Practical AI

<p>AI agents are moving from demos to real workplaces, but what actually happens when they run a company? In this episode, journalist Evan Ratliff, host of <em>Shell Game</em>, joins Chris to discuss his immersive journalism experiment building a real startup staffed almost entirely by AI agents. They explore how AI agents behave as coworkers, how humans react when interacting with them, and where ethical and workplace boundaries begin to break down.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Evan Ratliff  – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-ratliff-2453031/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://x.com/ev_rat?lang=en">X</a></li><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li></ul><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.shellgame.co/">Shell Game</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>As AI increasingly shapes geopolitics, elections, and civic life, its impact on democracy is becoming impossible to ignore. In this episode, Daniel and Chris are joined by security expert Bruce Schneier to explore how AI and technology are transforming democracy, governance, and citizenship. Drawing from his book <em>Rewiring Democracy</em>, they explore real examples of AI in elections, legislation, courts, and public AI models, the risks of concentrated power, and how these tools can both strengthen and strain democratic systems worldwide.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Bruce Schneier – <a href="https://x.com/schneierblog">X</a></li><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Links: </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.schneier.com/">Schneier on Security</a></li></ul><p>Sponsors:</p><ul><li>Framer - The website builder that turns your dot com from a formality into a tool for growth. Check it out at <a href="http://framer.com/PRACTICALAI">framer.com/PRACTICALAI</a></li><li>Zapier - The AI orchestration platform that puts AI to work across your company. Check it out at <a href="http://zapier.com/practical">zapier.com/practical</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>As generative AI moves into production, traditional guardrails and input/output filters can prove too slow, too expensive, and/or too limited. In this episode, Alizishaan Khatri of Wrynx joins Daniel and Chris to explore a fundamentally different approach to AI safety and interpretability. They unpack the limits of today’s black-box defenses, the role of interpretability, and how model-native, runtime signals can enable safer AI systems. </p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Alizishaan Khatri – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alizishaan-khatri-32a20637/">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>In this start-of-year FC episode, Chris and Daniel break down what really mattered in AI in 2025, and what to expect in 2026. They explore the rise of AI agents, the practical reality of multimodal AI, and how reasoning models are reshaping workflows. The conversation dives into infrastructure and energy constraints, the continued value of predictive models, and why orchestration (not just better models) is becoming the defining skill for AI teams. The episode wraps with grounded 2026 predictions on where AI systems, tooling, and builders are headed next.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Sponsor:</p><ul><li>Framer - The enterprise-grade website builder that lets your team ship faster. Get 30% off at <a href="http://framer.com/practicalai">framer.com/practicalai</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>Chris and Daniel unpack how AI-driven document processing has rapidly evolved well beyond traditional OCR with many technical advances that fly under the radar. They explore the progression from document structure models to language-vision models, all the way to the newest innovations like Deepseek-OCR. The discussion highlights the pros and cons of these various approaches focusing on practical implementation and usage.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Sponsors:</p><ul><li>Shopify – The commerce platform trusted by millions. From idea to checkout, Shopify gives you everything you need to launch and scale your business—no matter your level of experience. Build beautiful storefronts, market with built-in AI tools, and tap into the platform powering 10% of all U.S. eCommerce. Start your one-dollar trial at <a href="http://shopify.com/practicalai">shopify.com/practicalai</a></li><li><a href="http://fabi.ai/">Fabi.ai</a> - The all-in-one data analysis platform for modern teams. From ad hoc queries to advanced analytics, Fabi lets you explore data wherever it lives—spreadsheets, Postgres, Snowflake, Airtable and more. Built-in Python and AI assistance help you move fast, then publish interactive dashboards or automate insights delivered straight to Slack, email, spreadsheets or wherever you need to share it. Learn more and get started for free at <a href="http://fabi.ai/">fabi.ai</a></li><li>Framer – Design and publish without limits with Framer, the free all-in-one design platform. Unlimited projects, no tool switching, and professional sites—no Figma imports or HTML hassles required. Start creating for free at <a href="https://www.framer.com/design/">framer.com/design</a> with code `PRACTICALAI` for a free month of Framer Pro.</li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>Fireflies CEO, Krish Ramineni shares how the company is transforming AI-powered note-taking into a deeper layer of knowledge automation. He breaks down the technology behind real-time functionality like Live Assist, the user behavior patterns driving product evolution, and how Fireflies is innovating far beyond meetings. Krish also shares insights on future trends in AI and the potential for hardware integration, emphasizing the ongoing evolution of AI in knowledge work.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Krish Ramineni – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishramineni/">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a href="https://fireflies.ai/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=brand_generic&amp;utm_content=t3_eng&amp;utm_term=fireflies%20ai&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22223532138&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA-Os34oUk-ezo-P5YCtrVIq2M7Syi&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiArOvIBhDLARIsAPwJXOYIp5jWfJ_dDb47HXab4depti-NGtBT6sI37P2axyimuI6KUfuib7waAvlWEALw_wcB">Fireflies AI</a></li></ul><p>Sponsors:</p><ul><li>Miro – Get the right things done faster with Miro's Innovation Workspace. AI Sidekicks, instant insights, and rapid prototyping—transform weeks of work into days. No more scattered docs or endless meetings. Help your teams get great done at [Miro](<a href="https://miro.com/">https://miro.com</a>).</li><li>Framer – Design and publish without limits with Framer, the free all-in-one design platform. Unlimited projects, no tool switching, and professional sites—no Figma imports or HTML hassles required. Start creating for free at [<a href="http://framer.com/design](https://www.framer.com/design/)">framer.com/design](https://www.framer.com/design/)</a> with code `PRACTICALAI` for a free month of Framer Pro.</li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>Waymo’s VP of Research, Drago Anguelov, joins Practical AI to explore how advances in autonomy, vision models, and large-scale testing are shaping the future of driverless technology. The conversation dives into the dual challenges of building an onboard driver and testing that driver (via large scale simulation). Drago also gives us an update on what Waymo is doing to achieve intelligent, real-time performance while ensuring proven safety and reliability.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Drago Anguelov – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dragomiranguelov/">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a href="https://waymo.com/research/">Waymo Research</a></li><li><a href="https://waymo.com/blog/2025/06/scaling-laws-in-autonomous-driving">New Insights for Scaling Laws in Autonomous Driving</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11WEL7sR1GA">AI in Motion</a></li></ul><p>Sponsors: </p><ul><li>Outshift by Cisco - The open source collective building the Internet of Agents. Backed by Outshift by Cisco, AGNTCY gives developers the tools to build and deploy multi-agent software at scale. Identity, communication protocols, and modular workflows—all in one global collaboration layer. Start building at <a href="http://agntcy.org/">AGNTCY.org</a>.</li><li>Shopify – The commerce platform trusted by millions. From idea to checkout, Shopify gives you everything you need to launch and scale your business—no matter your level of experience. Build beautiful storefronts, market with built-in AI tools, and tap into the platform powering 10% of all U.S. eCommerce. Start your one-dollar trial at <a href="http://shopify.com/practicalai">shopify.com/practicalai</a></li><li><a href="http://fabi.ai/">Fabi.ai</a> - The all-in-one data analysis platform for modern teams. From ad hoc queries to advanced analytics, Fabi lets you explore data wherever it lives—spreadsheets, Postgres, Snowflake, Airtable and more. Built-in Python and AI assistance help you move fast, then publish interactive dashboards or automate insights delivered straight to Slack, email, spreadsheets or wherever you need to share it. Learn more and get started for free at <a href="http://fabi.ai/">fabi.ai</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>Dan and Chris unpack whether today’s surge in AI deployment across enterprise workflows, manufacturing, healthcare, and scientific research signals a lasting transformation or an overhyped bubble. Drawing parallels to the dot-com era, they explore how technology integration is reshaping industries, affecting jobs, and even influencing human cognition, ultimately asking: is this a bubble, or just a fizzy new phase of innovation?</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Chris Benson – <a href="https://chrisbenson.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbenson">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbenson.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://github.com/chrisbenson">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/chrisbenson">X</a></li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Links: </p><ul><li><a href="https://fortune.com/2025/10/29/powell-says-ai-is-not-a-bubble-unlike-dot-com-federal-reserve-interest-rates/?queryly=related_article">Powell says that, unlike the dotcom boom, AI spending isn’t a bubble: ‘I won’t go into particular names, but they actually have earnings’</a></li></ul><p>Sponsors:</p><ul><li>Outshift by Cisco - The open source collective building the Internet of Agents. Backed by Outshift by Cisco, AGNTCY gives developers the tools to build and deploy multi-agent software at scale. Identity, communication protocols, and modular workflows—all in one global collaboration layer. Start building at <a href="http://agntcy.org/">AGNTCY.org</a>.</li><li>Shopify – The commerce platform trusted by millions. From idea to checkout, Shopify gives you everything you need to launch and scale your business—no matter your level of experience. Build beautiful storefronts, market with built-in AI tools, and tap into the platform powering 10% of all U.S. eCommerce. Start your one-dollar trial at <a href="http://shopify.com/practicalai">shopify.com/practicalai</a></li><li><a href="http://fabi.ai/">Fabi.ai</a> - The all-in-one data analysis platform for modern teams. From ad hoc queries to advanced analytics, Fabi lets you explore data wherever it lives—spreadsheets, Postgres, Snowflake, Airtable and more. Built-in Python and AI assistance help you move fast, then publish interactive dashboards or automate insights delivered straight to Slack, email, spreadsheets or wherever you need to share it. Learn more and get started for free at <a href="http://fabi.ai/">fabi.ai</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Join us at the <a href="https://midwestaisummit.com/">Midwest AI Summit</a> on November 13 in Indianapolis to hear world-class speakers share how they’ve scaled AI solutions. Don’t miss the <strong>AI Engineering Lounge</strong>, where you can sit down with experts for hands-on guidance. Reserve your spot today!</li><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>

<p>Longtime friend of the show Rajiv Shah returns to unpack lessons from a year of building retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and reasoning models integrations. We dive into why so many AI pilots stumble, why evaluation and error analysis remain essential data science skills, and why not every enterprise challenge calls for a large language model.</p><p>Featuring:</p><ul><li>Rajiv Shah – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajistics/">LinkedIn</a> </li><li>Daniel Whitenack – <a href="https://www.datadan.io/">Website</a>, <a href="https://github.com/dwhitena">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://x.com/dwhitena">X</a></li></ul><p>Upcoming Events: </p><ul><li>Join us at the <a href="https://midwestaisummit.com/">Midwest AI Summit</a> on November 13 in Indianapolis to hear world-class speakers share how they’ve scaled AI solutions. Don’t miss the <strong>AI Engineering Lounge</strong>, where you can sit down with experts for hands-on guidance. Reserve your spot today!</li><li>Register for <a href="https://practicalai.fm/webinars">upcoming webinars here</a>!</li></ul>