Hey everyone, it's Morty Hackel here on Ventures and Visionaries, diving into the wild world of AI transforming business and innovation. In this episode, I chat with John Furth, an executive coach and deep thinker, about how AI is shaking up leadership, mentorship, and even therapy. We explore whether machines can mimic empathy, the human edge in creativity and intuition, and how to strategically plan with AI tools without losing our edge. John shares his passion for AI in marketing and videos, and we tackle big questions like consciousness and responsibility in an AI-driven workplace. If you're a business owner or leader wondering how to stay relevant, this one's packed with insights. Hit play, subscribe, and let's envision the future together!   Guest Introduction: I'm thrilled to have John Furth on the show—he's an executive coach, speaker, and former exec who's all about guiding CEOs and business owners through tough transitions. With a background from Harvard music to strategy at Sony and Discovery, John now runs mentorship groups like Executives Over 50. He's a total AI convert, using it for everything from headshots to strategic planning, and brings that fresh perspective to our chat on AI in leadership.   Key Takeaways: AI is already in the workplace, revolutionizing marketing and strategy—think using ChatGPT to crank out killer content or even therapy sessions that challenge you hard. Machines can fake empathy and emotion, but they lack true consciousness; that's where our human intuition and personal experiences give us the real edge. For strategic planning, let AI handle the data crunching and analysis, freeing you up to focus on creativity and vision—it's like having a super-smart assistant that saves tons of time. As leaders, we need guardrails for AI use, like policies on access and ethics, to prevent misuse while nurturing young teams to learn from mistakes. Emotions in the workplace can trigger chaos, but AI tools like Read.ai can give unbiased feedback, helping us improve without the defensiveness. Stay relevant by diving into AI daily—train it, use it for coaching, but never stop honing your mindfulness and emotional maturity.   Chapter Markers: 0:00 Intro 0:30 Guest Introduction 1:30 John's Background and Career Journey 3:00 AI in Daily Life and Marketing 5:15 Sponsor Break: Pax8 5:30 AI for Strategy and Therapy 7:20 Human Strengths vs. AI: Empathy and Consciousness 12:50 Defining Consciousness and Reality Perception 17:20 AI in Strategic Planning for Businesses 21:50 Balancing Intuition with AI Analytics 24:20 Working for an AI Boss: Human Value Add 27:00 Emotions in Leadership and Authenticity 30:00 AI as a Coaching Companion 32:30 Responsible AI Use and Governance 37:00 Intuition, Chess, and Human Processing 39:25 Training AI for Courses and Evaluation 41:40 Passion Projects and Closing 42:05 How to Connect with John 43:10 Sponsor: KJ Technology 44:46 Outro   Keywords: Mordy Hackel, John Furth, Ventures and Visionaries, AI in leadership, executive coaching, AI marketing, strategic planning with AI, human intuition vs AI, AI consciousness, workplace emotions, AI therapy, business innovation, mentorship groups, AI governance, future of work