In Episode 2 of the Intentional AI series, Cole and Virgil dive into the first real stage of the content lifecycle: research and analysis.

From brainstorming ideas to verifying data sources, AI is being used everywhere in the early stages of content creation. But how much of that information can you actually trust? In this episode, the team unpacks where AI helps, where it hurts, and why you still need to be the researcher of the research.

In this episode, they explore:

• How AI fits into the research and analysis stage of the content lifecycle
• The major risks of using AI for research, including accuracy, bias, and misinformation
• Why trust, verification, and validation are now part of your job
• Security and legal concerns around AI scraping and data usage
• How different tools handle citations, transparency, and usability
• Why you can’t skip the human role in confirming, editing, and contextualizing AI outputs

This episode also features the first step in a real experiment: researching a blog topic on digital accessibility using the tools Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Copilot. The results of that research will directly fuel the next episode on content creation.

A downloadable Episode Companion Guide is available below. It includes key episode takeaways, tool comparisons, and practical guidance on how to use AI responsibly during the research stage.

DS-S3-E2-CompanionDoc.pdf

Upcoming episodes in the Intentional AI series:

• Oct 28, 2025 — Content Creation
• Nov 11, 2025 — Content Management
• Dec 2, 2025 — Accessibility
• Dec 16, 2025 — SEO / AEO / GEO
• Jan 6, 2026 — Content Personalization
• Jan 20, 2026 — Front End Development & Wireframing
• Feb 3, 2026 — Design & Media
• Feb 17, 2026 — Back End Development
• Mar 3, 2026 — Conversational Search (with special guest!)
• Mar 17, 2026 — Chatbots & Agentic AI
• Mar 31, 2026 — Series Finale & Tool Review

Whether you’re a marketer, strategist, or developer, this conversation is about making AI adoption intentional and keeping your critical thinking sharp.

New episodes every other Tuesday.

For more conversations about AI, digital strategy, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

(0:00) - Intro

(1:44) - Better research with AI

(3:46) - Risk: Trust & reliability

(5:29) - Risk: Security/legal concerns

(7:04) - Risk: Hallucinations

(9:17) - We tested 3 tools for AI research

(11:03) - Testing Perplexity

(14:38) - Testing ChatGPT

(17:45) - Testing Copilot

(19:54) - Comparing the tools and key takeaways

(20:52) - Outro

Subscribe for email updates on our website:

https://www.discussingstupid.com/

Watch us on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

In the Season 3 premiere of Discussing Stupid, Cole and Virgil kick off the new series Intentional AI: a season-long dive into how AI fits (and sometimes doesn’t even fit) into the stages of the content lifecycle.

Organizations are rushing to hand entire workflows over to AI… but without a clear plan, the results are messy at best and risky at worst. Instead of asking “what can AI do?”, this episode flips the question to “where does AI actually help?” by breaking down the real process first.

This first episode sets the foundation for the whole series. In the weeks ahead, each stage of the content lifecycle gets its own dedicated episode with real examples of where AI shines, where it fails, and how to use it responsibly. By following the series, you’ll walk away with a complete picture of how to maximize AI in your digital workflows without falling into the common traps.

In this episode, they explore:

• Why you should map your workflow without AI before adding automation
• The 5 stages of the content lifecycle where AI could be useful (research & analysis, content creation, content management & accessibility, SEO/GEO/AEO, & content personalization)
• How to spot which stages AI supports well and which it doesn’t
• Why teaching AI and understanding your process are inseparable
• The dangers of unchecked automation, from bad content to legal risk

Upcoming episodes in the Intentional AI series:

• Oct 14, 2025 — Research & Analysis
• Oct 28, 2025 — Content Creation
• Nov 11, 2025 — Content Management & Accessibility
• Dec 2, 2025 — SEO / AEO / GEO
• Dec 16, 2025 — Content Personalization
• Jan 6, 2026 — Front End Development & Wireframing
• Jan 20, 2026— Design & Media
• Feb 3, 2026 — Back End Development
• Feb 17, 2026 — Conversational Search (with special guest!)
• Mar 3, 2026 — Chatbots & Agentic AI
• Mar 17, 2026 — Series Finale & Tool Review

Whether you’re a marketer, strategist, or developer, this conversation is about making AI adoption practical, intentional, and less stupid.

Season 3 of Discussing Stupid is here! New episodes every other Tuesday starting now.

For more conversations about AI, digital strategy, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

(0:00) - Intro

(1:17) - Organizations are rushing into AI without strategy

(3:25) - Effective AI requires training & process clarity

(4:37) - Series focus: Maximizing AI in your content process

(5:50) - Stage 1: Research & Analysis

(8:27) - Stage 2: Content Creation

(11:05) - Stage 3: Content Management & Accessibility

(13:10) - Stage 4: SEO, AEO, GEO

(16:10) - Stage 5: Content Personalization

(17:20) - Closing takeaways

(17:58) - Outro

Subscribe for email updates on our website:

https://www.discussingstupid.com/

Watch us on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

“Stupid is as stupid does.” Forrest Gump said it best... and you don't have to look far in the digital world to see just how much stupid is out there.

Whether you're lost in the layers of a bloated website, juggling 5 different collaboration tools just to get ONE project done, or searching for a document you know exists but still can't find... we've all been there.

That’s why we started Discussing Stupid. This podcast is our way of calling out the bad digital practices we see every day - and giving you practical advice to fix them.

We are BACK for Season 3, building on the foundation we set last season. In Season 2, we tackled search, UX, accessibility, websites, and collaboration systems. This time around, we’re taking those same topics further - unpacking the details, workflows, and decisions that can make or break your digital experiences.

We’re kicking things off with a series called Intentional AI, and it is all about using artificial intelligence (AI) more purposefully in your workflow. Too many orgs are throwing it into their workflows without a plan - wasting money, tanking productivity, and getting frustrated when the tech doesn’t deliver.

To flip that script, we’re using the content lifecycle as our case study. It’s a process every digital team touches, from research and analysis, to content creation, to management, SEO, accessibility, and personalization - and it’s a perfect way to show how AI can actually work for you instead of against you.

In Episode 1, we’ll zoom out with a quick look at how AI could play a role in each stage, then go deep into the first part of the cycle: research and analysis. We’ll break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI in that stage, and how to avoid the traps we see so many orgs falling into.

If you work in digital experiences, this podcast will put you ahead of the curve - whether that's making smarter use of AI, cleaning up your search strategy, or building digital spaces that actually make sense for people.

Season 3 drops September 30th. Subscribe, share this with your team, and let’s make the digital world a little less stupid, one episode at a time.

Subscribe for email updates on our website:

https://www.discussingstupid.com/

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Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

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