Host Emily Laird blasts past the “AI is slowing down” takes and shows why the machine is actually speeding up, from frontier models to coding benchmarks to data centers humming like the Death Star. This episode breaks down Stanford HAI’s 2026 AI Index with sharp wit, real numbers, and a healthy suspicion of quarter-zip prophecy. It is a high-voltage look at adoption, jobs, schools, and the big question: can human judgment keep up with the shiny machines?