AI Fatigue Is Real: Is the Artificial Intelligence Bubble About to Burst?

We're bringing back a conversation from Not The Smartest Guys In The Room that raises questions worth revisiting as artificial intelligence continues to evolve.

Is AI changing everything, or are we being sold another overhyped technological revolution? Tom and his guests tackle AI fatigue, the billions being poured into artificial intelligence, and whether the industry's economic model can sustain the hype.

From creativity and branding to original thought and consumer trust, the conversation explores what happens when everyone starts relying on the same technology. Are we sacrificing creativity for convenience? Is AI making businesses better, or simply making everything look and sound alike?

Of course, it's Not The Smartest Guys In The Room, so the conversation takes a few unexpected turns, including Liberty Mutual's marketing, childhood memories, cycling safety, the WNBA, and Pittsburgh Pirates nostalgia.

AI isn't going away, but the hype, economics, and long-term consequences deserve a closer look.

Tom Langan is a media entrepreneur, content creator, and the driving force behind Talex Media. With a background in media production, marketing, and storytelling, Tom helps businesses and individuals communicate their messages through engaging content. As co-host of Not The Smartest Guys In The Room, he brings curiosity, humor, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking while exploring business, technology, entertainment, and current events.

Dominick Domasky is an author, publisher, entrepreneur, and founder of Motivation Champs, a full-service publishing and media company dedicated to developing stories that elevate humanity. He is also co-founder and COO of Cre8tive Con and co-host of The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast with Julie Lokun. Through publishing, podcasting, and live events, Dominick helps entrepreneurs, authors, and creators share their stories and amplify their impact.

Together, Tom and Dom bring different perspectives, plenty of laughs, and conversations that challenge the headlines on Not The Smartest Guys In The Room.

00:00 – Introduction to AI Fatigue
02:38 – Liberty Mutual and Branding Lessons
07:49 – Is AI Fatigue Real?
09:22 – Is the AI Bubble About to Burst?
14:02 – AI Hype and Business Sustainability
18:43 – AI Overexposure
20:10 – Why Original Thought Matters
22:24 – Where Innovation Really Comes From
25:07 – Trust, Time, and AI Tools
30:24 – AI's Impact on Creative Industries
33:07 – Nostalgia and School Memories
42:12 – Finding Balance With AI
54:33 – Cycling Safety
56:56 – The WNBA and Basketball
01:00:32 – Pittsburgh Pirates Nostalgia
01:02:14 – Final Thoughts on AI's Future

AI fatigue, AI bubble, artificial intelligence, AI hype, AI industry, AI economic bubble, ChatGPT, AI creativity, artificial intelligence business model, original thinking, content creation, technology trends, AI economics, AI marketing, human creativity, Tom Langan, Dominick Domasky, Not The Smartest Guys In The Room, Motivation Champs, Talex Media

Long Form vs. Short Form: Are You Creating Content Backwards?

Are attention spans really shrinking, or are content creators simply approaching their audiences the wrong way?

On this episode of Not The Smartest Guys In The Room, Tom Langan and Dominick Domasky explore the business of content creation, storytelling, video marketing, and the ongoing debate between long-form and short-form content.

Should you start with a podcast, video, or longer story and break it into smaller pieces? Or should you focus on creating short clips to capture attention? Tom and Dom discuss why long-form content can be the foundation of an effective marketing strategy and how businesses can get more value from the content they already produce.

From YouTube and Adobe's branded content strategies to practical tools for repurposing videos, the guys examine what works, what doesn't, and why perfection sometimes gets in the way of progress. They also challenge the idea that people no longer have the attention span for longer content.

Along the way, the conversation takes a few unexpected turns, including Dom's plumbing disaster, fish and burgers as a marketing lesson, civic engagement, and Tom's book Legendering.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, business owner, podcaster, marketer, or content creator, this episode explores how to create meaningful content, connect with your audience, and build a strategy that works across multiple platforms.

Because creating more content isn't always the answer. Sometimes it's about making more of the content you already have.

Tom Langan is the founder of Talex Media, a mission-driven media production company focused on humanizing the world of business through better communication. A veteran entrepreneur, producer, and business strategist, Tom brings decades of experience in leadership, media, marketing, and business development. As co-host of Not The Smartest Guys In The Room, he combines practical insight, curiosity, and humor to break down trends in AI, business, technology, media, and current events, helping audiences think critically and communicate more effectively.

Dominick Domasky is the founder of Motivation Champs, a full-service publishing and media company dedicated to developing stories that elevate humanity. An author, publisher, entrepreneur, and storyteller, Dominick helps individuals and businesses share their stories, build their brands, and amplify their impact. He also co-hosts The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast, a regularly number-one-ranked Apple Business News podcast that explores the intersection of business, media, and current trends.

00:00 – Introduction and Episode Overview

02:24 – Dom's Plumbing Disaster

05:51 – Why Long-Form Content Should Come First

08:45 – Attention Spans and Social Media Platforms

12:01 – YouTube and the Democratization of Content

16:51 – Why Brands Need Long-Form Content

20:39 – Adobe's Branded Content Strategy

25:42 – Tools for Repurposing Content

30:21 – Fish, Burgers, and Content Formats

36:55 – Planning Your Content Strategy

45:10 – Editing Tools and Creating Short Clips

48:47 – Outlines, Story Beats, and Preparation

55:44 – Voting and Civic Engagement

58:58 – Tom's Book Legendering

01:02:45 – Start With the End in Mind

01:04:11 – Final Thoughts

Who Can You Trust? Influencers, Institutions & Accountability

Influencer marketing is a multibillion-dollar business, but are consumers still buying what influencers are selling? And when trust breaks down, whether in business, media or major institutions, what happens next?

On this episode of Not The Smartest Guys in the Room, Tom Langan and Dominick Domasky start with the changing influencer economy, the erosion of consumer trust, and why follower counts don't always translate into real influence.

Tom and Dom discuss the billions being poured into influencer marketing, why the word “authentic” may have lost some of its meaning, and what brands should consider before attaching their reputation to someone else's personal brand. Instead of constantly paying to borrow someone else's audience, should businesses spend more time building relationships with their own?

The conversation then takes a much more serious turn with an extended discussion about the allegations surrounding the Cornell assault case. Tom and Dom examine questions and criticisms surrounding how Cornell University and the district attorney's office handled the situation, the public outrage that followed, and where they believe institutions need to do better when serious allegations are made. They discuss accountability, transparency, due process, responsibility and the importance of institutions earning the trust of the people they serve.

It becomes a larger conversation about trust itself. Whether you're an influencer asking someone to buy a product, a business protecting its reputation, a university responsible for its students, or a public institution responsible for pursuing justice, trust isn't something that comes automatically with a title, platform or position. It has to be earned and protected.

As usual, the conversation doesn't stay in one lane. Personal stories, fast food, business, marketing, social media, current events, courage and accountability all find their way into the room.

ABOUT TOM LANGAN

Tom Langan is an award-winning producer, director and entrepreneur with decades of experience in television, film, media and storytelling. His career has given him a front-row seat to the evolution of entertainment, advertising and content creation. On Not The Smartest Guys in the Room, Tom brings the perspective of someone who has spent a career behind the camera building stories, brands and productions.

ABOUT DOMINICK DOMASKY

Dominick Domasky is an author, publisher, entrepreneur and founder of Motivation Champs. Through publishing, podcasting, speaking and media, Dom has spent years helping entrepreneurs, authors and organizations tell their stories and build stronger connections with their audiences. He also cohosts The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast, where business, media and current trends collide.

Together, Tom and Dom bring two different perspectives, plenty of stories and a willingness to tackle difficult subjects without pretending to be the smartest guys in the room.

Topics include: influencer marketing, consumer trust, authenticity, personal branding, social media, the Cornell assault allegations, institutional accountability, the response from Cornell and the district attorney's office, due process, public outrage, courage, integrity and what it means to do better when trust is lost.

Sound Bites:

“Trust in influencer marketing is eroding.”

“Trust is a risk you don't have to take.”

“Numbers are not a true indication of impact.”