Status Check: AI Hype, Practical Use, & Up-skilling for a New Economy

Status Check: AI Hype, Practical Use, & Up-skilling for a New Economy

Author: BKBT Productions July 14, 2025 Duration: 33:09
George K and George A went completely off-script this week and recorded their first one-on-one episode in years. Fair warning: it gets heated about some industry trends that have been grinding their gears. George K and George A get into: * The AI hype cycle vs. actual utility as George K articulates step by step how he used an LLM to prepare for a talk - what it could and couldn't help with * The danger for companies gutting entry-level positions while claiming "AI efficiency" * The risks of a generation that can't handle disagreement or boredom * The return of Gilded Age exploitation disguised as "hustle culture" Real talk: If your company is advertising 70+ hour work weeks as a feature, you're part of the problem. We didn't survive a pandemic just to forget every lesson about work-life balance for the sake of some exec's third yacht. If you're feeling the cognitive dissonance of working in tech right now, you're not alone. What's your take? Are they just two old guys yelling at clouds, or are these legitimate concerns about where our industry is headed? ———— 👊⚡️Support the show! For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift! https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you. We appreciate you!

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
AI vs Human writing and what it means for our thinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:02
What happens when AI-generated text masquerades as human research? Kimberly Becker, PhD, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlypacebecker/] a corpus linguist joins the show this week to talk about her study comparing huma…
Protecting data as the critical supply line for AI Applications [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
We need to stop treating our data like something to be stored and more like a mission critical supply lines. Andrew Schoka [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-schoka/] spent his military career in offensive cyber, includ…
Securing nuclear energy systems on all fronts with Audrey Crowe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:54
Are we sleepwalking into a security crisis that makes ransomware look quaint? Nuclear security expert Audrey Crowe joins the show to talk about the convergence of grey zone warfare, critical infrastructure, and nuclear s…
Why future applications of AI will need higher quality data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:44
What if the real AI revolution isn't about better models—but about unlocking the data we've been sitting on? Mike McLaughlin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-g-mclaughlin/]—cybersecurity and data privacy attorney, fo…
Translating security and tech concepts for the everyday consumer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
When did we stop asking how things work? Rich Greene joins the show to talk about his new podcast Plaintext with Rich [https://open.spotify.com/show/2DCglwZU8zBxzZgy8iHRCa], and we get into something that matters more th…
Happy Holidays! Our listeners are the greatest gift! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:19
It's a holiday week, so turn off this podcast! But if you'd like to tune in all the same, then we're here to say think you. You, the listeners, have been the greatest gift this season as we've made this turn in our forma…
Best Of: Confronting big tech's abuses as a question of human rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:39
We're off this week, deep into planning and scheduling for next year. Please enjoy this Best Of episode, originally released in October. Hannah Storey, Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International [https://www.am…
Looking ahead to the next year in tech and human impact [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:28
2025 was hella weird. The AI revolution is here whether we asked for it or not. This week, George K and George A reflect on the year and what it means for 2026. At AWS re:Invent, George A watched a machine create a custo…