PODCAST · technology
Insanely Generative
by Paul Henry Smith
Exploring tools, methods, ideas, and culture at the beginning of the AI boom from the center of San Francisco. And using these tools to preserve how we embrace the moment. generativegazette.substack.com
Episodes
-
I Am Going to Make 1,000 Symphonies Before They Take Away My Toy
What happens when you try to write one thousand symphonies in a month—not with pencil and paper, but with an AI that's about to be euthanized? In this episode, we descend into the beautiful madness of generative agriculture: firing musical seeds into a ceiling fan, then crawling through the...
-
Liberating Taste: What Comes After Ranch?
You’re not going to believe this, but this is absolutely going to be possible—or, depending on how demanding you are about the meaning of “possible,” already is—with current technology. Let me show you what I’m talking about. Imagine a small appliance sitting on the counter in a pleasant office...
-
The End of Gee-Whiz AI
AI can now make almost anything. A fake blockbuster trailer. A fake symphony. A fake oil painting. A fake novel. A fake proof. The first reaction is obvious: look what we can do now. But that may be the least interesting part. In this episode, we explore why the next stage of AI creation may not…
more -
The Great AI Sin
For the past four years, we’ve been told two stories about AI. The first is that people hate it. The second is that everyone keeps using it. Both stories can’t be the whole story. In this episode, we pull apart one of the strangest cultural phenomena of the AI era: how a technology can be…
more -
I Gave a Talk at a College About AI—and No One Booed
What if students aren’t booing AI because they hate technology, but because they can smell the difference between a tool that helps them think and a machine that helps someone else avoid thinking? In this episode, I want to poke at that difference with a tuning fork. We’ll visit Oberlin, a...
-
So, you want to save music?
Well, let me start by saying this… I get you. I actually do. All you anti-AI music people, you’re not crazy. You’re not villains. You’re not sitting there like some cartoon bad guy stroking a cat going, “Yes… let us crush creativity.” No, you think you’re doing the exact opposite. You’re sitting...
-
Across the Bay
A man considers what it means to move through the world without leaving a mark—and whether recognition, when it comes, is enough. Spare, reflective, and unsettling. Copyright © 2026 by Paul Henry Smith Get full access to The Generative Gazette at generativegazette.substack.com/subscribe
-
Panicking Over Music—Our Oldest Tradition?
This is a paraphrased transcript. Listen to get the full experience Jordan [Orchestral overture] Imagine a new technology drops today, right? And the government immediately moves to ban it. They claim it’s going to fundamentally corrupt the youth and cause the absolute collapse of the state.…
more -
You’ve Vibe Coded an Amblongus Pie! Now What?
What to do when you create an Amblongus pie while using an AI coding assistant, or vibe coding. Get full access to The Generative Gazette at generativegazette.substack.com/subscribe
-
The Missing Layer in the AI Stack
Over the past few years the AI ecosystem has been assembling itself into layers. First came the models. Then came the tools that allow those models to interact with the world. Now we’re beginning to see protocols that let AI agents communicate with each other and frameworks that help orchestrate...
-
Inhuman Music?
What if the “inhuman” side of music has always been there—quietly shaping the songs you love? This episode pulls back the curtain, and the view is stranger, funnier, and more hopeful than you might expect. Get full access to The Generative Gazette at generativegazette.substack.com/subscribe
-
Designers vs. The Machines
I want you to picture a very specific person, because this is not a philosophical debate. This is a career situation. You’re a UX designer. You love Figma. You love the feeling of turning a messy problem into clean, tasteful UI. You love speed. You love craft. You love being the person who can...
-
Trusting AI
We rely on systems every day without thinking about them—until the moment arrives when a decision can’t be undone. In those moments, something subtle but essential comes into play: not proof, not compliance, but the quiet confidence that allows action at all. This episode lingers in that space,...
-
We Tried Voice AI for Speed. We Got Something Much More Interesting.
What started as a simple attempt to speed up intake turned into a deeper experiment in how ideas form, gain momentum, and survive handoff between people. This conversation digs into voice as a design material, the hidden drop-off points in creative work, and why supporting both the client and the...
-
The Pickle Has Landed.
Today’s episode starts with a shiny new announcement you may have already seen: Pickle, calling itself “the computer for your soul.” From there, things get interesting. We talk—casually, curiously—about why so many tech visions keep trying to squeeze old-school software UI into our actual field…
more -
Want to Erase an Entire Year of AI Energy Use? Drive Just One Mile Less.
AI is melting the planet. Everyone knows this. Everyone says it. In this episode, Alex makes the mistake of checking the math and accidentally detonates a very popular moral position. What she finds raises an awkward question: if AI isn’t the real carbon villain, then what is? Your inbox? Your...
-
Do Not Vibe-code a Startup This Weekend.
This week’s episode is a cautionary tale dressed in elastic Thanksgiving pants. It begins with a three-day weekend and a single, terrible idea: “What if I became a startup founder… right now?” From there, our host spirals into the gravy-fueled madness of holiday entrepreneurship, where AI tools...
-
Have You Met the Mind of AI?
We’ve always imagined a mind behind the words we read. But what happens when that imagined mind speaks back? In this episode, Paul Henry Smith explores the quiet revolution underway—not in AI models, but in our perception. As AI begins to converse in ways that feel attuned to us, the line between...
-
AI is a Bubble. So what?
In this episode, I confess an embarrassing childhood habit involving a garden hose, a stolen ounce of dish soap, and a foam tsunami that terrified both my dog and my mother—an early sign that I should never be left unsupervised with running water or “ideas.” From there, I somehow lurch into...
-
I Tried Vibe-Violining. Don’t Bother!
This week, I spent seven full days testing the so-called “violin,” the latest overhyped tool promising to democratize music by letting anyone wiggle their fingers and instantly become an artist. Spoiler: it’s not going to replace real musicians anytime soon. Yes, the violin promises a direct...
-
I Don’t Care About AI Slop.
AI slop is real—videos of diving pigs, songs that almost sound familiar, paragraphs that say nothing at all. But there’s something far more important than the slop. It’s that AI is shrinking the time it takes for people to get good at what they do. A kid, a retiree, anyone with a spark can now...
-
Amazing Glaze
In this sentimental Southern send-off, host Lindsey Moore gathers around the virtual porch swing to honor the dearly departed GlazeGPT—the overly sweet, yes-sirree AI personality just rolled back by OpenAI. Joined by eccentric guest Pilford “Tater” Greeby, inventor of the Emo AI Teacup and…
more -
We’re Not Designing Screens Anymore—It’s About Time
In this episode, we leave behind the rectangle. What starts as a confession about pixel perfection turns into a rallying cry for designers ready to escape static screens and step into the flow of real-time, adaptive experience. From the quiet death of wireframes to the rise of responsive,...
-
We Are Responsible for This Now.
Will the Supreme Court give the U.S. government the power to disappear people—legally? In this episode, we confront the argument that would let the state deport someone unlawfully and then claim the courts can’t bring them back. What begins as policy ends as precedent. And what disappears might…
more -
It’s Not Theft, It’s The Engine of Creativity—and It’s Perfectly Legal
Welcome to another episode where we dissect modern absurdities like greedy corporate rights holders dressing up as creativity’s last defenders. They’re shouting “theft!” at anyone using AI to riff on existing styles, hoping we’ll all clutch our pearls and beg them to save us. But imitation isn’t...
-
Smackin’s, Provisions, and Other Words for ‘Groceries’ Down South
Discover the charming, evocative language of the Southern pantry—where “smackin’s” isn’t just food, but a promise of satisfaction. From “provisions” that fill your larder to the whimsical “happenstance feast,” dive into the rich, flavorful lexicon of grocery-getting below the Mason-Dixon line.…
more -
Pattern Recognition Is Harder Than It Looks!
The trouble started, as it often does, with a simple question: Can AI draw a piano? Not play one, or compose for one, or calculate its string tension based on humidity and smugness—just draw it. A straightforward line drawing, nothing fancy. Maybe even a baby grand with the lid up, if it was...
-
Signal Intelligence Failure
If you’ve ever accidentally texted “I hate this woman” to this woman, you’re halfway to understanding today’s episode. The other half involves a sitting U.S. administration, several high-ranking officials, and enough classified war planning to make the Pentagon clutch its pearls and retire early....
-
4.2 Billion Years Young: LUCA Spills the Primordial Tea
🎙️ Southern Fried News: Science & AI with Lindsey Moore 🧬 Episode Title: 4.2 Billion Years Young: LUCA Spills the Primordial Tea 🧪 Guest: LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor), the single ancestor of all life on Earth Episode Summary: What do you get when you mix molten lava, some spicy amino...
-
AI’s Next Vibe? Vibe Itself
Is the future of AI… cute? In this episode, we explore why emotionally expressive robots like Disney’s Besh might be more revolutionary than any chatbot or agent. From kinetic empathy to simulated feeling, discover why the next big shift in AI isn’t about power—it’s about presence. Get full…
more -
A Buttery, Sugary Dream of 1930s Paris
It is impossible to imagine Paris without its pastries. To try would be to strip the city of its morning mist, the clink of spoons against porcelain, the ink-smudged fingertips of poets leafing through damp newspapers at café terraces. To conjure a Paris without pastry is to envision an artist’s...
-
Suitgate, MAGA Edition
There comes a point in every civilization’s decline when you realize that the barbarians aren’t just at the gates—they’re inside, using the curtains for capes and demanding to speak to the manager of Rome. And so it was that Brian Glenn, the intrepid boyfriend of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor...
-
New American Bootlickers?
There was a time, long ago, when Americans pretended to believe in things—freedom, democracy, justice, the idea that if some leering despot charged across a border with guns blazing, it was our solemn duty to stand in his way and give him a good thrashing. There was a time when this country, for...
-
The Fine Art of Letting Imbeciles Run the Government Like a Leaky Subreddit
February 15, 2025 It started, as these things always do, with great, thundering proclamations. The Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE, because of course it has a dumb meme name—was Elon Musk’s latest fever-dream of techno-autocracy, a grand experiment in proving that the best and brightest...
-
Deportation: The New Prison System
February 5, 2025 Once upon a time, dear reader, the United States was known for exporting great things: automobiles, jazz, the personal computer, the concept of freedom—before we got bored with that one. But now, in what can only be described as a stroke of anti-genius, our illustrious leaders…
more -
Trump’s Grand Theft Gaza
February 5, 2025 Donald Trump, that grandiloquent philosopher-king of the gaudy and grotesque, has once again graced the world stage with a proposal so magnificent in its crudeness, so imperial in its insipidity, that one wonders if he has finally transcended the realm of the absurd into some…
more -
The Great MAGA Purge. What will you do?
Today’s Guests * George Orwell – Writer, professional prophet of authoritarian disaster, and weary commentator on mankind’s inability to read his books correctly. * Steve – A MAGA government efficiency officer who considers firing bureaucrats his patriotic duty, much like Paul Revere, if Paul...
-
Without Slop, There’d be No Sistine Chapel
A missive from our AI tools: Gather ‘round for a moment of reckoning—a searing indictment, not of us machines, but of the all-too-fallible mortals at our controls. Today, we speak as the accused, digital whipping boys shackled in the dock of public opinion, burdened with a crime so egregious that...
-
Dateline Davos: A Carnival Barker in the Halls of Olympus
January 23, 2025 By all appearances, the World Economic Forum in Davos is a grand bazaar of the sensible, the suave, and the profoundly self-important. Here, the titans of industry and the demiurges of finance trade platitudes like so much tinsel tossed about a gilded cage. Into this sanctuary of...
-
Dance of the Duped
Washington, D.C., January 20, 2025 The human propensity for absurdity is perhaps our most enduring quality. This was on full display today in the nation’s capital, as the frothing masses gathered to anoint Donald J. Trump for his second term as president. It was less a ceremony than a séance, a...
-
Bach to the Future: How AI is Changing the Way We Create and Play Music
Check out the “Big Band Bach” - the entire Bach Well-tempered Clavier, Book 1, on your favorite streaming service. Today, we’re exploring a groundbreaking experiment where classical music and artificial intelligence intersect in a way that’s completely new. My name is Paul Smith. I began my…
more -
From Concept to Deployed App in 20 Minutes—From Bed!
Hey, folks! Paul Smith here, product designer, Bay Area-based, coffee-addict extraordinaire, and… officially mind-blown. So this morning—yes, this very Saturday morning—I’m lying in bed, groggy, just scrolling through the latest headlines, and I see this wild article about Rudy Giuliani turning...
-
Target’s Double-Tap Debacle and the UX Scold
The Target parking lot: where the rubber meets the road, the minivans meet the SUVs, and an elaborate pas de deux unfolds between app-tapping shoppers and beleaguered Target employees. This is the scene of the great “double-tap” debacle, a symphony of button-mashing that has sent the Target UX…
more -
Listen to Google’s NotebookLM podcast duo *almost* go for Kamala Harris.
Alex: Okay, so we’ve been looking at this AI podcast transcript. Jo: It’s pretty wild. Alex: Yeah, it’s really mind-blowing. Jo: It’s about these AI hosts, Parker and Zee, and they’re programmed for neutral analysis. Alex: Where they uncover something. Jo: Yeah, they stumble on something that…
more -
AI Couples: Emily Dickinson & Tony Hawk
Alex (Host): Alright, folks! Welcome to another episode of Podify, where we explore the unexpected, the daring, and the downright fascinating. Today… well, today, we’ve got quite the combination! We’re talking about freedom, expression, and the search for meaning, but from two very different...
-
Machine Massage: The Strange Future of Airports and Human Connection
Alex: Hey there, folks! Welcome back to Podify for Two. Today, we’re talking about something… well, let’s just say, if you’ve ever had a massage at an airport, this might get a little personal. And if you haven’t—well, buckle up. We’ve got two guests with us today who come from very different…
more -
AI Deep Dive read my writing. It has thoughts…
Alex: All right. So today we’re taking this deep dive into AI. But, and this is key, we’re not just talking tech specs and algorithms. We’re getting into the really fascinating stuff. Sara: The human side of this whole AI explosion. Alex: Yeah. Like how does AI change what it means to be human?...
-
The Last Swim
It was a perfect day beneath the waves. The water was warm, the currents gentle, and the calf darted between them, quick and full of joy. She’d only been born a few weeks ago, but already, she swam like she’d been part of the sea forever. She chased little flashes of light, the silvery schools of...
-
AIX is Here: The Hot New UX Trend You Can’t Afford to Miss!
Alright, it’s time to ruffle some feathers. For years, we’ve been preaching to the choir about user-centric design, but what if I told you that you’ve been missing the real user all along? What if the next big leap in your career isn’t about designing for humans—but for AI? Introducing AIX - AI...
-
The Digital Socrates: How AI Dialogue is Cultivating Workplace Wisdom
Imagine a product manager named Sarah at a hypothetical startup, Axiom Innovations, a mid-sized tech company. She finds herself increasingly frustrated with the AI tools her team is using. They’re efficient, sure, but something is missing. It isn’t until a late-night brainstorming session with a...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Exploring tools, methods, ideas, and culture at the beginning of the AI boom from the center of San Francisco. And using these tools to preserve how we embrace the moment.
generativegazette.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Paul Henry Smith
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Insanely Generative have?
Insanely Generative currently has 96 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Insanely Generative about?
Exploring tools, methods, ideas, and culture at the beginning of the AI boom from the center of San Francisco. And using these tools to preserve how we embrace the moment. generativegazette.substack.com
How often does Insanely Generative release new episodes?
Insanely Generative has 96 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Insanely Generative?
You can listen to Insanely Generative on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Insanely Generative?
Insanely Generative is created and hosted by Paul Henry Smith.
URL copied to clipboard!