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

As AI moves beyond the cloud and into robots, vehicles, and other physical systems, new approaches to models, simulation, and inference are emerging. Daniel and Chris are joined by Ming-Yu Liu, Vice President of Cosmos Lab at NVIDIA, who shares his perspective on open models, world models, and the future of physical AI. They explore why open models matter for innovation, how world models can help AI understand and simulate the physical world, and what it could take to build increasingly capable physical AI systems.

Featuring:

• Ming-Yu Liu – LinkedIn
• Daniel Whitenack – Website, GitHub, X
• Chris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, X

Links:

• NVIDIA Cosmos

Sponsors:

• Midwest AI Summit: Join AI practitioners on October 15 in Indianapolis for practical sessions, hands-on discussions, and real-world AI solutions. Use code PracticalAI20 to save 20% on your registration. https://midwestaisummit.com/#tickets
• 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

AI agents are moving beyond laptops and prototypes and into enterprise environments where security, compliance, scalability, and reliability matter. Nick Kuhn from VMware Tanzu Platform joins Daniel and Chris to discuss what changes (and what doesn’t) when deploying agents alongside traditional applications. They explore agent build packs, MCP gateways, shared memory, identity, sandboxing, and what enterprises can learn from years of platform engineering. Nick also shares practical advice for organizations adopting agents today and looks at what the future of AI could mean for enterprise teams and software development.

Featuring:

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

Sponsors:

• Midwest AI Summit: Join AI practitioners on October 15 in Indianapolis for practical sessions, hands-on discussions, and real-world AI solutions. Use code PracticalAI20 to save 20% on your registration. https://midwestaisummit.com/#tickets
• 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