The Professor is Live! with Mark Salisbury

Artificial intelligence is helping lawyers research cases, prepare legal arguments, and work more efficiently. But what happens when AI invents a legal case—or confidently gets the facts wrong?

On this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and Producer Rikko Smart welcome Twin Cities attorney Blake Vanderhyde to explore what responsible AI looks like in the legal profession—and what the rest of us can learn from it.

We'll discuss AI hallucinations, professional responsibility, and whether our legal system can hold companies accountable when AI causes harm.

Blake believes we're living in AI's "before the seat belt moment." Just as automobiles became safer through better engineering, laws, and accountability, we have an opportunity to make AI safer without sacrificing its extraordinary benefits.

Join us for a thoughtful, occasionally humorous conversation about promoting responsible AI.

Because as artificial intelligence becomes more capable, human judgment—and human responsibility—matter more than ever.

AI can write our papers, create our computer programs, analyze our data—and increasingly make decisions on its own.

So…what could possibly go wrong?

On this episode of The Professor is Live!, Professor Mark Salisbury talks with Dr. Volker Petersen, an industrial engineer and adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, whose thinking about AI has changed considerably over the past several months.

We talk about If AI writes the assignment, are students still learning? If AI replaces junior engineers and programmers, where will tomorrow's senior experts come from? And as AI systems become increasingly autonomous, how do we make sure humans remain responsible for the decisions that matter?

Artificial intelligence is changing football.

Coaches can now use AI and advanced analytics to evaluate players, identify patterns, anticipate opponents, and even help decide whether to go for it on fourth down.

But what happens when the computer's recommendation conflicts with the coach's experience and judgment?

On the next The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart are joined by Jay Paterno—football coach, author, speaker, and former Penn State assistant coach—to explore what AI can teach us about coaching...and leadership.

Jay offers a particularly intriguing idea: perhaps AI's greatest value isn't telling leaders what to do. Perhaps it's challenging the assumptions behind what they already believe. In coaching staffs—and organizations—where people can fall into familiar patterns or echo chambers, AI can become an impartial voice asking, “Have you thought about this?” 

Artificial intelligence is now being used to answer spiritual questions—but should it?

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart explore a surprising news story about AI-powered religious chatbots with Pastor Dan Doerrer of ELIM Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.

Together they ask a bigger question:

What should leadership look like when AI enters something as personal as faith?

Featuring our "What Could Go Wrong?" segment, a conversation with ChatGPT, audience discussion, and practical insights about using technology to deepen learning without replacing the human relationships that give it meaning.

Join us for a thoughtful—and occasionally humorous—conversation about faith, technology, and leadership in the age of AI.

What if artificial intelligence became so productive that it generated enormous new wealth?

Who should benefit?

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart explore a fascinating Associated Press story about the growing idea of an AI Dividend—a proposal that asks whether everyone should share in the wealth created by AI.

Joined by economist Dr. Tyler Schipper from the University of St. Thomas, we move beyond the politics to explore a much bigger leadership question:

What should we do if AI changes the relationship between work, prosperity, and purpose?

Featuring our "Unclear on the Concept?" segment, a conversation with ChatGPT, audience discussion, and practical insights about leading in the age of AI.

Join us for a thoughtful—and occasionally humorous—conversation about the future of work, human dignity, and leadership.

AI can paint. AI can compose music. AI can even create sculptures.

So...what's left for human creativity?

Join host Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart as they explore a remarkable story from the art world with artist Dean Trisko—and ask the question that matters far beyond art:

What does leadership in the world of art look like when AI changes what's possible?

In this episode, we're talking about a story by the Associated Press about a Cornell University instructor of the German language. Apparently, she got frustrated with students were using generative AI and online trans translation platforms to churn out grammatically perfect assignments.  Her comment was, “What is the point of me reading assignments if they are already correct and you didn't write it yourself?  So, the question is

If the computer did the work...

did the student learn anything? 

Her answer – have the student complete their German assignments on typewriters!

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury is joined by guest Dr. Margit Berman and they explore what recent research tells us about using AI for emotional support—and why judgment, responsibility, and real human relationships still matter. Join us for a thoughtful conversation about where technology helps, where it doesn’t, and how to use AI wisely in everyday life. And for more fun, ChatGPT joins the conversation!

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury is joined by guest Dr. Margit Berman and they explore what recent research tells us about using AI for emotional support—and why judgment, responsibility, and real human relationships still matter. Join us for a thoughtful conversation about where technology helps, where it doesn’t, and how to use AI wisely in everyday life. And for more fun, ChatGPT joins the conversation!

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark and Rikko start by laughing at the idea of AI translating dog barks — and end up discovering that the real story isn’t about talking to animals. It’s about how humans and intelligent machines can work together to make better decisions. Along the way, they bring ChatGPT directly into the conversation to explore whether this technology could actually work — and what it teaches us about leadership, judgment, and the future of care.