Invisible Machines podcast by UX Magazine

Everyone wants to talk about agents and models. Jeff McMillan, starts where almost nobody else does: the foundation.In this episode, Jeff McMillan, founder of McMillanAI, former Head of Firmwide AI at Morgan Stanley, and advisor on enterprise AI, maps AI as a stack: high-quality accessible data → semantic layer (knowledge graphs, RAG) → control and governance → models → orchestration → applications. The heavy lifting is in the bottom layers. Organizations that skip them can fake it for a handful of agents, but at 150 or 15,000 agents, you need near-100% accessibility and 99%-plus quality, or you’re monitoring chaos you can’t see.Josh and Robb press him on why knowledge management feels unfundable, why tribal institutional knowledge breaks when machines execute without judgment, and why evaluation (golden datasets, custom org evals, regression when models upgrade) is the work builders hate and operators can’t skip. Robb names the trap CTOs are falling into: grinding tokens on feature backlogs that never reach production or revenue. Jeff agrees on the strategic gap — after controlled experimentation, leaders should ask what destroys the business in ten years, not what demo ships next quarter.The trio also discuss:Embedded ethics and monitoring, including independent models asking, “Does something smell right?”Capacity vs. value (30% freed time spent golfing is not ROI)Process mapping in high-end knowledge businesses that can’t articulate how work movesUse case zero — knowledge that maintains and teaches itselfAgent-in-the-loop and humans with something to lose in the accountability chainJeff’s Board of Advisors experiment at MacmillanAIAI can make you incredibly smart or comfortably dumb. The choice is cultural, not technical.Learn more about McMillanAI: https://mcmillanai.com/---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported by OneReach.aiForged over a decade of R&D and proven in 10,000+ deployments, OneReach.ai’s GSX is the first complete AI agent runtime environment (circa 2019) — a hardened AI agent architecture for enterprise control and scale. Backed by UC Berkeley, recognized by Gartner, and trusted across highly regulated industries, including healthcare, finance, government and telecommunications.A complete system for accelerating AI adoption — design, train, test, deploy, monitor, and orchestrate AI agents.Use any AI modelsBuild and deploy intelligent agents fastCreate guardrails for organizational alignmentEnterprise-grade security and governanceGet in touch: https://onereach.ai/contact/?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=s7e12&utm_content=1 ---------- The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about succeeding with AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is available everywhere: Amazon — https://bit.ly/4hwX0a5#InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AIPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIAgents#EnterpriseAI #KnowledgeManagement#AITransformation

How did a Dutch company most people haven’t heard of come to hold the fate of AI? Marc Hijink, author of Focus — The ASML Way joins Josh and Robb to explore the insatiably precise process of producing the chips that power GPUs, and with them the AI taking shape all around us. Marc is a financial reporter and technology columnist for the Dutch daily newspaper NRC, and Focus is the result of decades of uncompromising, embedded reporting on ASML, which produces 90% of all chips worldwide.  Operating out of a quiet town in the Netherlands, their extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines produce a steady stream of chips working with an accuracy of within a few atoms. The trio explores how the EUV process is as much probabilistic as it is deterministic, as well as the impact that different cultures have on ASML’s partnerships and pipeline. Relying on lenses that have to be grown from crystals, lithography is a high-stakes endeavor that requires a delicate balance of tooling and advanced engineering. We need it to power everything from smartphones to washing machines to traffic lights. With China looking for inroads into this foundational technology that has been controlled by the western world, this conversation is as timely as it is fascinating.Chapters -00:00 - Inside ASML01:12 - How ASML Makes the World’s Chips03:20 - Chip Supply Chain Fragility04:55 - Marc Hijink’s ASML Reporting07:00 - The Hidden Hardware Layer08:20 - Chips & Geopolitics11:00 - Chips Are Physical Matter12:40 - Error Correction & Precision14:30 - ASML x TSMC Partnership16:45 - ASML’s Chaos Culture19:40 - Dutch vs. German Engineering28:20 - Moore’s Law Goes 3D32:10 - ASML + Mistral AI40:00 - Why ASML Can’t Be Copied49:00 - How ASML Prioritizes Orders55:10 - Agentic AI & Complexity1:02:00 - Humans Adapting to AI---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported by OneReach.ai — creators of Generative Studio X (GSX), the first complete AI Agent Runtime Environment (V1 circa 2019). Forged over a decade of R&D and proven in 10,000+ deployments, GSX lets enterprises design, build, and orchestrate secure, scalable AI agents and systems. Trusted across healthcare, finance, government, and telecom. Use any AI modelsBuild and deploy intelligent agents fastCreate guardrails for organizational alignmentEnterprise-grade security and governanceAvoid vendor lock-in.Backed by UC Berkeley and recognized by Gartner.Before you build or buy another AI solution, think about getting an AI system.Book a Demo: https://onereach.ai/book-a-demo/?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast_s6e9&utm_content=1 ---------- The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about succeeding with AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is available everywhere: Amazon — https://bit.ly/4hwX0a5#InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AIPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIAgents#DigitalTransformation#Cybersecurity#AIInfrastructure#AIOrchestration#AIManagement#TechLeadership#Innovation#ResponsibleAI#AIStandards#OpenAI#Technology

As the CEO and Co-founder of Apollo GraphQL, Matt DeBergalis has a lot to say about the ways that organizations can confront their inherent complexity and build reliable systems for AI to flourish. He joins Robb and Josh to talk about how GraphQL has made it easier for developers to build meaningful, AI-powered solutions.As an open-source language for APIs, GraphQL makes data fetching more precise and flexible. When utilized within an agent runtime environment, GraphQL gives organizations the ability to build their own tools. As Matt explains, this gives orgs an enormous edge with agentic AI, and helping teams move light on their feet, experiment, and adjust quickly.The trio also reminisces about the early days of the internet and agrees that ChatGPT was the mother of all demos.Looking for the Agent runtime episode - https://youtu.be/CddjTUWSaHA?si=86dSwjyE3uZGYY8FHere is recent news Apollo announced at Summit last week :https://www.apollographql.com/newsroom/press-releases/apollo-expands-platform-to-power-the-agentic-future-at-graphql-summit-2025Chapters - 00:00 - Intro and episode setup02:10 - Unsung hero moment for GraphQL and agent energy03:12 - GraphQL basics for APIs in an agent runtime04:36 - Why GraphQL won - types, tooling, developer velocity05:20 - API design UX - REST vs GraphQL for developers06:54 - From developers to builders - laypeople using agents07:00 - Will the term developer fade - future of dev work12:28 - Edit over scratch - tools that elevate product taste15:35 - Personalized small-batch software and 3D-print analogy17:31 - Agent-personalized apps beyond siloed UIs18:46 - GraphQL as business language - nouns, verbs, capabilities29:04 - Deterministic rails vs non-deterministic models in finance32:01 - Real guardrails with MCP to Agent to GraphQL51:00 - Graph as backbone of agentic AI ---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported by OneReach.ai - creators of GSX, the first complete AI Agent Runtime Environment (V1 circa 2019).Forged over a decade of R&D and proven in 10,000+ deployments, GSX lets enterprises design, build, and orchestrate secure, scalable AI agents and systems. Trusted across healthcare, finance, government, and telecom.Use any AI modelsBuild and deploy intelligent agents fastCreate guardrails for organizational alignmentEnterprise-grade security and governanceAvoid vendor lock-inBacked by UC Berkeley and recognized by Gartner.Before you build or buy another AI solution, think about getting an AI system.Book a Demo: https://onereach.ai/book-a-demo/?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast_s6e6&utm_content=1--------------------> The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about successful adoption of AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is now available anywhere you buy your books:Amazon — https://bit.ly/4hwX0a5#invisiblemachines#podcast #techpodcast #aipodcast #ai #agenticai #digitaltransformation #graphql #opensource #softwareengineering #techinnovation #digitaltransformation #futureofai #emergingtech #developertools #techtalk #MCP#ApolloGraphQL

Brian Solis, is a digital anthropologist and futurist who serves as the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow and is the former Head of Global Innovation at Salesforce. Brian is a bestselling author of Lifescale, The End of Business as We Know It, and Mindshift, which helps leaders learn how to see emerging trends, harness disruptive forces, and use them to fuel growth. Brian joins Robb and Josh to talk with us about the importance of self-disruption in AI adoption. With so many genAI projects failing to reach production, this episode looks at approaches taken by IKEA and Airbnb that have induced the kind of mind shift that invites self-disruption. Brian, who's been called the CEO whisperer, also talks about the nuanced difference between “aha” and “uh-oh” moments and the pitfalls of hopeless optimism.Brian Solis’s works: https://briansolis.com/books/Key Chapters0:00 — Intro: Josh & Rob set the stage0:34 — Guest intro: Brian Solis (ServiceNow futurist, author of Mindshift)1:07 — Why AI adoption requires self-disruption1:26 — Aha vs Uh-oh moments with AI5:30 — Why Brian is called the “CEO Whisperer”8:30 — Rethinking failure & success (beyond SV mantras)12:11 — Storytelling as strategy: Disney & Airbnb lessons21:40 — MindShift: disruption as a deliberate choice23:10 — Embrace complexity (the VC decision lens)25:10 — Iteration vs innovation: redefining growth29:00 — ROI vs “Return on Ignorance” (cost of not acting)34:01 — Multiple futures & scenario planning39:08 — Organizational AGI: companies as futurists43:28 — IKEA case study: automation + augmentation46:12 — NVIDIA & the power of simulations---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported through partnership with OneReach.ai. Experience the runtime for AI agents — a turnkey private architecture and tools for building enterprise-grade agentic solutions. Use any AI modelsCreate guardrails for organizational alignmentEquipped with enterprise grade security Avoid vendor lock-in.OneReach.ai’s award-winning AI agent orchestration platform meets the many requirements for seizing powerful new technologies in this pivotal moment.Interested in implementing an Agent Platform for your organization? Book a Demo: https://onereach.ai/book-a-demo/?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast_s6e6&utm_content=1 --------------------> The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about successful adoption of AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is now available anywhere you buy your books:Amazon — https://bit.ly/4hwX0a5#InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIPodcast#DigitalTransformation#AIDisruption #AIAdoption#FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #InnovationLeadership #AIInBusiness#BusinessInnovation 

Cassie Kozyrkov returns for a deep dive into the decision science behind a truly AI-first approach to technology adoption. Cassie was Google’s first Chief Decision Scientist and currently advises world leaders and executives on how to optimize their most critical decisions. In this episode she explains why AI is now our memory prosthesis and offers sage guidance on how individuals and organizations can become AI-first. This includes an urgent warning to business leaders to avoid the low-hanging fruit of using AI to automate processes there are already clear instructions for. Instead, Cassie explains how to begin looking in the attic and targeting the stuff that always seemed impossible to automate.Introduction to neural networks and deep learning (by Cassie) -  https://bit.ly/mfml_113Cassie also offers courses on Maven, including one with Pascal BORNET and Brian Evergreen (Agentic Artificial Intelligence for Leaders) - the next cohort is Sept 8-19, 2025: https://maven.com/the-future-solving-company/agentic-intelligence-for-leaders---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported through partnership with OneReach.ai. Experience the runtime for AI agents — a turnkey private architecture and tools for building enterprise-grade agentic solutions. Use any AI modelsCreate guardrails for organizational alignmentEquipped with enterprise grade security Avoid vendor lock-inOneReach.ai’s award-winning AI agent orchestration platform meets the many requirements for seizing powerful new technologies in this pivotal moment.Interested in implementing an Agent Platform for your organization? Book a Demo: https://onereach.ai/book-a-demo/?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast_s6e4&utm_content=1 --------------------> The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about successful adoption of AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is now available anywhere you buy your books: Amazon — https://bit.ly/4hwX0a5 #InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIPodcast#DigitalTransformation#DecisionScience#AIFirst#AIAdoption#TechLeadership#FutureofWork#EnterpriseAI#AIAgents#TechTrends#google

In her instant New York Times bestseller, Empire of AI, journalist Karen Hao distills more than a decade of in-depth research into a detailed account of OpenAI’s rise to power and why leadership at the company abandoned their promise to keep their research open. Karen joins Robb and Josh for a deep dive into murkiness surrounding what artificial general intelligence (AGI) actually represents and why AI colonialism and biased systems undercut efforts to create superintelligence that represents the vastness of human learning and experience. Drawing on the work of a nonprofit in New Zealand to preserve the Māori language, the trio also discuss why smaller, focused implementations that use better curated data might be more valuable to businesses trying to integrate AI into their operations.Buy Karen Hao’s book “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/Learn more about Karen and here work: https://karendhao.com/---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is supported through partnership with OneReach.ai. Experience the runtime for AI agents — a turnkey private architecture and tools for building enterprise AI agents with guardrails. Use any AI modelsWith enterprise grade security And avoid vendor lock-in.OneReach.ai’s award-winning AI agent orchestration platform meets the many requirements for seizing powerful new technologies in this pivotal moment.Learn more at onereach.ai/ai-agents.—---------The revised and second edition of our bestselling book, Age of Invisible Machines, is available now on Amazon! https://a.co/d/axLFOhX Episode Credits:Robb Wilson — Resident expertJosh Tyson — Co-hostVishal Menon — ProducerMykhailo Lytvynov — Audio/Video Editor & Sound EngineerDaryna Moskovchuk — Graphic DesignAlla Slesarenko — Copy Vira Prykhodko — Web Development Elias Parker — Executive Producer#InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIPodcast#KarenHao#OpenAI#AGI#OAGI#EmpireOfAI#AIColonialism#Anthropomorphism#FutureOfAI

Product design sage Tim Wood returns to the podcast for a conversation about the deepening integrations between experience design and AI, including a dissection of the trending term “vibe coding.” Currently a design lead at Meta, Tim has hands-on experience leading AI-first design and this episode explores what that means on a tactical level. Having been the Principal Product Designer for AI Platforms at AWS, and Head of Design for Amazon Q Developer, Tim shares hot takes with Robb and Josh on what automated mainframe migration means for SaaS providers as well as the broader business community, which leads to the real-time birth of another new term: “placebo swipes.”  ---------- Support our show by supporting our sponsors!This episode is brought to you in partnership with OneReach.ai — offering turnkey private architecture for building and orchestrating your team’s AI agents with guardrails.Use any AI modelsTrusted enterprise-grade securityNo vendor lock-inDiscover more about the power of orchestrating agentic AI: https://bit.ly/4jBfVRt --------------------- Our new book is out NOW! The revised and significantly updated second edition of our bestselling book about how teams can successfully orchestrate AI agents, Age of Invisible Machines, is now available everywhere! https://a.co/d/im5rb8F#InvisibleMachines #Podcast #TechPodcast#AI #AgenticAI#AIPodcast#UXDesign #ExperienceDesign #AIDesign #UserExperience #AIAntegration #SaaS#DigitalTransformation #Coding#VibeCoding#TechTrends#EnterpriseAI#aiagents #aibooks #bestsellingbooks #aws #meta