In this episode of Adjunct Intelligence, Dale and Nick unpack a whirlwind of AI developments reshaping politics, education, and society. From Albania’s unprecedented appointment of a virtual cabinet minister, to AI-driven disinformation campaigns rewriting how influence works, to student voices caught between empowerment and fear—this conversation spans the hopeful, the alarming, and the absurd.

We also dive into OpenAI’s hallucination research, billion-dollar corporate AI deals, Anthropic’s copyright payout, and new creative tools like Runway’s video magic realism. Finally, we break down what “AI alignment” really means, in both the lab and everyday life.

If you’re an educator, policymaker, or just curious about the shifting role of AI in our world, this episode will keep you informed and maybe a little unsettled.

⏱️ Time-Stamped Content

• 00:00 – Opening: Governments test AI inside cabinets, influence ops outside
• 00:54 – Albania appoints the world’s first AI minister “DLA”
• 02:20 – AI & disinformation: synthetic personas target 2,000+ U.S. political figures
• 04:00 – Why AI-driven propaganda is a literacy challenge for education
• 05:09 – OpenAI research: hallucinations are a feature, not a bug
• 06:21 – Anthropic’s $1.5B copyright case & the rise of RSL licensing standards
• 07:38 – Student perspectives: AI makes college “easier and harder at the same time”
• 09:19 – The wicked problem of AI & assessment: no silver bullets, just open dialogue
• 11:16 – Deal City: Microsoft, Anthropic, Oracle, and AI’s fragile infrastructure
• 13:48 – OpenAI jobs platform & certifications for the AI economy
• 14:35 – Claude’s new Excel & PowerPoint integrations
• 17:10 – Runway’s Aleph model and the rise of “editing memories”
• 20:12 – Jargon buster: What AI “alignment” really means
• 21:24 – Closing: staying curious, intelligent, and inside the human loop

🎙️ Adjunct Intelligence is the weekly briefing for higher-ed professionals who want AI as a cheat code—not a headache.

Every episode:
• Real tests of AI tools in education and professional workflows
• Fast, Monday-morning actions you can actually try
• Clear signal through the noise (no hype, no jargon)

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Stay curious. Stay intelligent. Stay the human in the loop.