Everyday AI Podcast – An AI and ChatGPT Podcast
Episode: 5 Practical AI Workflows That Actually Matter
Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Jordan Wilson
Guest: Richard Seroter, Senior Director & Chief Evangelist, Google Cloud

Episode Overview

This episode dives into five practical AI workflows, highlighting the impact of Google’s AI tools—including Gemini, NotebookLM, and more—on modern work. Guest expert Richard Seroter shares actionable strategies and candid advice for adopting AI meaningfully, with conversation focusing on how individuals and organizations can build new habits, unlock smarter workflows, and embrace the changing tech landscape with curiosity and humility.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI Adoption Is About Habits, Not Just Tools

[02:34–04:14]

• Wide-Reaching Impact: Richard notes that interest in AI now extends far beyond tech circles, affecting roles from marketing to HR, and even impacting business strategy at a foundational level.
  • "We're at Internet level in terms of people who care about this outside of IT… this isn't just about how do I improve my day to day work with tech stuff. Some of it's like, how do I change my business mix and products I offer?" (03:02)
• Human Creativity Remains Essential: Despite innovations, there's no substitute for human ingenuity and critical thinking.
  • "They're transformative tools for some teams. And so for myself… how I research, how I learn, how I build… absolutely. And look, there are other areas where I am purposely staying low-tech… I write a daily newsletter and I write every word." (04:14)

2. Five Actionable AI Workflows

1. Gemini Deep Research for Analysis

[06:01–12:53]

• Purpose: Accelerates complex research and synthesis, leveraging Google Search with LLM capabilities.
• Workflow: Request a synthesis on a complex topic; Gemini Deep Research scours 150+ sites and compiles organized tables, charts, and summaries within minutes.
  • "This was work… that would have taken me two to three days." (06:57)
• Key Strategy: Use AI not just to get answers, but to generate better questions and challenge assumptions.
  • "Stop thinking of AI as a great way to get answers. Think of it as a way to get great questions." (09:48)
• Memorable Advice:
  • "The ability to learn faster might be the only remaining professional competitive advantage out there." (08:36)

2. NotebookLM for Exploration

[12:53–20:18]

• Purpose: Personal and team learning tool that synthesizes large, varied data sets into digestible formats (audio, video, flashcards, etc.).
• Workflow: Upload documents, links, or videos, then interact with your information in personalized ways.
  • "There's no company that should have the same onboarding process they have today in two years because they're all terrible… You should be giving every new hire a link to your NotebookLM instance." (14:32)
• Grounding Answers in Context: NotebookLM provides responses strictly based on user-uploaded content for higher trust and specificity.
  • "NotebookLM is purpose built to say, let me take a bunch of your information, your preferences, your links grounded on your truth data, and turn it into a form that you can consume." (18:39)

3. Gemini CLI & Code Assist to Build

[21:21–25:49]

• Purpose: Enables users of all backgrounds to prototype apps, automate workflows, and analyze data in the terminal using natural language, with powerful integrations.
• Cultural Shift: Everyone can now “build”—not just coders.
  • "We're all developers now… the biggest takeaway is we've moved away from you having to know everything to do anything. You just have to know your intent." (21:21)
• Work Ethic Shift: "Demos over memos"—prototyping ideas replaces documentation-first mindsets.
  • "Build stuff. Stop writing so many freaking docs. Build your idea out, prove if it makes sense. And then when it does, write the document." (23:45)

4. Google Juuls for Background Work

[26:40–29:07]

• Purpose: AI agents that autonomously handle background or “spec-driven” development tasks while the user focuses elsewhere.
• Parallelization of Work: Teams can offload specific items (documentation, testing, feature additions) to AI agents acting asynchronously.
• Communication Skills Matter: The most crucial programming language now is English—clear, effective, and nuanced specifications determine agent success.
  • "If you write terrible specs, you will get packed terrible responses from these agents." (28:37)

5. AI Embedded in Everything

[29:07–31:22]

• Seamless Integration: AI features are rolling out across Google’s suite (Sheets, Search, BigQuery, etc.), making “AI” a transparent backend of smarter, simpler work.
  • "Part of me hopes that we stop worrying that it's AI pretty soon. And it's just, we have smarter things… I just care that it's smarter." (29:47)
• AI as the New Interface: Natural language overtakes coding or complex GUI navigation for completing tasks and extracting value from systems.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Humility and Curiosity

  • "The most important two traits every single human should have right now in professional world is curiosity and humility. Be endlessly curious. Keep learning. Don't ever calcify your knowledge because it's changing every week. And yeah, be super humble because all these opinions you have today are probably wrong next week and it's okay." — Richard Seroter (32:24)

• On Shifting Mindset

  • "Either AI is going to happen to you or you're going to happen to AI. And I think you have to decide if you're going to lean in or not, because this is all coming in some way, shape or form." — Richard Seroter (31:59)

• On Building as a New Default

  • "Stop writing so many freaking docs. Build your idea out, prove if it makes sense. And then when it does, write the document." — Richard Seroter (23:45)

• Learning Faster as Competitive Advantage

  • "The ability to learn faster might be the only remaining professional competitive advantage out there." — Richard Seroter (08:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:02] — Impact of AI outside traditional tech roles
• [04:14] — Balancing tool adoption with human creativity
• [06:01] — Overview of the five AI workflows
• [06:57] — Gemini Deep Research explained and real-world usage
• [09:48] — Use AI to get smarter questions, not just answers
• [12:53] — NotebookLM: Revolutionizing personal and team learning
• [18:39] — How NotebookLM grounds responses in provided data
• [21:21] — Empowering non-coders: Gemini CLI & Code Assist
• [23:45] — "Demos over memos": the new prototyping culture
• [26:40] — Delegating work to autonomous AI agents (Google Juuls)
• [28:37] — Importance of clear communication with AI agents
• [29:47] — AI as a transparent feature in everyday tools
• [31:59] — The choice between actively shaping or passively experiencing AI change
• [32:24] — Final advice: curiosity and humility as keys to AI-era success

Final Takeaways

• AI workflows matter when integrated as new habits and mindsets, not just shiny tools.
• Non-technical users are empowered more than ever to learn, build, and lead with AI.
• The most enduring advantages: speed of learning, clarity in communication, and adaptability.
• Individuals and organizations thrive by “leaning in” with curiosity and humility, ensuring they guide AI evolution—not the other way around.

Listen to the episode or subscribe to the Everyday AI Podcast for more actionable insights.