Episode 26
Ever feel like your AI has a case of amnesia after an update? On this episode of The AI Moment, my co-host Jonathan Wagstaffe and I explored why AI models forget what you've taught them and, crucially, what you can do to fix it.
We discussed the technical reason, known as "catastrophic forgetting," where updates essentially overwrite old data. But understanding the 'why' is only half the battle. The real value comes from taking proactive steps to manage the AI's knowledge base, as you simply cannot rely on its memory to persist between versions.
Here are the key actions we recommend to stop the frustration and get consistent results:
1. Create Your Own AI 'Brain': The most powerful action you can take is to build an external knowledge base. Once you have briefed an AI on your business, a project, or a specific product, get it to summarise its understanding. Copy this information, save it as a PDF, and you have created a portable 'memory' for your AI.
2. Reload and Go: Before you start a new project or conversation, simply upload this PDF. This gives the model all the crucial context it needs right from the start. It's a simple habit that completely bypasses the model’s unreliable memory and ensures you get relevant, accurate outputs every time.
3. Let the AI Interview You: To make building your knowledge base even easier, turn the tables. Start a session by asking the AI to interview you about your topic. Prompt it to keep asking questions until it has a comprehensive understanding. That detailed conversation becomes your master document to save and reuse.
By taking these steps, you put yourself in control. Stop letting AI updates reset your progress and start building a reliable system that works for you.
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Want to go deeper on our newsletter that supports each and every episode at dannydenhard.com/aipod
Got a question yourself? Happult contact us on ai@dannydenhard.com or via our site dannydenhard.com/aipod
Connect with Us:
Have more questions about AI and leadership? Reach out to us directly by emailing ai@dannydenhard.com or hit message below
Or join us and have a chat with us on LinkedIn