AI, are we in a bubble?

In this debut episode of our new podcast, Good Question, we dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI, focusing on the hype surrounding large language models (LLMs) and whether the excitement is justified. 

Ronan and Conor, our co-founders, bring their unique perspectives on the AI landscape as we discuss the current state of AI within the technology hype cycle, exploring whether we are nearing a bubble and what that might mean for the industry.

We also explore the potential (and limitations) of AI's economic impact, as well as articles from Sequoia Capital and Goldman Sachs questioning the ROI of AI investments. While we are generally optimistic about AI’s potential, we also acknowledge the importance of skepticism and balanced viewpoints in guiding sustainable AI development and adoption.

Finally, we wrap up with a lightning round, where we share our views on what’s currently overhyped (or underhyped) in both tech and everyday life.

‍‍Interesting moments

Short on time? Check out these interesting moments from the conversation …

• 01:43 — "The introduction of LLMs into society has given everyone the ability to use AI by simply coming up with compelling prompts, often in the form of questions."‍
• 04:55 — “This does seem like a generational technology shift, just like semiconductors and the internet—worth betting on for the long term."‍
• 13:52 — "A certain level of hype is actually good to get technology off the ground, but too much can lead to a bubble, which can be a setback."
• 18:23 — "In AI investments, it’s not a simple timing question—dollar in today doesn't mean dollar back tomorrow. It’s about when that return will come, and that’s the tricky part."‍
• 21:56 — "In a well-functioning society, it’s always good to have checks and balances. Skepticism helps us think about investments more robustly."‍
• 28:47— "When Zillow builds their AI real estate agent, take note: we need to know the number, position, and dimensions of windows, as well as the amount of sunlight!"

We hope you enjoyed the discussion, learned something new, and are as excited as we are about the future of AI. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking conversations in upcoming episodes!

‍P.S. Need a little levity in your day? Listen to the end of the podcast to hear each episode’s bloopers!

Sources cited 

• AI’s $600B Question
• Gen AI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit? 

About the guests

• Ronan Burke is the co-founder and CEO of Inscribe. He founded Inscribe with his twin after they experienced the challenges of manual review operations and over-burdened risk teams at national banks and fast-growing fintechs. So they set out to alleviate those challenges by deploying safe, scalable, and reliable AI. 

• Conor Burke is the co-founder and CTO of Inscribe. He founded Inscribe with his twin after they experienced the challenges of manual review operations and over-burdened risk teams at national banks and fast-growing fintechs. So they set out to alleviate those challenges by deploying safe, scalable, and reliable AI. 

• Brianna Valleskey is the head of marketing at Inscribe AI. While her career started in journalism, she has spent more than a decade working on SaaS revenue teams. She is passionate about enabling fraud fighters and risk leaders to unlock the enormous potential of AI.