Chaos, AI, and the Future of Work - with Emanuel Rose

Is AI a miracle, heralding an age of invention, or the harbinger of a dystopian civilizational collapse? The rise of short-form video on social platforms - empowering creators, or undermining society? The only certainty these days is uncertainty. But for curious minds, that's precisely what makes it exciting. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle catches up with Emanuel Rose, CEO of Strategic eMarketing and author of Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI, Authenticity: Marketing to Generation Z,  The Social Media Edge, numerous e-books, and children's books.  As a storyteller, marketer, and dubbed by Dan as a Renaissance man, Emanuel brings a unique perspective to the discussion on AI, generational differences in technology adoption, and the future of communication. The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in marketing and communications, with Emanuel sharing insights on how businesses can start integrating AI into their operations. They discuss the importance of maintaining human creativity in storytelling while leveraging AI tools, and the potential for AI to free up time for more meaningful pursuits. Emanuel and Dan also examine the generational divide in AI adoption, particularly focusing on Gen X and Gen Z, and how different age groups approach new technologies. They consider the impact of screen time on younger generations and the potential long-term effects on communication skills and social interaction. Throughout the episode, Emanuel emphasizes the need for businesses to embrace change and automate processes to remain competitive. He shares practical advice on tools for automation and discusses the concept of "retail-level" AI agents that could revolutionize how we work. This episode offers valuable insights for communicators, marketers, and business leaders looking to navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or skeptic, you'll find food for thought in this engaging discussion about the future of work, creativity, and human interaction in an AI-driven world.   Listen in and hear about... Embracing chaos in an era of rapid technological change Generational differences in AI adoption and digital habits Leveraging AI for content repurposing and brand storytelling Automating mundane tasks to focus on creative pursuits Balancing screen time and digital detox for mental well-being Adapting communication strategies for Gen Z audiences Exploring the future of voice-activated AI assistants   Notable Quotes On Staying Curious: "I just, I follow the rabbit holes and that's kind of what I think is the joy of being a human. And we have access to so much information now, we can learn anything we want. And the secret is to stay curious." - Emanuel Rose [3:41 - 4:05] On AI and Automation: "We're actually able to build, very simply build automations, which maybe not is really AI, but at least we're able to connect things via ZAP and via MAKE and some of these kind of activities." - Emanuel Rose [5:10 - 5:22] On Human Consciousness and Technology: "Our job is not to click buttons any more than it is to swing a hoe. Right. So we have to get out of our Cartesian framework." - Emanuel Rose [9:42 - 9:50] On Generational Differences in Technology Adoption: "The Z's just. They just absorb this stuff and, you know, and then, you know, they were all. All the way down to the alphas. Now they're. You know, they're like 8, 9, 10, that range. And so it's like they're going to absorb it in the same kind of way." - Emanuel Rose [17:23 - 17:35] On the Future of Voice Interaction: "We're very close. I'd say three months. We will have a complete voice activated operating system and be able to do probably 90% of our work by voice." - Emanuel Rose [33:15 - 33:23] On the Role of Humans in AI-Generated Content: "I think the human in the loop is the critical part of this. And it's kind of like, could I have my doppelganger, my video doppelganger, do all my zoom calls for me? Well, yeah, I can. I can do that now." - Emanuel Rose [40:25 - 40:35] On Automation and Work-Life Balance: "Well, I really am thinking about what I can automate. No matter how big of a string of activities, I want to automate all the stuff that is not creative so that I can spend more time playing my guitar and more time meditating and more time taking long walks and maintain the level of professional standards that I have." - Emanuel Rose [49:59 - 50:17] On the Chaos of Technological Change: "I'm enjoying the chaos of the moment. Now hang on. Easy does it. I'm not talking about foreign or domestic affairs or politics. I mean, we live in an age where we simply don't know what's coming. Great for curious people." - Dan Nestle [0:00 - 0:13] On the Potential of AI in Storytelling: "I think it comes down to storytelling, you know, and no, I mean, AI could tell a story. You give it a framework, right? Say, hey, I want you to follow this framework. But is there that innate capability There isn't yet to outpace humans or outdo humans in this idea of storytelling, whether it's creative storytelling or brand storytelling." - Dan Nestle [38:02 - 38:22]   Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter/X Emanuel Rose Emanuel Rose | Website Strategic eMarketing | Website Books by Emanuel Rose | Website Emanuel Rose | LinkedIn   Timestamped key moments from this episode (as generated by Fireflies.ai) 🎙️ Introduction and Overview of Emanuel Rose (00:00 - 04:35) Emanuel Rose introduced as CEO of Strategic E Marketing. Discussion on shared interests in AI and technology trends. Both hosts are Gen Xers observing rapid changes. 🤖 The Rise of Agentic AI (04:36 - 10:32) Emanuel discusses 'agentic AI' and its independent actions. Highlights Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP). Predictions on automation in podcast production. 💡 Philosophy of AI and Generational Technology Adoption (10:33 - 21:35) Automation should free humans for deeper experiences. Generational differences in tech adoption discussed. Gen X slower to adopt compared to Millennials and Gen Z. 🏢 Business Adoption of AI and Generational Differences (21:36 - 32:08) Surprise at slow AI adoption among small businesses. 'Lunch and learn' workshops to educate clients. Focus on business needs before selecting tools. 🗣️ Conversational AI and Voice-Based Systems (32:09 - 42:33) Examples of voice-based AI systems shared. Predictions on voice-activated operating systems. Importance of prompting skills discussed. 📖 AI and Storytelling, Future Outlook (42:34 - 53:42) AI's role in storytelling emphasized. Human element remains essential for emotional connection. Encouragement to embrace technological change.   Timestamps for your convenience (as generated by Flowsend.ai) 0:00 Intro: Embracing chaos and technological change 5:10 Rise of AI agents and retail-level automation 9:42 Philosophical approach to AI and human purpose 15:51 Generational differences in technology adoption 20:18 Managing screen time and digital detox 25:07 Lack of AI adoption in small businesses 30:39 The future of voice-activated AI assistants 35:42 Importance of effective AI prompting skills 40:25 Balancing AI capabilities with human values 45:18 Leveraging existing content with custom GPTs 49:59 Automating tasks to focus on creativity   (Notes co-created by Human Dan and a variety of AI helpers, including Fireflies.ai and Flowsend.ai)