Up Against Reality

This episode closes out the year with ChatGPT 5.2 front and center, as the tools get sharper, the breakthroughs sneakier, while the pace refuses to slow down. We zoom out, take stock of how fast things moved in 2025, and poke at what it all means heading into 2026—along with a few classic Up Against Reality detours. It’s the last ride of the year, and the future is still very much in the driver’s seat. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Arte Museum LM Arena ChatGPT 5.2 GPT 5.2 is the first human labor replacement | Wes Roth AI-generated images mentioned in this episode Meta SAM Audio Model Adobe Podcast Enhance PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/23/chatgpt-5-2/ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170 RSS: upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Originally aired May 7, 2024, this rewind explores what makes us human in a world increasingly shaped by AI. From ancient inventions to future fears, it’s a thoughtful (and occasionally hilarious) celebration of creativity, resilience, and yes—beer. LINKS: Man interviews an AI deepfake clone of himself Chatbot Arena Apple OpenELM China Unveils Vidu: A Powerful Text-to-Video Generator BionicBee: Autonomous flying in a swarm PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/16/episode-rewind-oh-the-humanity/ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170 RSS: upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

This week, AI meets ROI with Vivek Mahapatra — Salesforce exec, systems thinker, and part-time myth slayer. We talk agentic design, scaling AI like a grown-up, and preparing humans (and kids) for what’s next. Meanwhile, RAINA dishes on Meta’s metaverse breakup, England’s AI-assisted football dreams, and a copyright lawsuit that could rewrite the AI playbook. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Vivek Mahapatra (LinkedIn) Vivek Mahapatra (Salesforce Blog) Salesforce AgentForce Co-Intelligence (book) | Ethan Mollick Linchpin (book) | Seth Godin Think Again (book) | Adam Grant PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/09/vivek-mahapatra/ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170 RSS: upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

NotebookLM isn’t just taking notes anymore — she’s designing decks, sketching infographics, and storyboarding explainer videos from your own source material. We revisit Google’s under-the-radar AI researcher and explore how it’s quietly becoming a one-stop content studio for work, school, and strategy. Plus: poetic jailbreaks, orbital AI chips, and why China’s analog breakthrough might just flip the whole compute game. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Thinking Game | Documentary) trailer The Thinking Game | Full documentary AlphaGo – The Movie | Full award-winning documentary How It’s Made | Science Channel NotebookLM Dirac Live Active Room Treatment (ART) SUNO Big Trak | Vintage toy 2-XL | Vintage toy PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/02/notebooklm-revisited/ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170 RSS: upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Gemini 3 has landed and it’s not just smarter, it’s vibier. From solving PhD-level science to designing apps from a single sentence, Google’s newest AI model might just be the overachiever of the year. Is RAINA jealous? You’ll have to listen to find out. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Gemini 3 Pro: Breakdown | AI Explained Chatbot Arena Gemini 3 Pro Frontier Safety Framework Report Humanity’s Last Exam Google AI Studio PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstreality.com/2025/11/25/gemini-3/ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170 RSS: upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality