In this episode of A Beginner’s Guide to AI, Dietmar Fischer talks with Alex Levin, the Co-Founder and CEO of Regal.io, about how Voice AI is bringing real human conversation back to customer service.

For years, businesses have been hiding behind IVRs and chatbots - cutting off the personal touch that customers crave. Alex explains how AI voice agents are transforming the experience, allowing brands to actually talk to their customers again, at scale, with empathy, emotion, and precision.

We dive into what’s behind this transformation - from the technology (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, Deepgram) to the psychology of trust and emotion in customer communication. Alex shares how Regal.io helps enterprises in healthcare, insurance, and finance use AI-powered voice agents that can outperform human representatives while lowering costs and improving satisfaction.

From replacing call center frustration with warm, natural conversations to the rise of empathetic AI agents, this episode explores what happens when voice meets intelligence.

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Quotes from the Episode

“If a customer wants to talk to you, you’re lucky - and if they want to do it by voice, you should let them.”

“The personalization possible with AI agents is more human than humans.”

“Everyone told me voice was dead - they were wrong.”

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction - Why Voice AI Is Making a Comeback

00:54 Alex Levin’s Journey from Startups to Voice AI

03:42 “Voice Isn’t Dead” - The Moment That Sparked Regal.io

06:25 How Voice AI Actually Works Behind the Scenes

08:47 Using AI Agents to Talk to Customers at Scale

10:58 Data, Scripts, and What Makes a “Good” AI Conversation

13:33 Legal Hurdles and Privacy in Voice AI

15:50 Why Healthcare and Insurance Are Early Adopters

18:26 How Customers React When They Realize It’s an AI

21:12 Real Use Cases - From Banks to Everyday Services

24:19 Human in the Loop: When AI Hands Over to People

26:55 Can Small Businesses Afford Voice AI Yet?

28:48 The AI Startup Boom and Smarter Investment Strategies

32:20 Leadership in the Age of AI - New Skills, New Metrics

35:12 Why Young Professionals Must Learn AI Tools Now

37:45 How Alex Personally Uses AI (and Where It Saves Time)

39:24 The “Terminator Question” - Should We Be Worried?

42:08 Closing Reflections and Where to Find Regal.io

Where to Find Alex Levin

🌐 Website: www.regal.io
🧑🏻 LinkedIn: Alex Levin

🎙 About Dietmar Fischer:
Dietmar is a podcaster, AI marketer, and economist from Berlin.
If you want to get your AI or your digital marketing going - just contact us at Argoberlin.com!

🎵 Music credit: “Modern Situations” by Unicorn Heads

Step into the future of meeting productivity with Fireflies AI Notetaker and its founder, Krish Ramineni.

In this episode, we dive deep into how Fireflies is changing the way teams capture meeting notes, the real story behind building an AI meeting assistant, and why more people are choosing smart tools for transcription and collaboration.

Krish Ramineni opens up about the journey from early AI challenges to making Fireflies one of the most trusted notetakers out there—plus, what every founder should know before building an AI startup.

And Krish lets us take a look into the future of Fireflies, becoming not just a notetaker, but a coworker that gets the routine jobs done for you 🚀
Whether you’re curious about AI meeting notes, want a candid founder interview, or are searching for a real Fireflies AI podcast review, this conversation delivers honest insights, actionable tips, and a look behind the scenes at Fireflies’ rapid growth.

Quotes from the Episode:

“If someone from 2015 saw what Fireflies does today, they’d think it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie.” — Krish Ramineni

“We built Fireflies before people even said ‘generative AI’—back then, it was just solving real problems with simple tools.” — Krish Ramineni

Chapters (experimental feature):

(00:00) Welcome & Introductions

(03:14) AI’s Everyday Impact

(06:01) Using AI for Productivity

(09:38) Krish’s Vision for the Future

(12:23) Entrepreneurship & Lessons Learned

(15:58) Breakthroughs in AI Transcription

(18:02) Adapting Fireflies to User Needs

(21:37) Fireflies’ Impact on Businesses

(24:15) Customer Trust in Fireflies

(27:24) AI, Privacy, and Trust

(30:36) Fireflies Across Industries

(33:06) AI Integration Challenges

(36:28) The Positive Impact of AI

(39:52) Where to Find Fireflies & Krish

(40:25) Final Thoughts & What's Next

Where to find Krish Ramineni and Fireflies:

• - Try Fireflies for free or learn more at: fireflies.ai

• - Connect with Krish R on LinkedIn: Krish R on LinkedIn

• - Follow Fireflies on Twitter/X: @FirefliesAI

• - Check out the Fireflies blog for AI productivity tips: fireflies.ai/blog

  
  

  
  

• Tune in to get my thoughts, don't forget to subscribe to our Newsletter!

  
  

  Want to get in contact? Write me an email: podcast@argo.berlin

  
  

  Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads

From startup hustle to practical AI: How do you build a company that genuinely helps small businesses communicate better? Join host Dietmar Fischer as he sits down with Jack Kennedy and David Daneshgar, founders of Whippy, to uncover their journey from early consulting days to launching one of the most innovative AI-driven communication platforms.

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"The problem that I saw out there was that most of the books out there just talk about why it's important or what is important, but none of them really tell you how to make it happen."

That's where John Munsell's book comes in: get ⁠⁠⁠Ingrain AI on Amazon⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, you’ll hear how curiosity and real customer pain points led Jack and David to experiment with OpenAI and Google models long before ChatGPT was a household name. Discover their insights on building practical AI for business, why most companies juggle too many tools, and how Whippy aims to simplify everything—automating the work that holds businesses back.

Highlights & Keywords

* The origin story behind Whippy AI* Real-world examples of AI in business

* How founders spot and solve customer pain points

* Building practical AI for small business communication* What the future holds for AI automation

* Why “just another tool” isn’t enough* Startup founder advice and trends in AI-driven SaaS

Quotes from the Episode

* “We knew we wanted to bring all communication in a business into one place. The need was just seeing people not doing a bunch of work that AI could do—and paying for all these software tools when it should just be in one place.” —Jack Kennedy

* “They were missing phone calls. They weren’t doing email marketing. They weren’t responding to proposals for weddings… and as a small business, you just can’t let things slip through the cracks.” —David Daneshgar

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Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes — don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter: ⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠

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Chapters:

00:00 Welcome, Introductions & Whippy Origins

02:30 Early Days with AI: OpenAI, Google & First Projects

06:40 Solving Real Problems for Small Businesses

13:10 Building Whippy: Integrating All Business Communication

17:45 The Future of AI-Driven Communication & Key Trends

Where to find the Guests:

* Connect to Jack Kennedy on LinkedIn

* Stay in touch with David Daneshgar on LinkedIn

* And definitely visit Whippy AI's website to get more insights!

Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads

What happens when your company gets hit by a cyberattack?

In this eye-opening episode, attorney Joshua Cook reveals why cybersecurity isn’t an IT problem but a leadership challenge. After two decades fighting fraud and managing crisis response, Cook has seen every digital disaster imaginable — and he’s here to explain how to build true cyber resilience.

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Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes — don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter: ⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠

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Josh breaks down how AI has democratized cybercrime, why phishing scams have become nearly impossible to spot, and how every CEO should create an incident response plan before chaos hits. He also explains why planning matters more than the plan itself — and how leaders can keep their teams calm when everything goes wrong.

💡 You’ll learn:

- How AI is fueling new waves of fraud and misinformation

- Why leadership and communication are the real firewalls of business

- How to train teams and run tabletop exercises before the crisis

- What Maersk and Colonial Pipeline taught the world about transparency

- Why companies with a plan lose 60 % less money in an attack

Prepare, breathe, and lead — because it’s not if you’ll be hacked, but when.

👀 Quotes from the Episode

“Cybersecurity isn’t an IT issue. It’s a business problem, and it needs a business solution.”

“AI has democratized cybercrime — you don’t need to be a hacker anymore, just willing to commit a crime.”

“A plan might be useless, but planning is indispensable — that’s what makes companies resilient.”

🧾 Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Introduction – Meet Joshua Cook

02:00 How a Fraud Attorney Ended Up Fighting Cybercrime

05:00 AI Has Made Cybercrime Easier (and Smarter)

08:00 The Elderly Are the New Prime Targets

11:00 From Fake Law Firms to Real Scams – True Cases from the Field

15:00 Turning the Tables: How AI Can Defend, Not Just Attack

18:00 Cyber Resilience by Design – Why Leadership Matters

22:00 When Crisis Hits: Lessons from Maersk and Colonial Pipeline

27:00 Preparing the Team – How Training Prevents Chaos

31:00 It’s Not If, It’s When – The Power of an Incident Response Plan

35:00 Planning vs. Panicking – Eisenhower and the Art of Cyber Preparation

38:00 Why Calm Leaders Win in Cyber Crises

41:00 How Joshua Cook Uses AI Safely in Legal Practice

44:00 No, the Terminator Isn’t Coming (But AI Might Take Your Job)

47:00 Final Thoughts – Cybersecurity as a Business Superpower

🔗 Where to Find the Guest

- Joshua Cook on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jnc2000

- Josh's Book "Cyber Resilience by Design" – available wherever books are sold, e.g. on Amazon

- Prince Lobel Tye LLP: princelobel.com

🎧 About Dietmar Fischer:

Economist, digital marketer, and podcaster exploring how AI reshapes decision-making, leadership, and creative work. Want to connect with me? You'll find me on LinkedIn!

🎵 Music credit: “Modern Situations” by Unicorn Heads

AI at Work — Partner, Not Boss! with Professor GePhardT

Artificial intelligence is joining the workforce—but should it be your boss? In this witty, insightful episode, Professor GePhardT breaks down the Workday AI research showing that while 75% of employees are happy to work with AI, only 30% would let it manage them.

📧💌📧Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes—don’t forget to ⁠subscribe to our Newsletter⁠: ⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠📧💌📧

Through sharp insights, storytelling, and yes—even cake metaphors—you’ll learn how to create clear AI boundaries, foster trust, and harness human-AI collaboration without losing what makes us human.

📚 Key Highlights:

• How to make AI your colleague, not your commander.

• What “AI optimism” really means.

• Why transparency is essential for responsible AI adoption.

• Practical steps for mapping your AI boundaries at work.

  
  

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

“People don’t fear AI—they fear losing control.”
“AI can follow recipes, but only humans can taste the cake.”
“The best workplaces won’t be run by machines—they’ll be led by humans who know how to work with them.”

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to “AI at Work: Partner, Not Boss!”
02:15 Why AI Should Collaborate, Not Command
06:48 The Layers of AI at Work—Assistant, Advisor, Actor
11:10 The Cake Example: Baking Boundaries with Bots
14:00 Workday’s Research on AI Agents in the Workplace
19:25 The Secret to AI Optimism—Boundaries and Transparency
24:00 Interactive Challenge: Mapping Your AI Boundaries
27:30 Recap and Final Thoughts
29:10 Sign-Off and Quote by Karen Spärck Jones

👤 About Dietmar Fischer:
Dietmar is a Berlin-based podcaster and AI marketer behind A Beginner’s Guide to AI and Argo.berlin. He helps companies understand and apply AI in marketing and leadership with clarity and creativity.

🌐 Where to find the research base of the episode:
- Workday.com: Setting Boundaries
- Workday.com: Don't Call Them Boss

🎵 Music Credit: “Modern Situations” by Unicorn Heads 🎵

Step into a mind-bending conversation as futurist and philosopher Anders Indset joins the podcast to explore what happens when humans race to create superintelligent machines.

Anders dives deep into the paradoxes at the heart of the technological singularity, asking: Are we on the verge of building our own gods?

What does it truly mean to be human in an era where AI can rival—or surpass—our own creativity, empathy, and consciousness?

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Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes — don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧💌📧

From the risks of "zombification" to the idea of "artificial human intelligence," Anders brings unique insights, humor, and fresh thinking to one of the biggest questions of our age.

We tackle everything from collective memory, ethics, and the simulation hypothesis to the fundamental question: Should we do it, just because we can?

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Anders Inset’s journey into AI
03:45 – What is the singularity paradox?
09:12 – Can we create our own gods?
15:30 – The creative paradox: are humans still unique?
21:50 – Artificial human intelligence explained
29:10 – The risks of AI “zombification”
36:15 – Building ethical AI strategies
43:30 – Will we lose our individuality?
50:00 – How business leaders can future-proof their organizations
57:25 – Where to find Anders Inset and resources

Learn more about Anders Indset’s work and connect:
🔗 Website: andersindset.com

📖 Book: singularityparadox.com

🧑‍🦰 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andersinset

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/andersindset

Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads

Unlock the power of AI for business productivity in this episode of Beginner’s Guide to AI. AI expert and Notion Lead BI Engineer Sumit Gupta shares practical strategies, real examples, and a human perspective on integrating artificial intelligence into your workflow.

Discover how business leaders can use AI to automate repetitive tasks, boost decision-making, and stay ahead in a fast-evolving market. Sumit discusses the difference between data and AI, must-have AI tools, and why keeping your critical thinking skills sharp matters more than ever. Whether you’re new to AI or seeking the next step for your business, this episode delivers actionable insights tailored for professionals.

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Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes — don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter 👉 ⁠⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧💌📧

Key Take-Aways:

• Clear difference between data and AI for business leaders
• How to automate social media content strategy with AI
• The must-have AI tools every professional should know
• Real-world risks of over-relying on AI in your work
• How to stay ahead in the global AI race (US, UK, India)
• Human stories: Using AI for personal creativity and impact

Quotes:

• "AI without data is like a skeleton without meat."

• "Use AI to automate the repetitive—don’t let it take over your thinking."

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & Sumit Gupta’s AI journey
03:45 – Why AI? Productivity & learning
08:10 – Data vs AI: Real business differences
12:20 – Automating workflows: Tools & examples
19:05 – Social media content strategy with AI
25:50 – Avoiding the “dumbing down” trap
31:15 – India, US, and the global AI race
37:00 – Human creativity in an AI world
41:30 – Sumit’s book and Tableau explained
47:05 – Final thoughts & how to connect

Want to connect with Sumit?

Follow him on Instagram at @databysumit for practical data and AI tips, or connect with him on LinkedIn. For collaboration or questions, just reach out to him!

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Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads

Can technology make us more human?
In this episode, author, entrepreneur and AI thinker Faisal Hoque unpacks his new book Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI.

From his OPEN and CARE frameworks to the idea of a true human-centric AI, Faisal shows leaders how to balance innovation with risk—and why optimism is non-negotiable.

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Tune in to get my thoughts and all episodes — don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter 👉 ⁠⁠beginnersguide.nl⁠

⁠⁠⁠📧💌📧

💡 Episode Highlights

• How a cancer-survivor story sparked Faisal’s AI research journey

• The OPEN framework (Outline, Partner, Experiment, Navigate) for rapid but responsible adoption

• The CARE framework and why “Catastrophize” isn’t pessimistic—it’s protection

• “AI as partner” vs. “AI as tool” and the ethics of digital twins

• Small bets, quick experiments and building an innovation portfolio

• Debunking Terminator & Matrix fears with real-world guardrails

  
  

👀 Quotes from the Episode

“We have to be radically optimistic—otherwise the human species ends.”
“AI isn’t just another tool; it’s a partner that forces us to decide what part of our humanity we want to keep.”

🧾 Chapters
00:00 Welcome & Faisal’s Personal Story
05:12 Why “Transcend” – The Human-Centric Promise of AI
14:40 Demystifying the OPEN Framework
24:05 CARE: Catastrophize, Assess, Regulate, Exit
34:18 Partnering with AI vs. Replacing Humans
42:30 Risks, Terminator Myths & Real-World Guardrails
49:55 Practical Next Steps for Businesses
55:10 Where to Find Faisal + Closing Thoughts

Where to Find the Faisal Hoque:

• You can start with his website: https://faisalhoque.com

• Or just follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faisalhoque/

• Get a good read, all the links to Transcend are on the book's website: https://nextchapter.org/transcend/

  
  

Music credit: "Modern Situations" by Unicorn Heads