Cities Decoded

Hi Cities Decoded community🙂My podcast Mindful Notions has been nominated for its first award. While I focus Cities Decoded on cities x AI, Mindful Notions looks at young professionals x AI.If you have enjoyed listening to any of my conversations across either podcast, I would be so grateful for you to take a minute to vote for the podcast. Every vote counts towards a potential win!Vote here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262When prompted, paste this RSS link: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rssVoting closes May 4th.From one show in your feed to another, thank you for listening and watching. As always, more to come. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Hi Cities Decoded community🙂My podcast Mindful Notions has been nominated for its first award. While I focus Cities Decoded on cities x AI, Mindful Notions looks at young professionals x AI.If you have enjoyed listening to any of my conversations across either podcast, I would be so grateful for you to take a minute to vote for the podcast. Every vote counts towards a potential win!Vote here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262When prompted, paste this RSS link: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rssVoting closes May 4th.From one show in your feed to another, thank you for listening and watching. As always, more to come.Some things me and Elif cover in our storytime:* Unforced Error of the Week: the thing we messed up and what it taught us* Personal operating system check-in: the routines and workflows we’re testing right now* NYC vs. DC greenspaces!!* Book / article / creator corner: what we’re reading lately and how its inspiring us This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Hi Cities Decoded community🙂My podcast Mindful Notions has been nominated for its first award. While I focus Cities Decoded on cities x AI, Mindful Notions looks at young professionals x AI.If you have enjoyed listening to any of my conversations across either podcast, I would be so grateful for you to take a minute to vote for the podcast. Every vote counts towards a potential win!Vote here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262When prompted, paste this RSS link: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rssVoting closes May 4th.From one show in your feed to another, thank you for listening and watching. As always, more to come.🔗 ChatGPT Cites Half the URLs It Retrieves, and Reddit Is 67.8% of the RestAhrefs analyzed 1.4 million ChatGPT prompts from February 2025 covering 47.1 million retrieved URLs and found ChatGPT cites only 49.98% of them. The citation rate varies sharply by source: Search results hit 88.46% (25.6M data points), News 12.01%, Reddit just 1.93% despite 16.2M retrievals, YouTube 0.51%, and Academia 0.40%. Reddit alone accounts for 67.8% of the entire non-cited pool, meaning ChatGPT pulls Reddit at scale but almost never credits it. On average, ChatGPT retrieves 16.57 cited and 16.58 non-cited URLs per prompt. Cited pages have a median age of about 500 days (1.3 years), while non-cited pages are overwhelmingly very young. Title relevance matters: cosine similarity between prompt and cited URL title averages 0.602 versus 0.484 for non-cited, and natural-language URL slugs get cited 89.78% of the time versus 81.11% for opaque slugs. (Read More)🫖 TEA For Thought: “I guess almost 70% of the content is from Reddit. That is why Reddit’s CEO is so harsh on AI agent control.”💸 Anthropic Ends the Flat-Fee EraAnthropic restructured enterprise pricing. Seat fees now cover platform access only. Claude, Claude Code, and Cowork usage is billed separately at standard API rates. The trigger: GPU rental costs climbed 48%, CoreWeave raised rates 20%, and API uptime dropped to 98.95% over 90 days (well below the 99.99% cloud standard). OpenAI, GitHub, and Windsurf have already made the same move. The subsidized-access era for heavy users is over industry-wide. (Read More)🫖 TEA For Thought: “The seat charge era might be over soon. Folks will be charged for the tokens they actually consume. More people will direct their work toward open-source, locally deployed models. Get some hardware ready before prices go even further up.”📊 74% of AI’s Value Goes to 20% of Companies, and the Gap Is WideningPwC surveyed 1,217 senior executives across 25 sectors. Finding: 74% of AI’s economic gains are captured by just 20% of organizations. The leaders are not deploying more tools. They are using AI to reinvent business models and pursue growth from industry convergence. They are 2.8x more likely to increase decisions made without human intervention, 2.6x more likely to report AI enables business model reinvention, and 1.7x more likely to have a Responsible AI framework. The divide is structural, not technological. (Read More)🫖 TEA For Thought: “This is the inflection point. The gap between those who use AI and those who don’t is going to grow wider and wider.”🧠 Sam Altman: Once You See AGI You Can’t Unsee ItAfter someone threw a Molotov cocktail at his house at 3:45 AM, Sam Altman published a personal reflection on AI, OpenAI, and himself. He calls AI “the most powerful tool for expanding human capability and potential that anyone has ever seen” with “essentially uncapped” demand. He says fear and anxiety about AI is “justified” and that society needs resilience beyond just model alignment. He argues AI must be democratized: “It is not right that a few AI labs would make the most consequential decisions about the shape of our future.” On OpenAI’s drama, he attributes it to the “ring of power” dynamic and acknowledges being conflict-averse “caused great pain for me and OpenAI.” He is proud of resisting demands for “unilateral control” and delivering on the mission: “A lot of companies say they are going to change the world; we actually did.” (Read More)🫖 TEA For Thought: “Once you see AGI you can’t unsee it.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

This episode is all about an industry that does affect most major cities: the legal profession! This is probably the pinnacle of knowledge work and a big question is how much AI will actually disrupt the legal profession, and what good, if any can come out of that disruption.To help me start answering that question, I’m joined by Justin Curl — a 3L at Harvard Law School, a Schwarzman Scholar, and a Princeton computer science alum.Here are Justin’s two pieces that we discuss:* AI won’t automatically make legal services cheaper* AI is just starting to change the legal profession This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Read about what comes next for Cities Decoded here.Read the latest from the Daily TEA here.Read the latest from Elif here.Read the latest from Jon here.* See Jon in person at his next speaking event here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon the Interact fellowship.It is a fellowship of technologists that “come together to collaborate, seek out difficult conversations, and push each other to do good in the world.”Sounded like a good time!As someone who slightly missed the age cut off (I am in the age category where applicants are considered “on a case-by-case basis”), I figured why not send in an application for a chance to meet some really cool people.As I went through the application, I filled out the expected fields (name, email, school). But when I got to written responses, something unexpected happen.The questions posed allowed me to genuinely reflect on many cool tech and community experiences I have had in the past few years, rather than simply retelling them in a straightforward and neatly packaged way. In short, if you read my responses, it more so reflects someone who is still figuring out so many things, and having a lot of fun doing so.Furthermore, I was able to hype up other people in the tech ecosystem who I truly believe in (some of who you see in Cities Decoded🙂).That revelation, along with my general disdain for the flatness of written applications (how much can you really glean from a person through them?), spurred me to make this quick podcast episode where I could respond verbally and encourage you all to think about what your responses would be to these sharp questions.TLDR: the Notion community is great and I want to make it greater. Also, elif nisa polat, jonathan bensimon, and magan chin are great and I want to help make them greater. In short, if you read my responses, it more so reflects someone who is still figuring out so many things, and having a lot of fun doing so.What I am equally interested in is what responses you have to the following questions:* Think about your three core interests. Why do you care about these things?* What has been the biggest change to your beliefs or values in the past two years, and what caused this change?* Someone gives you $50,000 for a project that explicitly can't be a business. What's the project you work on and why?* What project or initiative were you proudest of in 2025? What is your primary creative, academic, or work goal for 2026?* Whose voice should carry more weight in the technology ecosystem (or insert your relevant industry) than it does today?* Who would you be the most excited to find out was in your Fellowship class? Why?Want to hear my responses? Watch/listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts! Deadline to apply to the Interact fellowship is Feb 9th. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

For those who have wanted to know, “what’s the tea with AI?” since the beginning of 2025, there hasn’t been a more consistent source than TEA (The Era Arc).That’s why I was so happy to announce last month that the creator of The Era Arc would be coming to the pages of Cities Decoded.Every Monday and Tuesday, I have the privilege of sending out the Daily TEA alongside this creator. Every Friday, I have the privilege of promoting their NEW series where they review the latest AI products. And if you want to know the TEA on Wednesdays or Thursdays…it’s always on the Cities Decoded website!In addition, I am so excited to announce the monthly TEA where The Era Arc and I break down some of the best stories from the past month of daily TEAs.For Jan 2026, we have:🧪 Claude Supercharges Scientific Research Workflows🪙 Bitmine Bets $200M on MrBeast’s DeFi-Enabled Entertainment Empire📡 Starlink Helps Iranians Circumvent Severe Internet Blackout🤖 Humanoid Robot NEO Uses Video AI to Learn New Skills📱 ‘Are You Dead?’ App Becomes Viral Safety Tool For Solo DwellersWant to get the daily TEA and stay up to date with AI? Subscribe here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

👋Hey Cities Decoded community,I’ve got news that I’m so excited to share: Cities Decoded is partnering with The ERA Arc for a new 2026 content collaboration.If you’re here because you want to understand whats happening in AI without drowning in it, this partnership is for you.Whats changing:Starting tomorrow, you’ll see two new rhythms from this partnership:* Weekday: Daily TEA* A crisp, must-know rundown of AI headlines and signals* Monthly: a Cities Decoded × ERA Arc podcast recap* A conversational episode breaking down:* what mattered this month* what it means* what to keep an eye on nextWhy it matters (AI × cities)To me, Cities Decoded exists to translate AI headlines into city-life consequences.That means helping you:* track the AI shifts that will actually show up in your city (schools, streets, jobs, housing, public services)* separate hype from impact so you know what to pay attention toThis partnership makes that mission easier to deliver:* Weekday signal so you catch the developments that could become the next city pilot or local debate* A monthly recap to connect the dots: what changed, what cities are likely to do next, and what it means for people on the groundWhat I want from youIf you’re excited, heres how you can help:* Reply with the AI topic you’re most trying to understand in 2026 (work, education, cities, policy, creators, etc.).* Forward this to one friend who always asks whats going on with AI?Thanks for being on the journey so far. As always, more to come.-Sam This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

When I joined the AI Collective team at the beginning of the year as Creative Director, DC Decoded was just an idea.Now, let me make one thing clear. Ideas themselves are not bad. They’re great! We wouldn’t possess anything we currently have without the initial idea.But ideas are a dime a dozen.The much harder part is knowing how to execute the good ideas. And boy, did DC Decoded teach me how to do that.Starting from 0 subscribers and 0 posts at the beginning of February, I am so proud to have led the growth of this podcast to 650+ subscribers (mainly AI professionals in DC) and 20+ episodes with 10+ other pieces of content.We have had 15 amazing guests on including:Catherine McMillan | Nate Burola | John Heflin Hopkins-Gillespie (3x!) | Wolf Ruzicka | Erica Shoemate | Ryan Malani | Juan Manuel Contreras (2x!) | Andrew Gamino-Cheong | Monica Lopez | Austin Nellessen | Victor Shilo | Cameron Powell | Allison Shapira | Glenn Parham | The Era ArcNot only that, we have been fortunate enough to be recommended by eight wonderful tech and non‑tech Substacks out there including:The AI Collective Community Newsletter | The Era Arc | Faster, Please! | The Influence Model | Mindful Notions | AI Supremacy | The Responsible AI Chronicle | Deborah’s Substack | Paradigm ShiftAnd of course, we were also very lucky to be backed by companies like Notion to offer free AI to startups and SMBs* and swag/education to interested community members.This Substack would not have been possible without the DC team including:Catherine McMillan | Jabari Grubb | Elif Polat | Brian McAbee | Liz Farrell | Brittney Stewart | Noah Frank | Liel Zino | Anna D’Aprile | and more!Now? We’re expanding the show. DC Decoded started as a way to highlight the incredible AI talent in DC. A second reason was to dispel the age‑old notions that DC is just policy and law. And I’m pretty confident we are actively doing that.We will continue to do so with our new host, Elif. Check out her first episode ft. yours truly here: https://samligenaicollective.substack.com/p/the-one-with-sam-li-our-need-for?r=553qruWhile I’m very proud that the majority of our subscribers are still members of the DC AI community, I couldn’t help but notice we had a growing group of non-DC based people who were finding us from a variety of sources: Other Substacks, social media, and of course, word of mouth.What makes this Substack unique is not that we are AI‑focused, or that we are city‑focused, but it’s that we blend both incredibly well. As our audience changes and grows, we want to make sure they get the most value possible!More specifically: Through a mix of in‑person and online experiences, we make sure that when people tune in to our written, audio, or video content, they receive a nuanced understanding of how AI is affecting the city they are living in. Until today, the “city” part of our “city and AI” mix has been limited to being DC.Which is why I’m so excited to announce our new and improved Substack: Cities Decoded.“What makes this Substack unique is not that we are AI‑focused, or that we are city‑focused, but it’s that we blend both incredibly well.”As I move to New York (more info next week on LinkedIn), I thought a lot about what I wanted to do with this Substack. Should I just let Elif do DC Decoded and leave it behind? Should I start a new Substack? Should I come back to DC and do episodes when I could?None of those felt right because they didn’t represent what this audience ultimately wants: To understand how influential cities in America are helping or harming the progress of AI.To be clear on what is happening on a practical level:* We have the amazing Elif continuing season 2 of DC Decoded: The AI Collective. Her latest episode is here: https://samligenaicollective.substack.com/p/the-one-with-deniz-houston-why-ai* We are starting NY Decoded: The AI Collective, hosted by me, new episodes starting January. DC Decoded subscribers will be automatically added; you are welcome to unsubscribe at any time (though I hope you will give the new show a chance!).* We are expanding the DC Decoded brand to Cities Decoded, encompassing the separate DC Decoded and NY Decoded podcastsIt’s an exciting time. If you have any interest in helping with guest recommendations/connections/other podcast stuff, my Substack and LinkedIn messages are always open.Thanks very very very much to all 650+ of you for a wild ride this year through DC and now including NY. I hope to see you at an AI Collective event very soon. And as always, there is so much more to come.Welcome to the Cities Decoded community. I am beyond happy and grateful that you are here.Onwards and upwards!-Sam*Get 3 months of Notion AI/Business FREE for your SMB/startup. I get a commission for every approved signup. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Juan’s contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcontreras/Aymara: https://www.aymara.ai/* “The Aymara LLM Risk & Responsibility Matrix”* “AUTOMATED SAFETY EVALUATIONS ACROSS 20 LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS: THE AYMARA LLM RISK AND RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX”* “We Tested 13 AI Image Generators. We Found Gender Bias That Poses a Major Business Risk”* “AUTOMATED EVALUATION OF GENDER BIAS ACROSS 13 LARGE MULTIMODAL MODELS”Dennis’ contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-q-397b5272/* Geofund: https://www.geofund.io/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

in this episode, deniz joins me to discuss the differences in the innovation culture in the us and in europe, while we cook a traditional turkish dish, hünkâr beğendi. we share how we use ai in our day to day lives, and disagree over whether it’s okay to name your ai chatbot. my dearest friend caroline kuria also joins us to add to the discussion from her beautiful soul, talks about how ai is missing the nuances of our native languages.you can also watch on youtube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

The Era Arc: Come to our upcoming events:AI, Art & Culture Rooftop Social @ The LINE Hotel DC https://luma.com/h6nt7szkAI Build Blitz https://luma.com/buildblitzBeyond MWN Community Workshop: Washington, DC https://luma.com/aic-dc-10-2-25 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

in this episode, sam li, head of knowledge at ai collective, joins elif to discuss what it means to build real community in the age of ai. we dive into trusting ai systems, building strong partnerships, integrating ai into daily life, as well as elif's ongoing yogurt obsession. hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Find out more about Glenn here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennparham/GovBench Advisories:Advisory: Block China-hosted LLM Services on All Government Networks (2025-08-21)Advisory: Ban China-Trained LLMs from Government Production Environments (2025-08-21)Context for this episode⬇️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

White House AI Action Plan: “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan”John’s blog: “What the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan Means for Enterprises”🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsGenerative Series X AI Collective Rooftop Social: https://luma.com/aic-dc-8-27 “Come grab a drink with us, enjoy live A.I. and art demos, and fascinating, funky speakers with the finest tech, art, and politics folks D.C. has to offer. We look forward to bringing together our vibrant community around music, drinks, and good conversation – and to your hottest takes on A.I.!”🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREEAs a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups**This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

SUNDAY, AUG 17 UPDATE: We will now be releasing this course after the Make with Notion conference in September. In the meantime, please consider following the “Mindful Notions” Substack to stay up to date with Notion features leading up to the conference!As the debate over which AI tool is the best continues online, the AI Collective’s DC chapter is committed to trying different tools ourselves and bring the most useful ones to the DC Decoded community.That's why I'm launching Notion AI for Work, a comprehensive course designed specifically for DC professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve.Why this course matters nowAs Director of Knowledge for the AI Collective's DC chapter, I've seen a pattern: the professionals thriving in today's economy aren't just AI-aware—they're AI-integrated. They're using tools like Notion AI to:* Cut meeting prep time by 70% with AI-powered research and agenda generation* Transform scattered information into actionable insights instantly* Automate routine tasks that used to eat up hours each week* Make better decisions faster with AI-assisted analysisUse all of Notion AI features FREE for 3 months with your work email*: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartupsWhat you'll learnThis isn't another generic AI overview. It's a practical, hands-on course covering five game-changing areas:Enterprise Search - Find anything instantly across all your work toolsAI Meeting Notes - Capture and synthesize discussions effortlesslyResearch Mode - Gather and organize information from your workspace and the webAI Home - Connect Notion AI with ChatGPT, Claude, and other toolsAgent Mode - Have Notion AI create workflows, databases, and more with youBuilt for DC professionalsEvery module includes real work use cases: policy research workflows, stakeholder management, briefing preparation, and cross-agency collaboration strategies."It's the innovative startups that are often pioneering new approaches to responsible AI implementation. While startup ventures carry inherent risks, this experimentation is crucial for developing practical, effective approaches to AI safety."As I wrote in my recent piece on how startups should be a bigger part of the responsible AI conversation, the most effective solutions often emerge from smaller, more agile organizations. This course embodies that philosophy—practical, tested approaches from the ground up."The companies that succeed in deploying responsible AI won't just benefit their customers. They will benefit all other companies using AI. That's becoming an increasingly hard segment for anyone to ignore."Next StepsBe on the lookout for concise weekly module drops straight to your email. Even if you do not use Notion or AI that heavily, we plan to make each module useful for working professionals at large.The future belongs to professionals who don't just understand AI—they use it strategically every day. I hope to see you there.—SamIf interested…Are you an AI professional, consultant, or educator interested in collaborative learning? I'm actively seeking subject matter experts who want to contribute their expertise or explore partnership opportunities for this educational initiative. Whether you're working on AI governance, developing AI tools, or implementing AI solutions in your organization, I'd love to connect.Reach out to me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss how we might work together.*I get a commission for each approved signup. This deal is generally limited to teams between 1-100 people. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Learn more about Allison’s work here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonshapira/🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsThe AI Collective x Notion Series — Part 3: https://lu.ma/notionxgenaicollective “​Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for our third event out of our three-part series showcasing Notion - the tool that helps you do your work better.”Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social: https://lu.ma/pitch-and-pod “​Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social is a gathering designed for AI founders to sharpen their pitches, connect with the community, share their insights, and create new collaborations.”🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREEAs a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups**This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Learn more about Cameron’s work here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpowell/🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsThe AI Collective x Notion Series — Part 3: https://lu.ma/notionxgenaicollective “​Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for our third event out of our three-part series showcasing Notion - the tool that helps you do your work better.”Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social: https://lu.ma/pitch-and-pod “​Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social is a gathering designed for AI founders to sharpen their pitches, connect with the community, share their insights, and create new collaborations.”🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREEAs a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups**This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Learn more about Victor’s work here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-shilo/🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsThe AI Collective x Notion Series — Part 3: https://lu.ma/notionxgenaicollective “​Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for our third event out of our three-part series showcasing Notion - the tool that helps you do your work better.”Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social: https://lu.ma/pitch-and-pod “​Mic Drop: AI Builders Pitch & Pod Social is a gathering designed for AI founders to sharpen their pitches, connect with the community, share their insights, and create new collaborations.”🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREEAs a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups**This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

The AI Collective’s founding director Catherine and new DC lead Jabari Grubb join DC chapter creative director Sam Li to recap the chapter’s three June events.🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsNotion Mail pt. 3 (publishing soon): https://lu.ma/ai-collective-dc🎁A gift for startups — 3 months of Notion Business and Notion AI FOR FREEAs a token of appreciation to one of the backbones of this Substack’s content, DC startups, I am so thrilled to announce we can offer 3 months of Notion Business (including ALL of Notion AI features from meeting notes to connectors) specifically to the AI Collective community FOR FREE.Several members have expressed to me their hesitation with using Notion. Not because they don’t think it’s a great workspace tool but because they haven’t had the chance to fully try out all of Notion’s smooth and connective features.The chance is here.Take one minute to fill out the application for your team here: https://affiliate.notion.so/samhliforstartups**This deal is part of the Notion Builders program. I get a commission for each approved trial.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Jessica Hall joins to talk about her work as Chief Growth Officer at OpsCanvas, her experience navigating the DC tech scene for most of her life, and the most transferrable skill from her ski instructor certification to tech leader.Jess’ work at OpsCanvas was one of the inspirations for my latest piece on startups creating Responsible AI products. Read that piece here.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:18 Journalism to tech career02:48 TEDx speaker experience05:05 What is OpsCanvas?08:40 The growth of DC tech startups14:10 Eliminating “zombie resources”19:29 Responsible AI integration26:42 Rapid-fire segment32:32 Outro🚨Upcoming AI Collective DC eventsAI Soirée no. 3​What future are we building with AI— and what guardrails, if any, should be used to make decisions? AI is reshaping everything from policy to productivity and we want your opinions. This soirée is an invitation to challenge assumptions, explore pro/anti AI systems, and engage with the philosophical, ethical, and technical dimensions of AI…Inbox Intelligence: AI x Notion Mail Series — Part 2​Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for an exciting event showcasing Notion Mail Series— Part 2. This series is about embracing an "in with the new" mindset and learning the ropes of Notion…If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Austin Nellessen joins to talk about my newly published piece in his Substack, ATLAS. By the end, I *think* that I have convinced him to be “Team Responsible AI startups” (bonus points if they are DC-based!). Plus, we break down what’s hype and what’s reality about a pressing AI paradox: Young professionals need to learn how to use a tool that is rapidly displacing the very jobs they need to advance career-wise.My full piece: “How should businesses pursue Responsible AI? Look to startups” ATLAS (2025)Catherine’s piece: “How AI is rewriting the career ladder” Aurix (2025) Show notes“What happens when AI replaces workers?” TIME (2025)“AI is keeping recent college grads out of work” Axios (2025) 🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsStation DC NETWRX☕️Join STATION DC, Bloomberg Industry Group and The GenAI Collective for NETWRX — coffee and networking designed to connect elite technical talent with the companies, startups, and teams ready to hire during DC's AI+ Expo…GenAI Collective DC | Special Mystery Event ​At the GenAI Collective, we've been quietly rearchitecting. Now, we’re bringing together a select global circle to witness the shift before it becomes visible to the world…AI Soirée no. 3​What future are we building with AI— and what guardrails, if any, should be used to make decisions? AI is reshaping everything from policy to productivity and we want your opinions. This soirée is an invitation to challenge assumptions, explore pro/anti AI systems, and engage with the philosophical, ethical, and technical dimensions of AI…If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

GenAI Collective’s founding director Catherine, operations lead (DC chapter) Anna D’Aprile join creative director (DC chapter) Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: Inbox Intelligence pt. 1: Out with the old. The team talks about what Notion even is…and then what Notion Mail is. They cover what makes a demo event engaging. Plus, the team provides thoughts on the growing AI disruption of the white-collar job market and how to make this summer all about the Collective.🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsSTATION DC NETWRX — Tuesday, June 3rd, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM🧠 GenAI Collective DC | Special Mystery Event — Friday, June 6, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PMAI Soirée no. 3 — Tuesday, June 10 6:00 PM - 8:30 PMCatherine’s piece on young professionals and AI here: https://www.aurixai.org/aurora/how-ai-is-rewriting-the-career-ladder Sam’s explanation of Notion Mail here: If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

Monica Lopez, PhD, wants to bring a human intelligence perspective to the design, development, and deployment of AI-enabled systems. What does that actually mean?“It’s all about integrating the fundamentals about human intelligence into machine intelligence…to create more beneficial systems.”And she has plenty of ways to do this important work. Right here in DC.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:42 Dr. Lopez’s company, Cognitive Insights for AI03:17 20-year journey through the AI field07:57 Average client level understanding of AI12:18 Dr. Lopez’s recent piece on bridging the AI divide16:09 U.S. AI progress versus the rest of the world22:11 The 270 corridor28:49 AI in the classroom31:52 Outro🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsInbox Intelligence: GenAI x Notion Mail Series — Part 1📩Join fellow Notion enthusiasts for an exciting event showcasing Notion Mail - the inbox that thinks like you.Station DC NETWRX☕️Join STATION DC, Bloomberg Industry Group and The GenAI Collective for NETWRX — coffee and networking designed to connect elite technical talent with the companies, startups, and teams ready to hire during DC's AI+ Expo.If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

We have returning guest John Hopkins Gillespie (Director of Policy and Product Counsel, Trustible) and Andrew Gamino-Cheong (Chief Technology Officer, Trustible) to bring a DC perspective on Stanford’s AI Index 2025 report.Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:05 Founding Trustible07:22 AI Index report overview11:31 Data privacy laws18:02 Trustible’s model transparency ratings24:33 IAPP Global Privacy Summit recap27:44 Trustible’s use case templates30:11 Why choose Trustible?34:19 Underrated and overrated AI trends39:10 Outro🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsInbox Intelligence: GenAI x Notion Mail Series — Part 1 If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

When developers use AI to build customer solutions in the business and startup world, there are certain things they want AI to do…and certain things they don’t. For example, you would want your AI to be able to communicate information about your products, or certain knowledge bases. But you wouldn’t want the AI to talk about your competitors.Juan Manuel Contreras has built some really cool tools through his company Aymara that help align generative AI. We talk about the vision behind Aymara, safety and flexibility in AI, and how Aymara can operate within the DC tech scene in order to serve customers from all over.Juan is the current co-founder and CEO of Aymara, a startup based in DC. GenAI developers use Aymara to “minimize risk, ensure compliance, and accelerate deployment.” He has participated in fellowship programs including Antler and Halcyon House.Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:33 Juan’s vision for Aymara10:01 Understanding customer needs13:28 Advice for entrepreneurs in the AI space14:53 DC tech scene17:49 Balancing AI regulation with innovation23:39 International cooperation with AI guidelines🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsBe on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

GenAI DC lead Catherine and operations lead Anna D’Aprile join creative director, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: AI insiders roundtable.The team talks about the event’s wonderful partners, Halcyon House and Amazon Web Services. They cover the recurring themes of healthcare and AI and the latest version AI responsible deployment. Plus, the team answers questions in a rapid fire session such as: If ChatGPT were at karaoke night, what would be its go-to song?🎤🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsNotion x GenAI DC demo events! Third weeks of May, June, and July. If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this recap valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

In just our second-ever Substack live, GenAI DC lead Catherine and GenAI DC chapter Operations lead Anna D’Aprile join DC chapter Creative Director and host of DC Decoded, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: the “perfect” happy hour.The team covers the planning details with our partner for the event, Prefect (located in Foggy Bottom), the different discussions that occurred, and what they would do differently. Stick around to near the end of the conversation — the team reacts to the first like they have EVER gotten on Substack live!🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsNotion AI: template workshop | Saturday, April 12AI Insiders Roundtable | Wednesday, April 16Be on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

There’s a lot of change going on with the federal government. It’s hard to keep up.That’s why we’re examining a part of that change in the world of cybersecurity with Ryan Malani.Ryan is currently the COO of INflow, an emerging nontraditional government contractor supporting the Department of Defense and intelligence community. One of the first questions I ask him is what exactly that means for people (like me) who might not be familiar.We cover how AI is transforming cybersecurity, the associated risks and opportunities, and what that means for the DC tech ecosystem.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:03 INflow04:18 Government contracting culture10:10 AI’s impact on INflow17:34 DC’s approach to AI19:35 Skills for the next generation of cybersecurity experts25:14 Outro🚨Upcoming GenAI DC eventsNotion AI: template workshop | Saturday, April 12AI Insiders Roundtable | Wednesday, April 16Be on the lookout for an upcoming Notion x GenAI DC series of events!If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

In our first-ever Substack live, GenAI DC chapter Operations lead Anna D’Aprile joins DC chapter Creative Director and host of DC Decoded, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: AI soirée — dystopia or utopia?Sam and Anna cover the logistics of the soirée, the deep discussions around practical AI solutions, and some funny stories that happened before and during the event. They end the recap previewing the many fun and varied events coming up for the chapter.The next GenAI DC events:AI Power Hour: GenAI Collective x Prefect — Thursday, April 3, 5 - 7 pmNotion AI: template workshop — Saturday, April 12, 2 - 3:30 pmAI Insiders Roundtable — Wednesday, April 16, 5 - 7:30 pmIf you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

AI policy expert Erica Shoemate joins the show to discuss: (1) AI’s role in national security and responsible governance (2) her experience at major tech companies and lessons in AI governance (3) the unique aspects of AI policy work in DC, and much more!Erica is a former intelligence analyst and leader with nearly two decades of experience in national security, emerging technology, and Big Tech. She has shaped AI governance, trust & safety, and risk mitigation policies at the FBI and across the Intelligence Community, influencing standards via the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP), now adopted by companies like Meta, Google. As Founder of The EN Strategy Group, and an AI Global Policy Fellow at AI 2030, she advises organizations on Responsible AI and digital safety. She was honored with the 2024 Black AI Think Tank AI Policy & Advocacy Award.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:14 AI policy and governance05:05 The vision of AI 203007:24 Defining AI10:33 Responsible AI governance14:53 Trust and safety in tech companies18:11 The impact of speech on society26:48 Improving digital literacy31:38 DC’s unique role in the AI landscape34:31 OutroThe next GenAI DC events:AI Soiree: Utopia or Dystopia? — Thursday, March 27, 7 - 9 pm, at capacity!(Waitlist here)AI Power Hour: GenAI Collective x Prefect — Thursday, April 3, 5 - 7 pm, register here!If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email.**There is an error from 29:47 - 29:52 where there is no audio. We apologize and will be stricter with the editing for future episodes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

It’s a question that seasoned technologist and serial entrepreneur Wolf Ruzicka has been pondering for some time, over 25 years to be exact. In this episode of “DC Decoded” Sam talks with Wolf about the book he co-wrote: “AI Driven: Staying Alive in the Age of Digital Darwinism,” the exciting tech ecosystem that coexists with the policy ecosystem in DC, and why AI is NOT the answer to every business problem.Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:00 Wolf’s journey in tech and AI09:48 The purpose and impact of ‘AI Driven’16:02 AI as a tool, not a silver bullet22:53 AI developments in DC27:09 AI policy challenges32:41 The evolution of industries with AI38:15 OutroThe next GenAI DC event:AI Soirée: Dystopia or Utopia? — Thursday, March 27, 7 - 9:30 pm near Capitol Hill: Register here!If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or something else. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

John Heflin Hopkins-Gillespie, Director of Product & Policy at Trustible joins the show to discuss that question and more. Sam chats with John about what responsible AI governance really means, why the U.S. is charting a more independent AI path compared to the rest of the world, and why DC should be considered a “tech hot bed.”Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:25 The definition of AI 05:24 The definition of responsible AI governance10:16 What is Trustible?13:41 Responsible AI frameworks17:56 Ongoing AI regulations25:19 The future of AI regulations29:40 AI governance at an international level36:23 The unique role of DC with AI39:51 OutroShow notes:* Trustible* Alston & Bird* Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP* DC LGBTQ+ Bar Association* NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043* EU AI Act* National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI risk management framework* Colorado AI Bill* Texas AI Bill* Paris AI Action Summit* UK AI Safety Summit* DeepSeek AIThe next GenAI DC event:Behind the Scenes of Global AI Diplomacy — Monday, March 3, 7 - 9 pm, @ The Square: Register here!🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

In this debut episode, host Sam Li sits down with Catherine McMillan, the Executive Director of the chapter, and Nate Burola, a founding member of the chapter.Together, they explore the mission of the GenAI Collective, the unique role of the DC chapter, and why community-driven AI discussions are crucial in the nation’s capital.Tune in to hear about the chapter’s ambitious plans for 2025, upcoming events like the AI soirée, and how the DC tech community is fostering real, transformative conversations around AI.Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:35 What is the GenAI Collective?05:00 How Catherine and Nate met07:41 Goals and initiatives for GenAI DC chapter28:06 What is DC Decoded?36:20 OutroShow notes:* GenAI Collective* Green Intelligence Resource Hub * Blue Dot Impact* AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference* Hugging Face* Stargate Project (OpenAI)* DeepSeek AI Model🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com