The Go Series, Pt. 1: The Game That Broke the Board
Go isn’t just old, it’s ancient, intimidating, and smarter than it looks. For decades, it stood as the Everest of board games, the one thing AI couldn’t conquer without looking like a confused intern at a philosophy lecture. That is, until Google's DeepMind came along with AlphaGo, a Frankenstein of neural nets, reinforcement learning, and sheer digital obsession.
In this episode, host Emily Laird rewinds to the moment when AI stopped being a party trick and started playing mind games, literally. We unpack how Go became AI’s final boss, why brute force wasn’t enough, and how AlphaGo flipped the script by teaching itself to win. Spoiler: it crushed a European champion like he was playing with oven mitts.
From ancient Chinese tea houses to the labs of Google DeepMind, this is the story of the game that broke the board and changed how we think about machines and intelligence forever.
Watch the AlphaGo Documentary
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Connect 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 AlphaGo.
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Mixture of Experts: The Wu-Tang Clang of AI
What do trivia night, jazz bands, and IKEA furniture have in common? They all make more sense once you understand Mixture of Experts. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down how LLMs are using conditional computation to get smarter and cheaper, without frying your GPU like a budget toaster. We’re talking expert networks, gating systems, and why the future of AI might look more like a five-star kitchen than a power-hungry robot army.
Join the AI Weekly Meetups
Connect 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 Mixture of Experts.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
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ChatGPT's Study Mode: Homework’s Plot Twist
Is ChatGPT here to help you ace the test or just do your homework for you? In this episode, host Emily Laird unpacks OpenAI’s new Study Mode, a feature that turns the AI from vending-machine answer bot into a never-tired tutor who actually makes you think. From math problems that fight back to privacy concerns and its big debut in schools via Canvas, we cover why teachers, parents, and even students are warming up to the idea. It might just be the first AI tool that raises grades and consciences.
Join the AI Weekly Meetups
Connect 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 Study Mode.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
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What’s the Difference Between AGI and Superintelligence?
AGI can do anything you can, write, reason, crack jokes, without being told how. Superintelligence can do all that and make you look like a potato with Wi-Fi. In this episode, host Emily Laird breaks down the real meaning of these two buzzwords, why even the experts can’t agree, and how the biggest AI players, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, Meta, and xAI, are racing to build them. Whether it’s curing cancer, boosting productivity, or accidentally turning off the internet, we’re here to separate hype from reality before the machines do it for us.
Join the AI Weekly Meetups
Connect 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 AGI vs Superintelligence.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
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The One About ChatGPT-5
OpenAI’s GPT-5 isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a whole crew of AIs working together. One’s fast, one’s a deep thinker, and a couple work the cheap shifts, all coordinated by a smart “router” that picks the right brain for the job. It’s breaking records in math, coding, and reasoning, slashing hallucinations, and even scheduling your meetings. The Pro version handles monster problems in seconds, while all versions get built-in web search, vision, and real task execution. The model menu is gone, GPT-5 just figures it out for you.
Join the AI Weekly Meetups
Connect 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 OpenAI's GPT-5.
Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn
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.
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