The AI Corner

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Adam Holt, Co-founder of thecolab.ai & po2order, to explore how Adam's building autonomous AI agent teams that work 24/7, what OpenClaw (formerly ClaudeBot/MoltBot) can actually do, and why prompt injection is the biggest security risk most people ignore.

You'll hear Adam's journey from developer to AI-first entrepreneur, how he contributes to the OpenClaw open-source project, why he grabbed the OpenClaw Academy domain, plus his take on building functional prototypes in minutes, managing AI agent memory systems, and the very real risks of giving agents access to your email and CRM without proper guardrails.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 01:00 – Journey from developer to AI-first
• 03:15 – What is OpenClaw (ClaudeBot/MoltBot)
• 05:00 – The rebrand to OpenClaw
• 06:30 – Grabbing OpenClaw Academy domain
• 08:15 – How autonomous agents differ from chat
• 10:45 – Building AI agent teams that work 24/7
• 15:30 – Prompt injection security risks explained
• 20:00 – Real examples of agent capabilities
• 23:00 – From idea to prototype in minutes
• 27:00 – Email access and CRM integration dangers
• 30:00 – Memory systems and context management
• 35:00 – Live demo: market research to dashboard
• 48:30 – Building a beef/lamb market website live
• 53:15 – Outro & next steps

ADAM'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjohnholt/

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Join hosts Mike and Erin Bayly for an anniversary episode reflecting on how The AI Corner went from an idea when living in a campervan in South American holiday to New Zealand's most-read AI newsletter.

You'll hear how they grew from zero to 5,800+ subscribers in twelve months, the ACP (Audience-Community-Product) framework that guided their strategy, and why Claude Code became a tipping point for content production. Plus, their plans to take AI on the Couch further in 2026 and help more Kiwis move beyond surface-level AI knowledge.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 01:00 – Reflecting on one year since launch
• 02:00 – The South American holiday where it began
• 03:00 – Why newsletters became valuable again
• 04:00 – Greg Isenberg's ACP framework explained
• 06:00 – Building audience before building product
• 22:00 – How automation collapsed content effort
• 23:00 – Claude Code as a tipping point
• 24:00 – Erin's role and the newborn phase
• 25:00 – Why AI on the Couch resonates
• 27:00 – Plans for 2026 and beyond
• 27:30 – Outro & next steps

MIKE'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebayly/

ERIN'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-howard/

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribe

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Damon Kelly, Founder and CEO of Enlighten Designs, to explore 26 years of building with AI—from cognitive science studies to today's generative revolution. You'll hear how Damon slashed a 290-hour recruitment process to just 10 hours using AI agents, why retrieval augmented generation isn't just bigger memory, and his take on conversational commerce reshaping brand discovery. Plus, his provocative prediction: the next five to ten years will be "a total bloodbath" for businesses that don't adapt, and why New Zealand needs sovereign GPU infrastructure.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:57 – Psychology, cognitive science and early AI
• 03:19 – Founding Enlighten Designs 26 years ago
• 05:07 – RAG, machine learning and voice interfaces
• 08:27 – Why RAG isn't just bigger memory
• 11:16 – When to use AI vs algorithms
• 15:32 – The AI recruitment experiment: 290 to 10 hours
• 21:15 – AI won't kill roles, just headcounts
• 25:27 – The coming AI bloodbath for laggards
• 29:15 – Agents, GEO and the collapse of the funnel
• 36:16 – Conversational interfaces and NLWeb
• 41:50 – Why NZ needs local GPU infrastructure
• 49:35 – Quick-fire: Claude, underhyped AI, and getting started
• 53:25 – Outro & next steps

DAMON'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonkellyenlighten/

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribeNZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Ben Reid, technology futurist and founder of Memia, to explore how exponential technology is reshaping New Zealand's future. You'll hear Ben's journey from philosophy student to founding executive director of the AI Forum NZ, his thesis on why Western nations have surrendered sovereignty to hyperscale cloud providers, and his prediction of an imminent AI investment correction. Plus his take on why AI agents are overhyped, how China is playing a three-horse race across software, energy and robotics, and why open source investment is the only path forward for countries outside the US and China.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:28 – Early computing and science fiction influences
• 03:20 – Ray Kurzweil and the singularity thesis
• 08:03 – Is the singularity scary or exciting?
• 14:15 – Technology speciation and homo capitalists
• 18:07 – New Zealand's AI position globally
• 19:59 – The coming AI bubble correction
• 23:17 – Tech feudalism and digital sovereignty
• 29:31 – US versus China AI dynamics
• 35:49 – Why AI agents are overhyped
• 44:51 – Robotics and biotech as the next frontier
• 49:09 – Tool recommendations and getting started
• 55:17 – Outro & next steps

BEN'S LINKEDIN: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/benreid

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribeNZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Hannah Hardy-Jones, co-founder of Contented and previous founder of mental health app The Kite Program, to explore how she moved from mental health tech into AI, what voice-powered conversation intelligence looks like across wealth management and enterprise, and why solving actual problems beats dabbling with recipes. You'll hear about the 70 coffee challenge that built product-market fit, how Contented creates thirty strategic assets from one conversation, plus Hannah's take on leading with problems not AI, managing bias through purposeful outputs, and why agent hype is overblown.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:30 – Journey into AI
• 02:20 – From ChatGPT to consulting
• 04:11 – Building custom AI tools
• 05:05 – Conversations versus meetings
• 06:29 – The 70 coffee challenge
• 08:19 – How Contented works
• 11:33 – Target markets and positioning
• 13:21 – AI innovation layers
• 15:15 – Data privacy and security
• 16:39 – Managing bias purposefully
• 19:07 – User-led insights not automation
• 19:36 – Leading with problems not AI
• 22:26 – Change management challenges
• 23:26 – OpenAI and UN showcase
• 25:17 – Visual outputs and future roadmap

HANNAH'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-hardy-jones-63b3b238/

MIKE'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebayly/

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:

NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribe

NZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Dave Howden, CEO and co-founder of Superhuman AI with over two decades in emerging tech, to explore how he moved from cloud migrations to industrial AI applications, what automation looks like across regulated sectors, and why the cost of doing nothing falls hardest on employees. You'll hear Dave's take on knowledge work heading to zero cost, the fiduciary tension between protecting jobs and serving shareholders, plus his views on rare earth supply chains, Google's enterprise dominance, and why business-savvy CTOs will define the next wave of transformation.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 01:04 – AI as bigger than the internet
• 03:25 – Jobs unfit for human biology
• 06:16 – Fiduciary responsibility tension
• 08:11 – Future of work and purpose
• 11:34 – Anti-AI movements emerging
• 14:24 – Acclimatisation to AI oversight
• 16:22 – Philosophical tension for founders
• 18:37 – Building consent automation example
• 20:04 – Amazon's 30,000 layoffs pattern
• 22:24 – Price disruption threshold
• 26:00 – Incumbents' advantages and disadvantages
• 30:35 – Executive excitement versus paralysis
• 34:01 – Industry versus company solutions
• 38:51 – Rare earth supply chain dynamics
• 45:05 – OpenAI versus Google enterprise play
• 53:15 – Data centre hype assessment
• 56:47 – Stealth mode companies emerging
• 58:05 – Leadership advice for transformation
• 01:00:12 – CTO role evolution

DAVE'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davehowden/

MIKE'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebayly/

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribeNZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Bindi Norwell, group CEO of ProCare and recent winner of the New Zealand Leadership Award for Innovation, to explore how she's leading New Zealand's largest primary care network through AI-driven transformation. You'll hear how Bindi moved from real estate to healthcare, why she started internal before going external with AI adoption, plus her approach to building innovation culture through empowerment rather than mandates. Discover the Health Accelerator joint venture reaching 2 million patients, how Heidi Health saves 7 minutes per consult, and why Singapore and Denmark are leading the way on AI in healthcare.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:30 – Early AI experiences in real estate
• 02:51 – Transition into healthcare and identifying pain points
• 04:41 – Internal AI adoption and empowerment strategy
• 07:25 – Partnering with experts for transformation workshops
• 09:44 – Change management and bringing detractors along
• 12:38 – Strategic focus versus shiny toy syndrome
• 13:37 – Health Accelerator launch and governance model
• 18:24 – New Zealand as innovative test bed
• 22:12 – Heidi Health implementation and patient trust
• 27:48 – Data strategy for preventative healthcare
• 32:24 – Wearables and open healthcare model
• 34:49 – Cross-sector collaboration for national progress

BINDI'S LINKEDIN: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/bindi-norwell

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribe

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Dr Guy Bate, thematic lead for artificial intelligence at the University of Auckland Business School, to explore how he moved from health tech consulting into education and why he sees AI as a mirror that reveals our assumptions, not just a tool for automation. You'll hear Guy's approach to auto-fabrication, how he uses custom GPTs to simulate board members and philosophers for leadership development, his work with young entrepreneurs building AI-first EdTech, plus why critical sensitivity to what we put into AI helps us grow reflexively alongside it.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:28 – From health tech to AI in education
• 02:41 – Pre-GenAI predictive analytics landscape
• 06:19 – Data challenges in predictive AI
• 09:35 – The AI mirror concept explained
• 13:49 – Ethics and trust in AI
• 15:11 – AI as mirror in practice
• 20:50 – Auto-fabrication and personal development
• 26:22 – Custom GPTs for leadership simulations
• 30:39 – Young entrepreneurs building AI-first solutions
• 32:33 – Outro & next steps

GUY'S LINKEDIN: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/guybate

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribeNZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Join host Mike Bayly and guest Asa Cox, founder and CEO of Arcanum AI, to explore his journey from pharmaceutical licensing to becoming New Zealand's self-described "grandfather of AI." Hear how Asa pivoted from enterprise projects with TransPower and NZ Police to building Numa, a platform specifically designed for SMBs that legacy tech providers overlooked. You'll discover why small data now unlocks more value than big data ever could, how the 2020 algorithm audit created an AI winter in New Zealand, plus Asa's partner-first go-to-market strategy and his vision for helping traditional businesses in manufacturing, construction, and engineering compete in the AI era.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:00 – Intro & guest bio
• 00:51 – Pharma background to AI pioneer
• 02:20 – Early enterprise AI projects
• 05:59 – Arcanum founding story
• 08:26 – Shift from enterprise to SMB
• 11:10 – Numa platform capabilities
• 14:32 – Taking AI to data approach
• 18:43 – Data barriers then versus now
• 22:24 – Partner-first distribution model
• 27:13 – New Zealand AI adoption challenges
• 31:52 – Teaching kids to be human
• 35:37 – Outro & next steps

ASA'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asacoxnz/

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY AHEAD:NZ AI News: https://theaicorner.co.nz/subscribeNZ AI Events: https://theaicorner.co.nz/p/ai-events-in-new-zealand

Welcome to a new segment of Mike’s Musings. Focused breakdowns on the ideas shaping the future of AI, commerce and work.

This week's topic: Agentic commerce is not a buzzword. It is what happens when AI agents start researching, comparing, negotiating and buying on our behalf, across multiple sites, in a single invisible transaction.

In this video I break down:00:00 Intro and why agentic commerce matters now00:30 What agentic commerce actually is (vs ecommerce)01:28 Real example: agents planning and buying for you03:21 Why this is the biggest structural shift since ecommerce07:10 How agents change discovery, intent and buyer behaviour08:04 Trust, payments and why current rails start to break10:25 New protocols: Google AP2 and OpenAI / Stripe ACP26:07 Mandates explained and how AI agents execute safely33:07 What brands must do now: data, APIs, GEO, machine readability39:22 Discovery brands vs destination brands in an agent led world44:39 The two speed future: businesses ready for agents vs those that are not

What agentic commerce actually is (in plain English)If you are in ecommerce, payments, B2B sales, marketing or product, this is a primer on how AI agents will change discovery, pricing, loyalty and the purpose of your website.

👀 Watch this if you are asking:

• “Will agents still find my brand when humans stop clicking around my site?”

If this was useful, hit subscribe, share it with someone in your team who needs to be thinking about this, and DM me your questions or ideas for a follow up deep dive.