The AI-human future: Collapsing silos, leveling up teams, and investing in builders

The AI-human future: Collapsing silos, leveling up teams, and investing in builders

Author: BKBT Productions July 28, 2025 Duration: 38:45
Rinki Sethi joins the show this week! She's held just security leadership roles on just about all possible sides, and now she's also a VC investing in the next generation of founders. George K and George A talk to Rinki about: * Real talk and timeline on AI in SecOps * How security teams are gonna get reorganized around AI tooling * Why most founders fall in love with solutions instead of problems * The brutal truth about career development in the AI era Best quote: "I don't think AI is going to replace people. AI is going to replace people that aren't using AI - and it's already starting to happen." Rinki breaks down why the finance team beat an engineering team during a hackathon at her portfolio company, and why that feat portends an industry wide change. For vendors: Stop trying to impress CISOs with your tech specs. They're drowning in noise and need you to understand the actual problems their teams are facing. For practitioners: Learn the fundamentals, then use AI to scale. The combo is gonna separate good from great. ———— 👊⚡️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
Stalkerware Being Sold on TikTok & Monetizing our Worst Instincts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:09
A stalkerware economy is thriving on TikTok, and it's generating hundreds of thousands in sales. Journalist Rosie Thomas from 404 Media joins the show this week discuss her investigation into GPS trackers being sold as r…
Robot Brothels, AI Therapists, and the Future of Human Intimacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:43
This week on the show: some seriously cutting-edge territory. George A talks about what he saw at the Love and Sex with Robots conference in Montreal. Then George K and George A discuss AI companions, embodied LLMs, and…
Building a Shield for Your Mind Against Digital Manipulation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:39
Sumona Banerji, founder of MindShield [https://www.mindshield.org/] and PhD candidate in cyber psychology, joins us to discuss building cognitive resilience in an age of exponential technology and algorithmic manipulatio…
Life After the NFL: Lessons for Identity, Goals, and Team Leadership [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
Former NFL player Mark LeVoir joins us this week to talk about life after pro sports, and the lessons he took transitioning to a career in tech. George K and George A talk to Mark about: * The transition from professiona…
Sex & Tech: Privacy, Power, and Human Intimacy in an AI Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:16
This week Savannah Sly, dominatrix and sex worker rights advocate, joins the show to talk about privacy, power, and the nuances of human intimacy as generative AI takes hold. George K and George A talk to Savannah about:…
Season 4 is here! And with it, something new... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:48
Season 4 is here! While George K and George A are in Las Vegas for Black Hat and DEFCON this week, here's a preview of some changes coming to the podcast. We're grateful for every listener. Thank you for being on this jo…
The Tech Industry and Being the Role Model You Needed as a Kid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:23
Kendrick Trotter joins the show to talk about going from Uber driver to a major account executive at a public cybersecurity company, then founding his own business that created over $70 million in annualized salaries for…
Status Check: AI Hype, Practical Use, & Up-skilling for a New Economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 G…