AI & the Great Acceleration

AI & the Great Acceleration

From Generative AI 101 by Emily Laird

May 11, 2026 · 12 min · Episode 285

About this episode

Emily Laird discusses the rapid acceleration of AI technologies and their implications for society.

Host Emily Laird blasts past the “AI is slowing down” takes and shows why the machine is actually speeding up, from frontier models to coding benchmarks to data centers humming like the Death Star. This episode breaks down Stanford HAI’s 2026 AI Index with sharp wit, real numbers, and a healthy suspicion of quarter-zip prophecy. It is a high-voltage look at adoption, jobs, schools, and the big question: can human judgment keep up with the shiny machines?Join the AI Weekly MeetupsConnect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode or have questions, reach out to Emily Laird on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more insights into the evolving world of generative AI. And remember, you now know more about the current state of AI acceleration in 2026. Connect with Emily Laird on LinkedIn

People in this episode

Host: Emily Laird

Topics covered

  • AI acceleration
  • machine learning
  • data centers
  • job market
  • education
  • human judgment

Keywords

  • AI
  • acceleration
  • Stanford HAI
  • data centers
  • jobs
  • education
  • human judgment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford HAI

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