The Digital Executive Podcast
Episode 1144 — Matt Maher on AI, Search, and the Future of Human-Centered Innovation
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Matt Maher, Futurist, Founder of M7 Innovations
Date: November 12, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features futurist Matt Maher, founder of M7 Innovations, as he discusses transformative forces in technology—specifically artificial intelligence (AI), search evolution, and the optimistic future of spatial computing. Maher offers an inside look at his approach to innovation, early access to cutting-edge developments, actionable steps for brands facing the new AI-powered internet, and the broader human implications of wearable tech.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Matt Maher’s Journey to Innovation Leadership
[01:07–03:25]
- Media & Tech Beginnings: Maher recounts his decade at major media and marketing firms (Interpublic Group, Stagwell) working innovation roles across clients like 20th Century Fox, E-Trade, and others.
- Why M7 Innovations Was Founded:
- Maher felt "like a misfit" in big agencies, believing innovation should be transformational, not just a flashy add-on.
- Access to industry giants (Amazon, Meta, Microsoft) and MIT showed him the "ground moving," especially in areas like AI and immersive computing.
- In 2018, Maher founded M7 Innovations to be laser-focused on:
- Artificial Intelligence
- The "evolving Internet"
- Immersive/Spatial Computing
- Adding a behavioral and cultural trends pillar
- His bet: “...those were good technologies to get into. And as we’ve seen in the last few years, they have been pretty transformational for... many of the Fortune 500.” (B, 03:15)
The Secret Sauce: Early Access & Academic Partnerships
[04:03–06:01]
- Inherent Curiosity: Maher attributes his drive to his upbringing by educators and a mentor who said:
“The second you stop learning is the second you stop growing.” (B, 04:07)
- MIT Connections: M7 is the 36th official consortium lab member at MIT:
- Early access to proprietary data and insights 10–20 years ahead of public release.
- Exposure to researchers “divorced from capitalism,” committed to building a better future.
- Direct With Developers:
- M7 partners directly with developers at companies like Perplexity (AI search), Profound (AI brand monitoring), and Qril (AR).
- This allows influence on and firsthand insights into product roadmaps.
- Testing Cutting-Edge Hardware:
- Early devices like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Ray-Bans.
- Direct product experience: “When you can taste, touch and feel the future... you can see as a bellwether for what the future will be.” (B, 05:34)
Demystifying AEO & GEO — AI-Driven Search Best Practices
[06:50–08:59]
- New Search, New Rules:
- Emphasis on “AEO” (AI Engine Optimization) and “GEO” (Generative Engine Optimization). “We’re in the acronym phase of this new technology.” (B, 06:55)
- Framework for Brands — "Align, Design, Refine”:
- Align:
- Ensure C-suite alignment on the fundamental shift from traditional to AI search.
- “...it is much more of a revolution. It is fundamentally changing how people are navigating the Internet.” (B, 07:17)
- Design:
- Focus on semantic association & model equity.
- Evaluate sites for technical readiness (AI dislikes JavaScript; HTML structure is key).
- Prepare for both human & agentic (AI-powered) visits.
- Refine:
- Continuous testing with tools like Profound or Evertune.
- Track performance vs. competitors.
- “We have multiple playbooks, multiple LLMs... constant refinement is needed.” (B, 08:39)
- Align:
- Market Disruption:
- Google’s former dominance is threatened as users migrate to AI-powered search/apps (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity).
The Numbers Behind AI Search’s Growth
[09:34–09:46]
- Matt’s metrics:
- GPT: 800 million monthly active users
- Gemini: 400 million
- Perplexity: 50 million
- “We’re definitely hitting a critical mass across multiple LLMs.” (B, 09:41)
Optimism for Human-Centered Spatial Computing
[10:06–11:56]
- Lessons from Google Glass vs. Meta Ray-Bans:
- Google Glass (2013): “A solution looking for a problem”—expensive, unfashionable, ahead of its time.
- Meta Ray-Bans (2023): More affordable, far more in-tune with contemporary behavior (people now on phones for 5+ hours/day), attractive design, functions like easy photo capture.
- Wearables as Positive Change:
- “Our addiction to smartphones is only increasing, our attention is only decreasing. If we do have a set of wearables and devices that can delegate some of those menial tasks... that's a future I would want to live in.” (B, 11:38)
- Current wearables (Vision Pro, Meta Ray-Bans) offer a glimpse; not mainstream yet, but crucial features (messaging, media) give hope for healthier human-tech integration.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On Transformational Innovation:
“I truly believed innovation wasn’t kind of this small thing you’d carve off of a media budget to test out... it could be just truly transformational for business.”
(B, 01:55) -
On the Value of Curiosity:
“The second you stop learning is the second you stop growing.”
(B, quoting a mentor, 04:07) -
Future-Focused Academic Partnerships:
“We have access to...people...a bit divorced from capitalism. They are just literally building a better future for us.”
(B, 04:37) -
On AI’s Disruption to Search:
“It is much more of a revolution. It is fundamentally changing how people are navigating the Internet.”
(B, 07:19) -
Behavioral Shift in Wearables:
“The Overton Window has shifted... now you have a product (Meta Ray-Bans) that is a little more fashionable... and under $300.”
(B, 10:40) -
Vision for Human-Centered Tech:
“...if we do have a set of wearables and devices that can kind of delegate some of those menial tasks on our smartphones that force us to crane our necks and look down, that’s a future I essentially would want to live in.”
(B, 11:38)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Guest Introduction & Career Backstory: 01:07–03:25
- M7 Innovation’s Unique Edge (Academic and Early Access): 04:03–06:01
- AI Search Best Practices (Align, Design, Refine): 06:50–08:59
- AI Search Usage Metrics: 09:34–09:46
- Spatial Computing Optimism (Google Glass vs. Ray-Bans): 10:06–11:56
Tone & Language
The conversation is candid, optimistic, and accessible. Maher blends technical expertise with tangible examples and maintains a future-positive, human-centered emphasis throughout, while Brian steers with concise, practical questions.
Summary Takeaway
Matt Maher advocates for a mindful embrace of emerging technology grounded in human behavior and cultural insight. Whether it’s AI-powered search or the next generation of wearables, he emphasizes curiosity, close developer partnerships, and constant refinement as the keys for brands (and individuals) hoping to thrive in an accelerating digital landscape.