Best UX Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Live from digitalNow 2025: Inside the Association Evolution | 108 28:52

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6d ago28:52

28:52

Send us a text Live from digitalNow 2025 in Chicago, this special edition of Sidecar Sync brings together voices from across the association world, sharing real-life examples of AI implementation, leadership innovation, and strategic transformation. Mallory Mejias speaks with leaders from the American Paint Horse Association, the Missouri State Tea…

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Dolphins & DeepMind: Cracking the Code of Animal Language with Dr. Denise Herzing | 107 39:33

13d ago39:33

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Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias is joined by marine biologist and behavioral researcher Dr. Denise Herzing for a one-of-a-kind conversation about dolphins, data, and deep learning. Dr. Herzing shares insights from her 40-year study of Atlantic spotted dolphins and how that lifetime of underwater research is now poweri…

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What to Expect at digitalNow 2025 & the App That Picks Your Sessions (Built Live!) | 106 41:41

20d ago41:41

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Send us a text In this solo episode, Mallory Mejias takes the reins to unveil what digitalNow 2025 reveals about the current state of AI in associations—spoiler alert: we're officially in the "AI adolescence" phase. From cultural adoption to trust-building, she unpacks the four key insights her analysis surfaced from the event’s full schedule. But …

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Rethinking UX for the 50+ Crowd with Bryan Kelly | 105 58:01

27d ago58:01

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Send us a text In this episode, Mallory Mejias sits down with UX and content strategy expert Bryan Kelly to explore how the longevity economy—a massive shift toward a population dominated by adults over 50—is transforming digital experiences. Bryan dives into why designing for older adults is less about age and more about behaviors, values, and lif…

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Wuji’s Gripping Breakthrough, AI Literacy Goes Mandatory, & The AI Adoption Divide | 104 44:23

1M ago44:23

44:23

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan dive into three seemingly distinct but tightly connected topics: a groundbreaking robotic hand from China that could redefine how machines interact with our world, the growing movement of mandatory AI literacy training sweeping through corporations and governments, a…

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From Hope to Power Play: The OCM Wake-Up Call 52:22

1M ago52:22

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We make the case that organizational change management isn’t a nice-to-have but the painkiller that prevents rework and missed benefits. Leslie Ellis shares how early, human-centered strategy, layered alignment, and capacity planning turn installations into real outcomes. • involving OCM at the wake-up call, not at go-live • rework versus course co…

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DevDay 2025: No-Code App Development, ChatGPT Pulse, & The Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Play | 103 44:48

1M ago44:48

44:48

Send us a text This week on Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into OpenAI’s biggest moves of the year—starting with how ChatGPT has evolved into a no-code platform capable of building full applications in minutes. They explore the implications of AgentKit, voice-first workflows, and whether associations should adopt or avoi…

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Claude Sonnet 4.5 Redefines Workflows, Sora 2 Transforms Video, & Early Movers Build the Future | 102 1:14:11

2M ago1:14:11

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Send us a text In this jam-packed episode of Sidecar Sync, co-hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias tackle five cutting-edge AI developments, all (mostly) fitting into three big buckets. From the powerhouse that is Claude 4.5 Sonnet to OpenAI's stunning new Sora 2 video model, this episode dives into real-world use cases, experiments, and emergi…

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Scaling AI for Social Good with Wadhwani AI | 101 56:57

2M ago56:57

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Send us a text In this special interview edition of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias sits down with Shekar Sivasubramanian, Head of the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence, to explore how AI can be deployed at scale for social good. Shekar shares powerful stories of AI in action—from an oral reading fluency assistant helping millions of Indi…

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100 Episodes Later: A Look Back at What We’ve Learned—and What’s Coming | 100 47:58

2M ago47:58

47:58

Send us a text In this special 100th episode of Sidecar Sync, co-hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias take a celebratory stroll down memory lane, unpacking the journey from the show’s inception in 2023 to today. They reflect on five distinct podcast eras, distill the top 10 AI insights echoed across episodes, and get candid about the surprising…

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When Influencers Disrupt Institutions with Jackson Boyar | 99 42:45

2M ago42:45

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Send us a text Is the future of associations being rewritten by influencers? In this episode, Mallory Mejias is joined by Jackson Boyar, co-founder and CEO of Rallyboard, for a sharp and forward-thinking conversation about how digital creators are reshaping professional learning. They explore the competitive rise of “influencer-led” communities lik…

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Inside the AI Audio Revolution: Translating, Conversing, & Composing | 98 50:12

3M ago50:12

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Send us a text In this audio-focused episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan explore three groundbreaking advancements in AI audio technology—starting with Google’s real-time voice translation for seamless cross-language communication. They then unpack Microsoft’s open-source Vibe Voice, capable of generating full-length, multi-…

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The Process-First Approach to Digital Transformation Success 39:39

3M ago39:39

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We dive into the principles of successful digital transformation by exploring the critical relationship between processes, requirements, and tools. Thomas Miller, Director of Enterprise Systems and Processes at IPX, shares his 20+ years of expertise in bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions. • Why processes must lead and to…

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Exploring Interactive AI Simulations and World Models with Thomas Altman | 97 47:52

3M ago47:52

47:52

Send us a text Thomas Altman, co-founder of Tasio and Betty, joins Mallory Mejias for an electrifying deep dive into the future of AI through the lens of world models—AI systems that don’t just respond but simulate environments and predict outcomes. From Genie 3’s physics-aware interactive worlds to the transformative potential for associations in …

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Web3 Warriors Episode 122: Ram Kumar, Core Contributor at OpenLedger, discussing blockchain's role in AI's evolution 41:49

3M ago41:49

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In episode 122 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with Ram Kumar, Core Contributor at OpenLedger, a blockchain network built to support AI data management and monetization. The discussion explores the important role that blockchain - specifically, L2s on Ethereum - can play in the monetization of specialized data that is being used for AI inference. …

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Rapid Fire AI Updates & The Coming Energy Reckoning | 96 37:34

3M ago37:34

37:34

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias tackle the latest developments in AI with a fast-paced series of updates—from Claude overtaking ChatGPT in the voice mode battle, to Google's shockingly tiny Gemma 3 model, to the rocky rollout of GPT-5 and what it teaches us about innovation at scale. Then, the duo …

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GPT-5 Has Landed & OpenAI Opens Up | 95 47:39

3M ago47:39

47:39

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive into two groundbreaking releases from OpenAI: the long-awaited GPT-5 and the surprising return to open source with GPT-OSS. They unpack the shift toward simplified AI interaction, the implications of automatic model selection, and what GPT-5’s real-world perform…

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Designing for Digital Adoption: Why UX is Good Business with Nick Cawthon 51:00

3M ago51:00

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User experience design is not just about aesthetics—it's essential to ensuring adoption of enterprise software and achieving return on technology investments. • UX is frequently treated as a "nice-to-have" rather than a strategic business necessity • The double diamond approach combines generative thinking and synthesis to create user-centered solu…

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Semantic Health & the Future of Medical Coding with Dr. Nicola Sahar | 94 41:43

3M ago41:43

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Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, co-hosts Mallory Mejias sits down with Dr. Nicola Sahar to explore how a University of Toronto med student dove head-first into clinical AI research and went on to found Semantic Health, an AI-powered medical coding platform later acquired by the American Academy of Professional Coders in 2023. They u…

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Mission-Driven Models, AGI on the Horizon, & the AI Infrastructure Crunch | 93 48:42

4M ago48:42

48:42

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan cover a trio of urgent topics shaping the AI landscape. They kick off with Anthropic’s surprising rise to enterprise dominance—fueled not despite, but because of its safety-first approach. From there, the conversation heats up around accelerating predictions for arti…

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#10 Why Most Startups Fail & What UX Leaders Need to Fix with Mark Swaine (featured on Better Tech Leadership) 25:49

4M ago25:49

25:49

Send us a text On this special episode, your usual host Mark Swaine, sits down as a guest on the Better Tech Leadership podcast to unpack some of the biggest shifts happening at the intersection of UX, product, and AI. "Building software today isn’t hard — what’s hard is building the right thing, in the right way, at the right time." – Mark Swaine …

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Physical AI: The Robot Takeover We Actually Want | 92 48:32

4M ago48:32

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Send us a text Are we ready for a world where AI agents write our blogs and robots clean our homes? In this episode, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into the rise of agentic AI and the future of robotics. They explore how digital workforces powered by open-source platforms like MemberJunction are already transforming productivity, espe…

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Web3 Warriors Episode 121: Jay Kambo, CEO of SpendTheBits, discussing stablecoins and the future of payments 1:03:43

4M ago1:03:43

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In episode 121 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with Jay Kambo, CEO of SpendTheBits, a new digital wallet platform that is making it easier to make payments and send money with stablecoins. The discussion explores the future of crypto payments and the ways stablecoins are making it easier to send or spend your money. Jay shares his thoughts on the …

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Next-Gen Knowledge: AI Education with Conor and Finn Grennan | 91 58:08

4M ago58:08

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Send us a text In this heartwarming and enlightening episode, co-hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias welcome the dynamic father-son duo, Conor and Finn Grennan, to discuss their journey teaching generative AI in Nepal. Connor, Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern, and his 16-year-old son Finn share stories of cultural resonance, the universal chall…

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Cloudflare vs. the Crawlers & The Nonprofit Tech Divide | 90 39:38

4M ago39:38

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Send us a text In this dog-dedicated episode of Sidecar Sync (Happy 12th to Ninja!), Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan tackle two extremes of the nonprofit tech landscape. First, they dig into Cloudflare’s bold new default to block AI content scrapers—what it means for associations, the rise of pay-per-crawl, and whether blocking AI is smart strat…

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Navigating AI Seas: Leadership, Lab, and Crowd | 89 51:07

5M ago51:07

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Send us a text In this episode, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive into the world of AI agents, hackathons, and the secret cyborgs in your office. Fresh off a high-intensity AI agent-building retreat, Amith shares how association leaders—regardless of technical skill—can use open-source tools to build powerful, secure AI assistants. Then, the …

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Adapt or Fade: Embracing the Adaptability Quotient with John Spence | 88 43:56

5M ago43:56

43:56

Send us a text In this energizing interview, Mallory Mejias is joined by leadership legend John Spence to unpack the three essential quotients of leadership—IQ, EQ, and AQ (Adaptability Quotient)—and why AQ might be the most critical of all in today’s AI-driven world. With decades of global experience, John shares how leaders can foster resilience,…

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Web3 Warriors Episode 120: Jan Liphardt, Founder of OpenMind.org, discussing crypto's role in AI's evolution 52:51

5M ago52:51

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In episode 120 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with Jan Liphardt, Founder of OpenMind, a business aiming to build an operating system for intelligent machines. The interview takes a deep dive into what OpenMind is working on with regards to using the Ethereum blockchain to store Financial and Identification data for AI machines. Jan shares his bel…

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Emotions, Accents, and Avatars Galore & Why Apple Says It’s All Just an Illusion | 87 49:31

5M ago49:31

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Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, co-hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into the cutting edge of AI-generated audio and video. Mallory demos the stunning new ElevenLabs V3 voice engine and the lifelike hand gestures of HeyGen's Avatar 4, while Amith shares behind-the-scenes insights from a recent hackathon focused on b…

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Online Learning Course Creation at 26x Speed | 86 51:58

5M ago51:58

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Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias sits down with Jason Marchese, Learning Content Specialist at Sidecar, to explore the exciting frontier of AI-generated interactive web apps. From solving everyday meal planning problems to analyzing U.S. migration trends, they demonstrate how anyone—even non-technical folks—can build u…

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Generative Video Meets Deep Think at Google I/O & Claude 4 Finds Its Voice | 85 57:43

6M ago57:43

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Send us a text In this electric episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias unpack the latest AI announcements from Google I/O and the highly anticipated Claude 4 release from Anthropic. They explore what Google's Deep Think means for AI reasoning, debate the creative and ethical implications of video generation tools like Veo 3 and…

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Breaking Math with Google’s AlphaEvolve | 84 48:08

6M ago48:08

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Send us a text This week, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into Google's groundbreaking AI breakthrough—AlphaEvolve. In their first-ever single-topic episode, the duo unpacks why this agent’s ability to autonomously invent and refine algorithms marks a pivotal moment in AI history. From shattering a 56-year-old math record to its potent…

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Web3 Warriors Episode 119: Canada Crypto Week @ Consensus 2025 & Blockchain Futurist 1:04:28

6M ago1:04:28

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In episode 119 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with innovators at the Consensus 2025 Conference in Toronto during Canada Crypto Week. The interviews include CoinDesk Indices' Andy Baehr, Kadena.io VP Evan Owens, Author of 'Reclaiming Sovereignty' Suman Kumar, and Aaron from Etherlink. This recap of Consensus covers a wide range of the blockchain i…

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Snooze to Win: Why Digital Naptime Is AI’s Most Productive Hour | 83 52:56

6M ago52:56

52:56

Send us a text This week on Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into two cutting-edge developments in the AI world. First up is the mind-bending concept of "sleep time compute"—how LLMs might learn and improve during their downtime, transforming into smarter, faster assistants overnight. Then, the duo breaks down OpenAI's $3 …

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Unlocking AI's Potential Through Data Readiness 42:34

6M ago42:34

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Tony Cahill, the mind behind Crystal Onyx, dives deep into why data readiness is the critical bottleneck preventing successful AI implementations and shares how his platform transforms months of data preparation into weeks. • Organizations struggle with data readiness when implementing AI projects • The AI project cycle consists of five steps: prob…

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Getting Your Board on Board with AI | 82 52:28

6M ago52:28

52:28

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias take on one of the most pivotal—and often overlooked—challenges in association innovation: getting your board on board with AI. Drawing from Amith's personal boardroom experience and Mallory’s deep dive into board psychology, they break down how to navigate internal …

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Fargo vs. Klarna & The Rise of Reasoning Models | 81 46:39

6M ago46:39

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Send us a text This week on Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias explore Wells Fargo’s virtual assistant “Fargo” and how it stacks up against Klarna’s AI tool from a year ago. With 250 million fully automated interactions and measurable impact on customer engagement and bias reduction, Fargo offers a powerful case study in applied AI. A…

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Sunjung Park, Staff Product Designer 🦊 (Part 2) GitLab 6:18

7M ago6:18

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Sunjung is a Staff Product Designer at GitLab, focused on solving technically complex problems and enhancing the developer experience. She is currently pursuing an MBA, which fuels her passion for creating sustainable solutions to complex challenges that foster societal change. Where to find Sunjung: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunjun…

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Getting Hands-On with MCP & Anthropic’s AI Economic Index | 80 55:03

7M ago55:03

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Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, hosts Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan take a deep dive into Model Context Protocol (MCP), a revolutionary standard making it dramatically easier for AI to interact with data, tools, and systems—no code required. Mallory shares her personal setup experience with Claude for desktop, walking through a…

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AI Readiness Workshop: Demystifying AI with Avishkar Misra of Berrijam AI 35:08

7M ago35:08

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Dr. Avishkar Misra shares his expertise on implementing AI effectively in businesses and explains how his company Berrijam is making AI accessible, explainable, and useful for organizations of all sizes. • AI is not just one solution but a set of tools, techniques, and frameworks that allows for intelligent decision-making at various scales • Berri…

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Ian Andrews Talks Groq’s Fast, Smart AI Inference Tech | 79 43:10

7M ago43:10

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Send us a text In this special episode of Sidecar Sync, we dive into the future of AI infrastructure with Ian Andrews, Chief Revenue Officer at Groq (that’s Groq with a Q!). Ian shares the story behind Groq’s rise, how their LPU chip challenges Nvidia’s dominance, and why fast, low-cost, high-quality inference is about to unlock entirely new catego…

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Web3 Warriors Episode 118 - Sira Toure, DLAR.io Founder & CTO, discusses smart contracts in the legal world and crypto adoption 1:11:15

7M ago1:11:15

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In episode 118 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with Sira Toure, Founder & CTO of DLAR.io, a new web3 platform using AI and blockchain to simplify legal contracts and support web3 adoption. Their first project, MyLegaleze, aims to use AI and smart contracts to break down any documents and let the user know if there are any potential issues. Sira di…

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Cartoon Avatars, Talking Robots, and AI That Draws | 78 43:10

7M ago43:10

43:10

Send us a text In this vibrant and forward-thinking episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory and Amith dive into the fun side of AI—exploring OpenAI’s new GPT-4o image generation capabilities, Hedra’s cartoon animation tech, and the jaw-dropping robotics work between Nvidia, Google DeepMind, and Disney. You’ll hear about Mallory’s creation of cartoon avata…

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Sunjung Park, Staff Product Designer 🦊 (Part 1) GitLab 5:50

7M ago5:50

5:50

Sunjung is a Staff Product Designer at GitLab, focused on solving technically complex problems and enhancing the developer experience. She is currently pursuing an MBA, which fuels her passion for creating sustainable solutions to complex challenges that foster societal change. Where to find Sunjung: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunjung27…

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Intel Bets Big on Chips Again as Meta Drops Llama 4 | 77 50:05

7M ago50:05

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Send us a text In this thought-provoking episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory and Amith dig into the fascinating world of semiconductors and how a historic joint venture between Intel and TSMC is reshaping the global tech landscape. They explore the underlying tensions between vertically integrated business models and specialization — a conversation th…

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AI Innovations from Gemini and DeepSeek to Break Your Brain | 76 45:55

8M ago45:55

45:55

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory dive deep into two major AI model releases—Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and DeepSeek’s V3—and explore how they’re reshaping the landscape of artificial intelligence. They discuss the technical breakthroughs, from million-token context windows to open-source innovations, and what it all me…

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AI-Enhanced Member Services: Turning Strategy Into Action | 75 38:26

8M ago38:26

38:26

Send us a text In this milestone 75th episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory return for part two of their deep dive into AI-enhanced member services. This second installment of AI-Enhanced Member Services shifts from ideas to action. Amith and Mallory focus on the infrastructure, mindset, and change management strategies needed to implement AI …

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Manus AI Tackles Complex Tasks While Sesame AI Sounds a Little More Human | 74 51:09

8M ago51:09

51:09

Send us a text In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory discuss the Manus AI Agent, a groundbreaking system that autonomously handles complex tasks like resume screening and real estate searches. They also explore the evolution of conversational AI with Sesame AI, which enhances digital interactions through natural speech. Amith shares in…

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Web3 Warriors Episode 117: Sebastien, CEO & Co-Founder Sophon Labs, on simplifying the web3 UX 53:33

8M ago53:33

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In episode 117 of Web3 Warriors, Krome connects with Sebastien, CEO & Co-Founder of Sophon Labs, a Layer2 blockchain platform that aims to simplify web3 integration for gaming developers and other blockchain use-cases. Claiming to be a platform "where simple meets powerful," Sophon serves as a platform for easy-to-use onchain dApps. Check out this …

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AI-Enhanced Member Services: What You Need to Know | 73 1:02:58

8M ago1:02:58

1:02:58

Send us a text In this first installment of a special two-part episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith and Mallory explore the future of AI-enhanced member services. Associations face growing pressure to provide seamless, 24/7 member support—competing with the personalized service of big brands. In Part 1, we break down key member service functions and how …