The Difference Podcast launches with Robin Sloan—bestselling novelist, olive oil entrepreneur, AI experimenter, and musician—exploring what it means to create with the machine. As AI creeps into every part of our lives, Robin offers a philosophical and craft-based approach to this new world of creativity. He describes working with AI as more like gardening than carpentry—creating growth conditions rather than directly controlling outcomes. The conversation examines AI as a medium with its own distinctive “grain” and limitations while highlighting how balancing digital experimentation with physical creation leads to more meaningful creative practice. A thoughtful exploration of human-machine collaboration in the creative process.