My podcast guest this week is AI scholar Dean Ball. He’s the lead author of the Trump administration’s AI strategy, and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.
I had Dean on a couple years ago to talk about AI. But much has changed since then. AI isn't just answering questions anymore—it's doing real work that used to take humans hours, days, or even weeks. In our podcast conversation, Dean breaks down the massive leaps in AI since mid-2024: smarter models with true reasoning, web-searching research agents, and revolutionary coding agents that control your computer via command line to automate complex tasks. Among other things, we discuss:
Why AI has gone from "toy" to essential tool for professionals
The rise of coding agents (Claude Code, OpenAI tools) and real-world examples
Why so many skeptics—especially on the American right—are still skeptical (and why they're likely to get left behind)
Data center backlash, NIMBYism, energy/water concerns, and how AI companies could win more community support
Dean's experience drafting the Trump administration's AI action plan at the White House OSTP
Practical tips for using AI.
You can also subscribe to Dean Ball’s AI focused Substack.
Here’s the Youtube version, for those who are interested:
