Authentic and Agentic with Jayson Manship

Host Jayson Manship explores the legal and social implications of artificial intelligence on this episode of Authentic and Agentic. In the news segment, Manship details how courts are increasingly treating chatbot conversations as discoverable legal evidence, referencing the ongoing lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI. He also discusses a Cambridge University study on AI-powered toys for toddlers and the growing role of corporate financial officers in making major technology decisions. Tom Rector, founder and CEO of Thumbprint, joins the podcast to share his entrepreneurial journey from selling shirts in college to leading a 103-person company that manages enterprise merchandise for Fortune 100 businesses. Rector details how Thumbprint stands out in a saturated industry by focusing on custom software integrations, direct product sourcing and clean customer data. The conversation dives into modern leadership and automation. Rector breaks down his approach to founder mode, emphasizing the importance of staying in the daily details of a functional organization without micromanaging employees. The episode concludes with a look at how Thumbprint uses AI to fix data mapping issues, streamline e-commerce orders and prepare for the eventual integration of automated warehouse robots.

Host Jayson Manship explores the legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over the future of OpenAI on this episode of Authentic and Agentic. Manship compares the global artificial intelligence space race to the Manhattan Project, emphasizing the urgent need for technology governance as models scale at unprecedented speeds. Megan Ewing, director of secondary education at First Maker Space, joins the podcast to discuss the vital role of hands-on learning. Ewing details how schools and libraries use 3D printers, laser cutters and STEM kits to teach students the engineering design process and allow them a safe place to fail. She shares her initial fears of AI replacing jobs, explaining her organization's ultimate decision to embrace a mindset to adapt, move or die. The conversation covers the integration of AI in education, highlighting the development of custom chatbots and new online courses for teachers. Ewing and Manship also discuss the importance of preserving human connection in classrooms, protecting student privacy and encouraging children to build physical items rather than just consuming digital content

Host Jayson Manship records from Memphis, Tennessee, to discuss state-level technology policy on this episode of Authentic and Agentic. Manship interviews three board members from the Indiana Technology and Innovation Association: Executive Director Jen Hallowell, John Wechsler of Spokenote and Zach Carstensen of Salesforce. The group details Indiana's deliberate approach to artificial intelligence regulation. They explain why state lawmakers are waiting for federal standards rather than creating a patchwork of local laws and highlight the state's proactive push for K-12 AI education led by Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner. The conversation also explores the push for massive AI data centers. The guests discuss how the state is working to attract tech infrastructure while protecting residential utility ratepayers and managing water resources. The panel concludes with a debate on preserving human authenticity in an increasingly automated world

Host Jayson Manship brings listeners inside the Axios AI summit in Washington to discuss the collision of technology and government on this solo episode of Authentic and Agentic. Manship breaks down a landmark Los Angeles court ruling that found Meta and Google liable for a user's mental health issues, comparing the tech industry's current regulatory moment to historic lawsuits against tobacco companies. The episode explores the push by big tech to treat artificial intelligence as a national industrial project. Manship highlights insights from Meta executive Dena Powell McCormack, who predicts a global need for 500,000 electricians over the next two years to build AI infrastructure. He also shares takeaways from Craig Martell, chief technology officer for Lockheed Martin, who defines AI as statistics at scale and explains the concept of an error envelope in national defense. Manship examines the tension between software builders and distribution gatekeepers, detailing Adobe's approach to intellectual property and Replit's ongoing dispute with Apple.

Host Jayson Manship speaks with guests Kamady Lewis and Josh Cecil about using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Lovable and Replit to build custom software on this episode of Authentic and Agentic. Lewis, an adjunct professor at Indiana University, explains how she created a platform called The Cue Collective. She details how the website uses AI to scrape the internet daily for broadcast journalism jobs and internships. The site also features a tailored resume tool to help media students apply for specific open positions. Cecil shares how prompt-based AI tools saved Hamco Live, his interactive live music calendar for Hamilton County. He explains how replacing a manual website editor with AI-generated software streamlined the submission process, allowing local venues to easily upload their own band schedules. The group discusses how AI empowers creators to serve local micro-communities without needing a background in coding

Host Jayson Manship records from a gaming convention in Louisville, Kentucky, to share the latest artificial intelligence news and his personal software experiments on this solo episode of Authentic and Agentic. Manship covers Eli Lilly's partnership with Nvidia to build a massive supercomputer in Indianapolis designed for drug discovery. He also breaks down the Pentagon's decision to sever ties with Anthropic over autonomous weapons concerns and sign a new contract with OpenAI. Additionally, Manship explores a Google patent for AI-generated landing pages and its potential impact on web publishers and e-commerce. In the second half of the show, Manship details his attempt to build a personal AI assistant using a Mac mini and the open-source agent OpenClaw. He warns listeners about the software's unpredictable behavior, security risks and high token costs. Manship concludes by recommending Anthropic's Claude desktop app for workflow automation and the Replit platform for building custom business applications, sharing how he built a staff scheduling app for his own company in less than 24 hours.

At Eli Lilly’s corporate center in Indianapolis, Authentic and Agentic host Jayson Manship speaks with Tim Coleman, Lilly's Chief Technical Officer and Thomas Fuchs, Lilly's Chief AI Officer, about how the global pharmaceutical company made artificial intelligence a strategic priority. The discussion explores how leadership aligned around AI as a long-term transformation, not a short-term experiment. Coleman outlines three pillars that built Lilly’s foundation: experimentation, governance and education. From structured alpha and beta testing to executive education with Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business, the company focused on learning before scaling. Fuchs explains why machine learning is built on repeated failure and how Lilly’s decades of successful and failed experiments create a unique data advantage. The episode highlights applications across the pharmaceutical value chain, including molecular design, digital twins in manufacturing and internally developed AI models. The conversation also addresses executive sponsorship, AI governance, global regulation and the importance of education to remain competitive in the global AI race. For business leaders, the takeaway is clear: lean into your core strengths, focus on real value and ensure leadership engagement at the highest level. Authentic and Agentic is part of the IBJ Media Podcast Network and examines the human side of AI.

Meghan Sullivan and Adam Kronk join the podcast to examine the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Drawing from philosophy, education and social service work at the University of Notre Dame, they discuss how AI is changing the way people learn, work and understand human dignity. The episode introduces the Institute for Ethics in the Common Good and its DELTA framework, offering a human-centered approach to AI that emphasizes agency, truth and flourishing in a rapidly changing technological world.

Educator and entrepreneur Don Wettrick reflects on decades in the classroom and what schools must change as AI reshapes learning and work. He shares why students should be taught to see problems as opportunities, how AI can widen the gap between haves and have-nots, and why grit, discernment and real-world creation matter more than grades. The conversation also looks at innovation centers in schools, preparing students for a workforce with fewer entry-level jobs, and helping young people move from consuming content to building something meaningful.

Host Jayson Manship is joined by Kevin and Liz Schmidt to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing real work for developers, creators and small businesses. The conversation explores their move from Silicon Valley to Indiana, how AI is improving productivity without replacing people, and why community and communication matter as technology accelerates. Topics include AI in software development, creative workflows at Adobe, quality of life gains from automation, and what young professionals need to stand out in an AI-driven economy.

In this episode, Authentic & Agentic Podcast Host Jayson Manship sits down with Brian McGinnis, an intellectual property attorney at Barnes & Thornburg, to unpack the legal chaos surrounding artificial intelligence. They discuss what’s settled, what’s uncertain, and what professionals actually need to know right now. Some of the discussion: The Perplexity vs. New York Times lawsuit and why it matters for AI companies and creators How copyright law applies (or doesn’t) to AI training and outputs What’s real vs. overhyped when it comes to privacy and personal data Why many lawyers and professionals hesitate to use AI—and how trust should really be built The absence of legal precedent in AI, and what that means for the next few years If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is breaking the law, how intellectual property will evolve, or how professionals can responsibly use AI without risking their credibility—this conversation is for you. This isn’t hype or fear-mongering. It’s a grounded, expert-led discussion about where AI law stands today—and where it’s likely headed next.

In this episode of Authentic and Agent, host Jayson Manship covers the week’s top AI news. Apple makes a surprise leadership change in its AI group, Microsoft positions Copilot as a platform across Windows, Office, Azure, Teams, and security tools, and the New York Times files a federal lawsuit against Perplexity AI. Jayson also breaks down key findings from McKinsey’s State of AI report on agentic AI, sales automation, and how AI is reshaping work. Later, Jayson previews next week’s conversation with TechPoint Indiana about the state’s AI talent pipeline, and he introduces ChatGPT’s new Agent Builder. He then talks with Jim Brown of Valve+Meter Performance Marketing about digital agencies, AI driven workflows, performance marketing, SEO changes, and the future of AI in sales and marketing.

In the debut episode of Authentic and Agentic, IBJ Media President Mitch Frazier sits down with host Jayson Manship to introduce the new weekly podcast and explain why now is the moment for a clear, human-centered conversation about artificial intelligence. Jayson shares his journey from an entrepreneurial student at Ball State to the founder of several Indiana companies, his early adoption of AI and why he believes the technology will shape every part of work and daily life. They explore the meaning behind the show’s title, its focus on both practical tools and deeply human questions and the ways AI is influencing business, leadership and relationships. Jayson also outlines how he plans to involve listeners, the guests he is already approaching and why the human side of AI is the conversation that matters most.