Tool Use - AI Conversations

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Feeling intimidated by AI tooling? This is the perfect place to start. Join us for a deep dive into AI agent fundamentals with expert educator Hai Ngheim. We break down complex topics like context engineering, explaining why it's a more useful term than prompt engineering. Learn the key differences between an AI Agent and a workflow, and discover when to use each for maximum efficiency. We demystify Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), explaining why it’s fundamentally a search problem, not just a vector database issue.

Explore the future of AI interoperability with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the "USB-C for agents" , and see how it simplifies building with AI. For those intimidated by the command line, we offer tips on getting started with powerful tools like Claude Code. This episode covers the fundamentals of deep research , browser-use agents , and what makes a "deep agent" capable of producing high-value output. If you've heard these buzzwords online , this is the explanation you've been waiting for to help you integrate these powerful AI tools into your life.

Guest Links: Check out Hai's Agent Engineering Bootcamp: https://maven.com/agent-lab/agent-engineering-bootcamp

Check out AGI Ventures Canada on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-beginning-hai-nghiem-swnsc/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:05 - Context Engineering vs Prompt Engineering

00:03:36 - AI Agents vs Workflows

00:20:56 - MCP (Model Context Protocol) Explained

00:29:58 - Getting Started with Claude Code

00:38:49 - The Power of Browser-Based AI Agents

00:48:50 - What Are Deep Agents?

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts, brought to you by ToolHive.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Open Source AI is key to a positive future for humanity, and Alignment Lab AI is building the tools to make it accessible to everyone. In a world where a few big tech companies control the most powerful "black box" AI models, concerns about data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and entrenched power are growing. This episode explores the alternative: a future of decentralized, user-owned AI.

We're joined by Austin Cook, Chris Hardwick, and Jordan Parker from Alignment Lab AI to discuss their mission to democratize AI through radical transparency and distributed ownership. Discover how open source AI empowers you to control your own data, run powerful models locally on your own hardware, and create truly personalized AI assistants. We get into why specialized open source models can outperform giant frontier models for specific tasks, the importance of owning your compute, and how you can get started with your own local AI lab.

Learn more about Alignment Lab AI:

https://www.alignmentlab.ai/

https://discord.gg/r7NaHJZxCR

https://x.com/alignment_lab

Connect with us

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https://x.com/alignment_lab

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:52 - What is AI Alignment?

00:07:05 - Can Open Source AI Compete with Frontier Models?

00:10:46 - The Dangers of AI and Your Data Privacy

00:25:13 - What You Can Do With a Home AI Lab

00:32:01 - The Future of Personalized AI Assistants

00:35:51 - How to Help the Open Source AI Movement

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts, brought to you by ToolHive.

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Unlock the full potential of Claude Code! Most people are only using a fraction of its capabilities. In this Claude Code masterclass, AI coding experts Ray Fernando (former Apple engineer) and Eric Buess (Anthropic super fan) reveal the secrets to maximizing your productivity with one of the most powerful AI coding tools available. Learn how the pros are using Claude Code, from optimal setup and advanced context management techniques to leveraging powerful features like sub-agents, hooks, and slash commands. Discover the benefits of different thinking modes, how to avoid common pitfalls like context rot, and build reliable workflows that get the job done. Every Claude Code user will learn something new in this video.

Guest: Ray Fernando

Twitter: https://x.com/RayFernando1337

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCq_MHfMX5FBBB3bqnJPAEzA

Website: https://raytranscribes.com/

Guest: Eric Buess

Twitter: https://x.com/EricBuess

Claude Code Docs Repo: https://github.com/ericbuess/claude-code-docs

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:37 - Optimal Claude Code Setup

00:05:07 - YOLO Mode: Dangerously Skip Permissions

00:07:07 - Thinking Modes & Context Management

00:15:52 - Hook Workflow

00:23:47 - Hooks vs. Slash Commands

00:30:32 - How the Pros Use Sub-Agents

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts, brought to you by ToolHive.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Unlock the secrets of secure AI development in this episode of Tool Use! We're joined by Craig McLuckie, the co-creator of Kubernetes and the Co-Founder and CEO of StackLok, to dive deep into the world of MCPs and the future of AI infrastructure. As AI agents and the MCPs become more widespread, ensuring the security and reliability of these systems is paramount. Craig discusses the critical need for hardened and secure MCP servers to prevent risks like data exfiltration and the creation of backdoors.

Discover how ToolHive, developed by StackLok, is solving these challenges by providing a registry of trusted, curated MCP servers. We explore how ToolHive helps developers by offering a standardized toolkit of reliable tools, simplifying integration, and managing security concerns like secret protection and network isolation. Craig shares his insights on best practices for developing secure MCP servers, the importance of community-driven development, and the future of authentication and authorization in agentic systems. Learn about the shift from a platform engineering to a solutions engineering mindset and why you need to embrace an experimental approach to thrive in the new AI age.

StackLok: https://stacklok.com/

ToolHive: https://toolhive.dev/

Stacklok Discord: https://discord.gg/Uhz3VshErv

Craig's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigmcluckie/

Connect with us

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https://x.com/cmcluck

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:35 - What is ToolHive?

00:06:21 - How ToolHive Helps Developers in Production

00:13:13 - How the Community Guides the ToolHive Roadmap

00:22:03 - Gaps in Current AI Infrastructure

00:31:26 - Will API Keys Survive the AI Age?

00:47:18 - A New Mindset for Thriving in AI

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts, brought to you by Stacklok

Unlock the future of AI tools, context engineering, and practical AI development in this special Episode 50 of Tool Use! We celebrate one year of weekly conversations by bringing back two dozen of the brightest minds in the AI space to share their most valuable lessons and predictions. Dive deep into the evolution from prompt engineering to context engineering, and learn how to master large language models (LLMs) and AI agents for maximum productivity and impact.

In this can't-miss episode, we explore the biggest takeaways from a revolutionary year in AI. Discover the power of reasoning models, the rapid advancement of local models, and the rise of multi-agent systems. Our expert guests, including entrepreneurs, researchers, and builders, discuss the critical importance of mindset, staying curious, and the human element in the age of AI. Learn practical strategies for building with AI, from owning your control flow and creating effective feedback loops to leveraging "vibe coding" and knowing when to use deterministic code versus fuzzy LLM functions.

Explore the latest in AI tooling and workflows, from using WhatsApp as a universal interface to the best practices for evals, tracing, and context management. Hear predictions on the future of AI, including the path to zero-cost intelligence, the rise of home robotics, and the solution to model orchestration. Whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, or just passionate about leveraging AI, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay ahead in this rapidly accelerating industry.

Join us as we discuss how to build for the future, augment human capabilities, and democratize the benefits of AI. Find out why the top 1% of builders approach AI differently and how you can apply their principles to your own projects.

Thank you for an incredible year! To support the show and help us bring on more amazing guests, please like, share, and subscribe.

12 Factor Agents - https://github.com/humanlayer/12-factor-agents

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:05 Ty Fiero - Model Advances

00:04:21 Context Engineering

00:05:49 Ryan Carson - Obsess about context

00:06:23 Richard Abrich - Garbage in, garbage out

00:08:23 Michael Tiffany - More Metaprompt

00:09:13 Mindset

00:12:04 Dexter Horthy - Keep doing the hardest thing

00:15:22 Diamond Bishop - Change is the only constant

00:17:53 Dillion Verma - Build around AI

00:19:30 Freddie Vargus - Don't believe the magic

00:20:49 Wolfram Ravenwolf - Curiosity, motivation, and skepticism

00:22:13 Jake Koenig - Most things you learned are obsolete

00:23:19 Sarah Allali - Know the outcome your expecting

00:24:29 Practical Development and Tooling

00:27:12 Francisco Ingham - WhatsApp and leveraging humans with LLMs

00:30:27 Minki Jung - Standardized evals, tracing, context management

00:32:16 Hai Nghiem - Don't be too smart

00:35:02 Jason McGhee - Three camps of AI tool use

00:38:38 Olga Beregovaya - Right model for the job

00:40:01 Orlando Kalossakas - Prompting is vital

00:40:48 The Human Element

00:43:20 CJ Pais - AI to empower creatives

00:45:05 Kirk Marple - Play with vibe coding

00:47:17 David Cross - Think about the people first

00:48:13 Adam Cohen Hillel - Humans are the bottleneck

00:49:22 Aaron Wong-Ellis - Talk to your customers

00:50:34 Ian Pilon - What is agency?

00:51:56 Future Predictions

00:54:41 Thank you

Please follow our incredible guests:

https://x.com/FieroTy

https://x.com/ryancarson

https://x.com/abrichr

https://x.com/kubla

https://x.com/dexhorthy

https://x.com/diamondbishop

https://x.com/dillionverma

https://x.com/freddie_v4

https://x.com/WolframRvnwlf

https://x.com/ja3k_

https://x.com/SarahAllali7

https://x.com/fpingham

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https://x.com/_jason_today

https://x.com/sunglassesface

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https://x.com/KirkMarple

https://x.com/adamcohenhillel

https://x.com/aaronwongellis

https://x.com/IanTimotheos

(and me too)

https://x.com/ToolUseAI

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Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Unlock massive productivity with AI and learn to code faster than ever. In this episode, 3x exited founder Ryan Carson shares how he's building a one-person startup with AI. Ryan reveals his revolutionary three-part workflow for managing AI developers in Cursor, a system that has supercharged his output. We dive deep into the best AI tools for coding and productivity like Cursor, ChatGPT, and AI agents, and how to use them to go from idea to execution. Ryan also offers invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on how to leverage AI for business logistics, finance, HR, and even founder therapy. Learn the skills and mindset needed to become a successful solo founder in today's AI-driven world.

Follow Ryan Carson:

https://x.com/ryancarson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarson/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:35 - How to Use Cursor for AI Development

00:10:37 - Ryan's 3-Part AI Agent Workflow

00:15:38 - Managing AI Context Drift & Hallucinations

00:35:52 - How to Build a 1-Person, AI-Powered Company

00:41:57 - Advice For Aspiring Solo Founders

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Unlock the secrets to scaling your business globally with powerful AI workflows that can slash costs by up to 80%. In this episode, we're joined by Olga Beregovaya, the VP of AI at Smartling, a world leader in AI-powered translation. Olga shares her 25 years of experience in language technology, from the origins of NLP to the omnipresent A.I. 2.0 era we live in today.

Discover Smartling's internal strategies for deploying AI across their entire organization, including how they leverage AI for lead generation, software development, and enhancing translator productivity. Olga dives deep into the "build vs. buy" debate for AI tools, the critical importance of creating a "golden dataset" for benchmarking models, and how to safely deploy AI at an enterprise scale without introducing latency or hallucinations. Learn about the future of work and the skills you need to thrive—like shifting from a translator to a "multilingual prompt engineer"—and how to develop an AI literacy that will be essential in any field.

Keep up with Olga and Smartling:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-beregovaya-04b5/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartling/

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Connect with us:

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:05:47 - How Smartling Adopts AI as a Global Company

00:10:50 - The Build vs. Buy AI Tool Debate

00:19:17 - How to Deploy AI Systems at a Global Scale

00:31:26 - How Industries Can Survive The AI Wave

00:34:33 - The Most Valuable Skills For an AI Future

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

David Cross reveals his step-by-step process for generating emotionally resonant AI content that avoids the uncanny valley. Discover the AI tools and strategies to build your own content factory, including using a custom GPT for scripts , ElevenLabs for realistic AI voice generation , and Midjourney for unique, hand-created style artwork. David breaks down his method for iterating on AI output, the importance of a human-in-the-loop to ensure quality , and how to use AI to create multilingual content for a global audience. This is your guide to leveling up your AI content and making something that truly connects with people.

Connect with David Cross:

Website: https://davidcross.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssorcdivad/

Kids Chatterbox Project: http://kidschatterbox.com/

Get FREE AI tools pip install tool-use-ai

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:38 - The AI Content Creation Workflow

00:15:22 - Cost And Time For An AI Podcast

00:18:38 - How To Take AI Content From Good To Great

00:28:18 - Making Your AI Content Multilingual

00:40:38 - Advice for Marketers in the AI Age

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with AI experts brought to you by Anetic.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Explore the future of business efficiency with AI agents and cutting-edge DevSecOps strategies as Wolfram RavenWolf, AI Evangelist at EllaMind, joins us to demystify practical AI. Wolfram shares invaluable insights on integrating robust, fair, and effective AI systems into your organization. Learn why AI is humanity's most transformative technology, how to navigate common misconceptions, and the critical role of continuous evaluation and a "virtual coworker" mindset in harnessing its full potential. Discover actionable tips for deploying local AI, optimizing models through prompt engineering, and fostering an "AI affinity" culture that empowers your team to unlock unprecedented productivity and innovation.

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00:00:00 - intro

00:03:21 - Common AI Misconceptions for Businesses

00:06:32 - Low-Hanging Fruit for AI Adoption

00:11:24 - How to Evaluate & Select an LLM

00:25:51 - Hardware & Hosting for Local AI Models

00:47:04 - Promoting AI Adoption within Companies

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with AI experts brought to you by Anetic.

Master the art of building AI agents and powerful AI teammates with Diamond Bishop, Director of Engineering and AI at Datadog. In this deep dive, we explore crucial strategies for creating self-improving agent systems, from establishing robust evaluations (evals) and observability to designing effective human-in-the-loop escape hatches. Learn the secrets to building user trust, deciding between prompt engineering and fine-tuning, and managing data sets for peak performance. Diamond shares his expert insights on architecting agents, using LLM as a judge for quality control, and the future of ambient AI in DevSecOps. If you're looking to build your own AI assistant, this episode provides the essential principles and practical advice you need to get started and create systems that learn and improve over time.

Guest: Diamond Bishop, Director of Engineering and AI at Datadog

Learn more about Bits AI SRE: https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/bits-ai-sre/

Datadog MCP Server for Agents: https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/datadog-remote-mcp-server/

Sign up for A.I. coaching for professionals at: https://www.anetic.co

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:55 - When To Use an Agent vs a Script

00:05:44 - How to Architect an AI Agent

00:08:07 - Prompt Engineering vs Fine-Tuning

00:11:29 - Building Your First Eval Suite

00:26:06 - The Unsolved Problem in Agent Building

00:31:10 - The Future of Local AI Models & Privacy

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with AI experts brought to you by Anetic.