Hey, it's Marek,

Recording from Warsaw this week, where I just received the first printed copies of my book’s Polish edition (the translation will launch on 17/10/2025). There’s something magical about holding a physical book in your native language, and the process of translating it was quite interesting (humans + AI), but that’s a story for another day.

This episode explores what happens when organisations try to put the AI genie back in the bottle. Spoiler: It doesn’t work.

My friend at a hospital texted me: “We’re back to 1994.” His IT department had just downgraded them from Microsoft Copilot Pro to what he calls a “handcuffed chatbot.” The frustration in his message reminded me of Italy’s ChatGPT ban in March 2023, and the fascinating research that followed.

In this podcast episode, I read the full story I wrote in the newsletter, plus share some additional insights:

* Michael’s correction about when Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged was actually recorded (I was a year off!)

* Anna’s brilliant Dave Grohl parallel: after Nirvana, he didn’t retreat, he created Foo Fighters

* My own confession about wearing AI-enabled Meta Ray-Bans at work (where Meta AI isn’t an approved AI tool)

Listen for the full story, including Samsung’s cautionary tale (three data leaks in 20 days), the Containment Paradox, and a simple Tuesday morning test to discover if you have an AI underground in your organisation.

Stay curious!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marekkowal.substack.com