AI is changing cybersecurity, accelerating vulnerability research and exploit development while raising new questions about reliability, risk, and guardrails. Daniel and Chris talk with Spencer McIntyre, Director of Exploit Development at VulnCheck, about how agents are being used to discover vulnerabilities, why many proof-of-concept exploits (POCs) fail to deliver, and how initial access intelligence helps security teams prioritize real threats. They also explore the limitations of AI-assisted exploitation, the challenges of AI guardrails for security researchers, and what these developments mean for the future of threat intelligence.

Featuring:

• Spencer McIntyre – LinkedIn
• Daniel Whitenack – Website, GitHub, X
• Chris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, X

Links:

• VulnCheck
• Go Exploit framework
• Initial Access Intelligence

Sponsors:

• Hostinger: Create your website today. Go to hostinger.com/practical and use practical for 10 percent off now.

Resources and Events:

• Register for upcoming webinars here!
• Prior Webinars from our partner Prediction Guard
• Midwest AI Summit 2026

Chris’s new book The Art of Swarming will be published soon, written to be the seminal foundational book for the fledgling swarming industry, defining the principles and architecture that enable autonomous agentic UxS swarms with emergent unified embodied intelligence.

Schools and universities are failing to adapt to our modern world, in which AI is becoming increasingly pervasive in all aspects of life and work. In fact, AI may be changing what should be considered foundational knowledge that all students must learn.

In this Fully Connected episode, Daniel and Chris explore the role of AI in education and the future of learning. They note the bureaucratic inhibitors to educational reform, and the fact that classroom teachers don’t have the authority to innovate and personalize the learning process for their students, and discuss how AI tools can support personalized learning while preserving critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Featuring:

• Daniel Whitenack – Website, GitHub, X
• Chris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, X

Sponsors:

• SerpAPI: A Web Search API that gives developers real-time, structured access to search engine results. Visit serpapi.com/practicalai to get started for free and get 250 searches every month.

Resources and Events:

• Register for upcoming webinars here!
• Prior Webinars from our partner Prediction Guard
• Midwest AI Summit 2026

Chris’s new book The Art of Swarming will be published soon, written to be the seminal foundational book for the fledgling swarming industry, defining the principles and architecture that enable autonomous agentic UxS swarms with emergent unified embodied intelligence.

As AI reshapes how we work, create, and think about our roles, staying adaptable means understanding not just the technology, but our own stories and identities. Reed Frerichs joins Daniel and Chris to explore narrative intelligence, storytelling, leadership, and personal growth in an AI-driven world. They discuss how entrepreneurs and leaders can use AI tools to navigate changing roles, embrace uncertainty, and develop emotional intelligence along with Reed's “own, author, act” framework.

Featuring:

• Reed Frerichs – Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
• Daniel Whitenack – Website, GitHub, X
• Chris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, X

Links:

• Inner Story Series (YouTube)
• Inner Story Series (Spotify)
• Inner Story Essays (Substack)
• Inner Story (Website)
• Inner Story (Instagram)
• Everspace
• The Lesson

Sponsors:

• Framer: The enterprise-grade website builder that lets your team ship faster. Get 30% off at framer.com/practicalai
• Prediction Guard: A self-hosted AI control plane for running agents in high impact environments. predictionguard.com/practicalai

Resources and Events:

• Register for upcoming webinars here!
• Prior Webinars from our partner Prediction Guard
• Midwest AI Summit 2026