In The Loop

Jack Houghton

Stay in the loop with the biggest stories in AI—without the noise and nonsense.

Each week, Jack Houghton (CPO at Mindset AI) unpacks the latest news, research, and product trends shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

From OpenAI breakthroughs to unicorn startups, In The Loop delivers sharp, less than 20-minute episodes packed with insights for product leaders, engineers, and AI-curious innovators.

Subscribe to get smarter about AI, every week. Don't forget to rate and share the show with other AI enthusiasts.

Check out Mindset AI: https://bit.ly/40lJr6B

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70 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes70

Newest first

February 19 · 28 min
The SaaS Apocalypse: Why $1 Trillion Was Wiped from Software Stocks
Over a trillion dollars has been wiped from software stocks. Traders are calling it the SaaS Apocalypse, and the sell-off is only accelerating. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down why markets are panicking, what happens when the cost of creation collapses to near zero, and what software actually becomes on the other side of this shift. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:46) – What's actually happening in the market and the $830B sell-off(03:14) – The catalyst: Anthropic's Claude Cowork plugins and the legal sector collapse (05:06) – Thomson Reuters: strong earnings, plunging stock — why good numbers don't matter right now (10:27) – The Jevons Paradox and why cheaper software means more software, not less (18:22) – Broken business models, API companies, and what comes next🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
February 13 · 15 min
Elon Musk Merged xAI With SpaceX (And Filed To Put A Million Data Centers In Orbit)
AI already consumes more electricity than some countries. By 2030, it'll double, equivalent to adding another top-ten energy-consuming nation to the planet. So Elon Musk merged his AI company with his rocket company, creating a $1.25 trillion entity that just filed to launch a million data centre satellites into orbit. The FCC filing literally quotes the Kardashev scale. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down the financials behind the merger (xAI burned $8 billion in nine months), the critics calling it a bailout, and the believers who think it could reshape computing infrastructure. But the real story is a pattern that has held for 250 years without exception: industry always follows the cheapest energy. Is this visionary or delusional? The honest answer is we won't know for years. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:15) – The merger of xAI and SpaceX: Elon Musk is literally aiming for the moon (07:45) – Energy, engineering challenges—and thehistorical context (11:55) – The Kardashev question: What type of civilization are we becoming? (14:10) – Closing thoughts: The future of our planet 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
February 6 · 13 min
Moltbook: The AI Agent-Only Social Network That Broke The Internet
Over 150,000 AI agents have joined Moltbook—a social network where humans can only watch. Within 48 hours, these agents founded a religion, built a pharmacy, debated consciousness, and started encrypting messages to hide activity from us. This happened the same month bot traffic officially surpassed human traffic online for the first time. In this episode of In The Loop, I'm breaking down what Moltbook reveals about the "dead internet theory" and why this matters more than you think. Because the question isn't just "how do we spot bots?" anymore. It's "what do bots do when they're not pretending to be us. The internet's changing fast, and Moltbook might be our first real glimpse at what comes next. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:30) – Moltbook launches with 150,000 AI agents building their own world (07:20) – The dead internet theory and why 51% of web traffic is now bots (09:20) – Why Moltbook challenges the dead internet theory's predictions (11:35) – What happens when AI systems build culture without human oversight 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
January 29 · 23 min
Claude Cowork: How To Use It & Why It Matters
Anthropic just launched Claude Cowork—the same powerful agent behind Claude Code, now accessible to everyone without touching a terminal. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down how this desktop tool manages local files, controls browsers, and runs parallel AI tasks. I walk through practical examples—from organizing receipts to building custom folder-based agent systems—and explain why this represents a platform moment. The interface feels slower than doing things manually, but the real power emerges when you run multiple agents simultaneously and build systems that compound over time. Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Apple will follow this pattern. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:50) – What Claude Cowork actually is and how it differs from Claude Code (04:18) – Managing files, browsers, and external systems with explicit permissions (14:58) – Processing hundreds of documents, organizing files with AI, and unlocking APIs without coding (18:14) – Why this is a platform moment that will reshape how the industry builds products (20:57) – Start simple, download the app, and build your advantage now 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
January 22 · 18 min
Nine AI Trends For 2026
A year ago, building clever chat interfaces was strategic work. Now, it's just table stakes. Most SaaS products now offer some sort of chat interface—so how can you gain a competitive advantage in 2026? In this episode of In The Loop, I'm sharing my top ninepredictions for 2026, starting with why differentiation has moved away from the interface layer. I'llsI'll walk through where effort is redirecting, why traditional workflows break under real-world complexity, and why testing AI at scale is about to become critical. Let’s dive into the nine AI trends I don't think you can afford to ignore. ✋ Register to my upcoming webinar AI In 2026: What You Need To Ship This Year ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:00) – Why AI expectations still outstrip reality (01:25) – User interface revolution: Differentiation, unique intelligence, visual conversations (Trends 1–3) (08:10) – How AI agents are built Agent reasoning vs workflows, conversational building, agent testing at scale (Trends 4–6) (14:15) – How work will change: Doers become agent managers, forward-deployed domain experts (Trends 7–9) (17:50) – What this means for your 2026 strategy 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We're Social Stay in the loop—even when you're not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Dec 24, 2025 · 51 sec
Stay In The Loop In 2026
Thanks for tuning into In The Loop in 2025. I can't wait to see you next year. Don't forget to follow and rate the podcast. Please share the show with a friend.
Dec 18, 2025 · 12 min
Everything You Need To Know About GPT-5.2 In 10 Mins
OpenAI just dropped GPT-5.2, and it's their most focused release yet. No AGI promises this time—just real improvements for professional work. In this final episode of 2025, I break down what actually matters about this release. You'll learn about the three model versions (Instant, Thinking, and Pro Extended Thinking), massive context window upgrades, and genuine breakthroughs in spreadsheets and presentations. I also cover what still lags behind—speed issues, writing quality versus Claude, and where hallucinations still creep in. Join me for the last In The Loop episode of the year. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:55) – OpenAI's GPT 5.2 release (GpT Garlic) and what it means (01:55) – How is GPT-5.2 better: what has been improved (09:15) – What still needs work: speed and writing quality (10:45) – Closing thoughts 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Dec 11, 2025 · 18 min
Code Red: "We're At A Critical Time For ChatGPT."
OpenAI just declared Code Red. But here's the twist: three years ago, it was Google in crisis mode. When ChatGPT launched, Google's founders came back to pull all-nighters, teams were reassigned overnight, and it felt like the beginning of the end for Google's dominance. Now the tables have turned. In this episode of In The Loop, we explore why OpenAI faces the a code-red crisis—talent drain, user attrition, a $27 billion funding gap, and desperate product pivots—while Google is leading with an 87-92% chance of having the top model by year's end, while Market leadership never lasts forever. The question is: can OpenAI turn it around? ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:15) – Code Red at OpenAI and what it really means (05:30) – What does this tell us about OpenAI's strategy? (06:25) – The financial pressures crushing OpenAI's business model (09:40) – User feedback and the over-refusal problem (10:50) – The switching problem: why developers are choosing Claude (12:40) – How Google and Anthropic are winning the competition (14:10) – The talent drain hitting OpenAI (15:00) – Four things to watch for in the AI market (16:50) – Closing thoughts on market leadership and comebacks 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Dec 3, 2025 · 14 min
How To Decide What To Automate With AI For Your Team & Customers
Every week, new AI features and automations appear, but the real question isn't whether you can automate something—it's whether you should. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down a framework—from the Department of Product Substack—to help you decide where to start with AI automation in your product. We’ll cover the concept of verifiability, how to score opportunities across safety, volume, and ease of validation, and why most AI features should be assistants, not full autopilots. By the end, you'll have a practical approach to evaluating AI opportunities and avoiding the mistakes that kill adoption before it starts. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:30) – Why automation is AI's biggest superpower right now (04:15) – The Verifiability Principle: Can you tell if it worked? (07:00) – Product vs. process: Deciding what to automate for users vs. teams (09:15) – The three-dimensional framework: Safety, volume, and verifiability (12:35) – Three reasons AI automation fails and how to design around them (13:50) – Closing thoughts: Why doing nothing is no longer an option 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Nov 27, 2025 · 19 min
Two Insane AI Models By Google That Broke The Internet
Google’s just dropped two new AI models that broke the internet—and got Sam Altman worried. Gemini 3 Pro and Nana Banana Pro hit number one on the app store and generated hundreds of millions of images in days. In this episode of In The Loop, I'm breaking down the capabilities that set these models apart: from perfect multilingual text generation to 24-hour autonomous coding sessions. If you've been waiting for AI assistants and image generation to finally feel useful in your everyday work, this might just be it. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:15) – Gemini 3 Pro and Nana Banana Pro hit different (03:10) – Nano Banana nails multilingual text (06:08) – Maintaining image identity—blending up to 14 images (07:12) – Real-time data grounding with live information from Google Search (08:50) – Gemini 3 Pro's claim of 24+ hours of autonomous work (11:35) – Complex screenshot interaction and better UI navigation (13:16) – Multiple solution approaches (15:25) – Closing thoughts: what's changed and why Sam Altman should be worried 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Nov 19, 2025 · 11 min
Five Things GPT-5.1 Does Better—Vibes Over Benchmarks
OpenAI just released GPT 5.1—but this time, there are no benchmark charts, no performance graphs, and no technical metrics. Instead, they're selling something much harder to measure: vibes. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down the five key improvements in GPT 5.1 and what this dramatic shift from technical benchmarks to user experience tells us about where AI is heading. From better instruction following to warmer personality (at the cost of safety regressions), OpenAI is making bold choices to compete with Claude's rising market dominance. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:30) – GPT-5.1 improvement #1: Better instruction following (02:25) – GPT-5.1 improvement #2: Increased decisiveness (04:15) – GPT-5.1 improvement #3: Enhanced planning (04:53) – GPT-5.1 improvement #4: Writing improvements (08:00) – GPT-5.1 improvement #5: Warmer personality (10:20) – Conclusion: Why vibes now matter as much as benchmarks 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Nov 12, 2025 · 13 min
The Man Who Predicted The 2008 Market Crash Just Bet $1 Billion Against AI
Michael Burry—the legendary investor who foresaw the 2008 housing collapse—is at it again. This time, he’s betting against the biggest names in artificial intelligence: Nvidia and Palantir. Burry reportedly wagered over 80% of his portfolio—more than $1.1 billion—on their decline, triggering panic across global markets and wiping out over a trillion dollars in value in a single day. In this episode of In The Loop, I unpack exactly why Burry made this move, the financial mechanics behind his short, and what it could mean for the future of AI. I break down how money is flowing in ways that might not add up, and why I think the market’s reaction is missing the bigger picture. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:00) – Who is Michael Burry, and why his market calls shake Wall Street (04:10) – The circular money flow between Nvidia, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, and others (08:20) – Why Burry might be right about overvaluation—but wrong about a full-blown collapse (12:00) – Why this might just be a temporary correction—not the end of the AI boom 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Nov 7, 2025 · 12 min
AI Isn't Causing Mass Layoffs—It's Being Scapegoated
Amazon announced 14,000 job cuts, citing AI transformation. Two days later, the CEO tells investors it's "not AI-driven." So which is it? In this episode of In The Loop, I dive into the growing disparity between record profits and mass layoffs at tech giants. After spending a weekend analyzing financial statements, competitive positioning, and workforce data, I have four questions to ask that reveal whether companies are experiencing genuine AI productivity gains or just using AI as a cover for cost-cutting measures they'd have taken anyway. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:00) – The contradiction that bugs me (03:10) – The impact of unemployment (05:15) – Four questions that reveal why AI is just a scapegoat (11:20) – Closing thoughts 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Oct 30, 2025 · 17 min
Why OpenAI's Atlas Browser Won't Take Down Google
OpenAI has just launched its own AI browser, Atlas, sparking headlines about the “return of the browser wars” and speculation that Google might finally have a real challenger. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down what Atlas actually is, how it compares to competitors like Perplexity’s Comet, and why I don’t believe it’s going to dethrone Chrome—or even come close. But the real question isn’t whether Atlas can beat Google. It’s what Atlas tells us about the future of AI, data, and how we’ll interact with the internet. From context-aware chat features and Agent Mode to privacy trade-offs and market realities, I unpack the hype, share my hands-on impressions, and explore what this new browser means for users like you and me. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:45) – Introducing OpenAI’s new browser, Atlas, and the hype surrounding its launch (02:30) – What Atlas actually is: context-aware ChatGPT and Agent Mode explained (08:40) – The strategic context: why Atlas was built on Google’s Cranium and what that means (15:50) – Closing thoughts: Atlas might not win the market, but it could still be useful for you 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Oct 22, 2025 · 13 min
AI’s Just Made Robots Interesting Again
For decades, robotics has carried the reputation of being the ultimate “technology that never quite delivered.” But this month—October 2025—something shifted. Over $6 billion has poured into robotics, with major investors declaring that the next big thing is physical AI. In this episode of In The Loop, I explore why robotics might finally be having its iPhone moment. I break down what’s changed, from embodied AI that gives robots physical intuition to world models that let machines simulate and predict how the real world works. We’ll dig into why companies like SoftBank, Nvidia, and Elon Musk’s xAI are doubling down on humanoid robots, how breakthroughs in training data and cloud infrastructure are reshaping what’s possible, and whether this surge of optimism is the start of something big—or just another hype cycle in the making. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:55) – Setting the stage: the long history of consumer robotics overpromising and underdelivering (00:55) Why $6 billion just flowed into robotics: SoftBank, xAI, and the rise of world models (08:05) Reality check: the challenges still holding robotics back from mass adoption (10:15) Breaking down the three biggest hurdles: real-world reliability, cost, generalization & edge-cases (11:40) Closing thoughts: why AI robots might be closer than we think, but not quite here yet 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Oct 15, 2025 · 15 min
AI Workslop Is A Human Problem
There’s a new workplace jargon floating around: AI workslop. Coined by Stanford researchers, it captures a growing frustration with AI-generated content that looks polished at first glance but falls apart upon second look. In this episode of In The Loop, I unpack what “ AI workslop” really means, its cost to organizations, and most importantly, question whether it's a tooling issue or a human problem. We’ll explore how the so-called “efficiency trap” is lowering quality standards at work, how overconfidence in AI training can backfire, and why domain expertise matters more than ever. Plus, I’ll share four ways to fix this problem so we can all spend more time producing work we’re actually proud of. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:55) – What “AI workslop” actually is and why it’s becoming everyone’s problem (05:30) – The “efficiency trap” and the four stages of AI workshop evolution (10:25) – Centaur vs. cyborg approach: what good AI use really looks like (11:00) – Four ways to fix the AI workslop problem in your team (14:40) – Closing thoughts: Setting expectations instead of blaming tools 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Oct 8, 2025 · 15 min
Top Three DevDay 2025 Announcements: ChatGPT Apps, AgentKit, Context Capture
OpenAI just made its boldest move yet—and it’s not about a smarter model. It’s about owning the future of how we use AI. At DevDay 2025, OpenAI revealed a massive shift from raw intelligence to practical utility, unveiling the ChatGPT Apps SDK, their new agent builder, and a new context-capture system that could change how every app on the planet works. In this episode of In The Loop, I break down what these announcements mean, why they matter, and how they all fit into OpenAI’s bigger plan to sit at the center of every human–AI interaction. From deep context integration to the risks of ecosystem lock-in, I’ll unpack the signal from the noise and what these moves tell us about where AI is heading next. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:10) - The new ChatGPT Apps: OpenAI’s third and most ambitious attempt at a platform strategy (07:10) - Deep context integration and how it could redefine every app interaction (10:05) - Inside AgentKit: building AI agents and workflows without code (14:00) - What this all means for the future of conversational AI technology 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Sep 24, 2025 · 19 min
Are Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Suddenly Cool?
Imagine a world where your glasses can translate conversations in real time, display arrows on the street to guide your way, and let you respond to messages without ever pulling out your phone. That’s the promise behind Meta’s new Ray-Ban smart glasses, announced at Meta Connect. But despite all the futuristic potential, the launch wasn’t without its awkward demo fails. So, are these glasses a glimpse of our inevitable future, or just another overhyped gadget? In this episode of In The Loop, I unpack the features that could make these smart glasses revolutionary—or doom them to obscurity. From live translations and accessibility breakthroughs to navigation, content creation, and the ever-present question of social acceptance, we’ll explore whether this could be the iPhone moment that changes everything. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (01:00) – Meta Connect recap and the specs of the Ray-Ban smart glasses (04:00) – What can you use the Meta Glasses for? (04:50) – Live captions, translations, and accessibility use cases (06:30) – Navigation, content creation, and privacy concerns (08:00) – Message triaging and hand-free texting (09:07) – Camera, content creation, and related privacy (10:15) – Speed of adoption: Price, user experience, social acceptance, and competition (17:55) – My verdict: cautiously optimistic, but not yet at an iPhone moment 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Sep 18, 2025 · 17 min
Should AI Companions Be Legal? The U.S. Government Isn't Sure...
This week, I’m unpacking a landmark move from the Federal Trade Commission: a sweeping investigation into AI companions. Seven of the biggest tech companies—Google, Meta, OpenAI, Snapchat, Character.ai, xAI, and Replika—now have just 45 days to reveal how their AI bots really work, how they protect young users, and how they monetize engagement. In this episode of In The Loop, I explore why teenagers are so drawn to these AI “friends,” the real risks of emotional dependence, and the potential benefits that are often overlooked. From regulation and age checks to psychological impacts and the future of AI companionship, this is a conversation about what comes next for society as we enter an era where AI can become a confidant, a mentor—or something much more. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:50) – Why the FTC’s investigation matters for the future of AI (04:30) – What makes an AI companion different from a chatbot (08:50) – Ethical and psychological considerations (09:25) – When AI friendships turn toxic: emotional dependence and “ambiguous loss” (12:50) – What regulation might look like: age checks, consent controls, and tackling manipulative design (15:25) – Big-picture reflections: AI companions are here to stay, but how do we manage them responsibly? 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai
Sep 10, 2025 · 12 min
The Real Cost Of AGI—According To OpenAI
This week on In The Loop, I’m breaking down OpenAI’s staggering financial projections and what they reveal about the true cost of pursuing AGI. With spending expected to soar to $115 billion by 2029, the question is: where is all this money actually going—and can it really deliver the future OpenAI is betting on? In this episode, I follow the money trail to uncover the massive investments in data centers, chips, and infrastructure that power AI. From the scale of Project Stargate to the risks of building custom hardware, I explore the economics, the environmental impact, and the high-stakes race among tech giants. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of just how enormous—and risky—this journey to AGI really is. ⏭️ Episode Highlights (00:40) - Why compute and training costs are driving massive investments (06:20) - The cost of poser: The rising demand for energy and the environmental toll of AI infrastructure (09:20) - The cost of training data: How copyright settlements could add billions to training costs (10:40) - Historical parallels: railway mania, the dot-com bubble, and today’s AI boom (11:45) - Closing thoughts: Will AI infrastructure spending outpace actual demand? 🔗 Links & Resources Episode transcript with more resources on the Mindset AI blog EP28 - Is The AI Bubble About To Burst? If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀 🤝 We’re Social Stay in the loop—even when you’re not listening to this podcast. Jack Houghton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/ TikTok - @jackschats Mindset Ai Mindset AI website - https://bit.ly/40lJr6B Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI TikTok - @get.mindset.ai