How To AI With WSJ's Chris Mims - Techmeme Ride Home Recap
Podcast: Techmeme Ride Home
Published: 2026-02-14
Duration: 52 minutes
Guests: Chris Mims
Summary
Chris Mims discusses the transformative power of AI and its practical applications across various industries, emphasizing its role as a tool for experts rather than a replacement. He advocates for understanding AI through its behaviors and outcomes, likening it to a 'super intelligent toddler'.
What Happened
Chris Mims introduces his book, 'How to AI', as a guide for those who are not early adopters to understand the impact of AI in fields like legal, consumer packaged goods, and construction. He distinguishes AI from sentience by preferring the term 'simulated intelligence'.
AI is compared to a 'super intelligent toddler' that needs guidance, highlighting its capacity to enhance productivity by automating tedious tasks. Notably, tools like Notebook LM have been transformative in helping professionals gather and summarize materials efficiently.
In the legal field, AI tools such as Filevine's deposition co-pilot assist lawyers by ensuring comprehensive questioning during depositions. This showcases AI's role in making entry-level positions more productive, allowing companies to hire less experienced staff who can perform effectively with AI assistance.
The episode explores AI's contribution to scientific research, particularly through models like AlphaFold, which were pivotal in developing the COVID mRNA vaccine. This underscores AI's potential in molecular medicine and synthetic biology.
Chris Mims introduces 'machine psychology', a concept where AI is understood through its behavior and outcomes rather than its mathematical complexity. He emphasizes that experts benefit the most from AI, as they can evaluate its outputs and know which questions to ask.
The discussion also touches on AI's addictive potential, akin to social media, due to its intermittent rewards. However, when applied thoughtfully, AI can significantly reduce workload or enhance productivity.
Finally, the episode highlights how AI's current capabilities, referred to as 'capability overhang', are not fully utilized yet, encouraging users to experiment with various models and services to find what best suits their needs.
Key Insights
- Chris Mims prefers the term 'simulated intelligence' over AI, focusing on its behavioral outcomes rather than sentience, which many people mistakenly conflate with intelligence.
- AI tools like Filevine's deposition co-pilot enable less experienced legal staff to conduct thorough depositions, effectively leveling the playing field by augmenting their capabilities with automated assistance.
- AlphaFold's involvement in the COVID mRNA vaccine development highlights AI's pivotal role in molecular medicine, showcasing its ability to solve complex biological challenges that were previously insurmountable.
- AI's 'capability overhang' means its current potential isn't fully tapped. Users are encouraged to experiment with various AI models to find tailored solutions, as many miss out on efficiency gains by overlooking underutilized tools.
Key Questions Answered
How is AI used in the legal industry?
AI tools like Filevine's deposition co-pilot assist lawyers during depositions by ensuring all necessary questions are answered, making entry-level legal positions more productive.
What is the significance of AlphaFold in AI research?
AlphaFold is a protein-folding model by DeepMind that was crucial for developing the COVID mRNA vaccine, showcasing AI's potential in molecular medicine and synthetic biology.
What is 'machine psychology' according to Chris Mims?
Chris Mims introduces 'machine psychology' as understanding AI through its behavior and outcomes, rather than its mathematical complexity, allowing experts to benefit most from AI.