Welcome to Lead with AI, the only executive AI brief for busy leaders. Every Thursday, I deliver the latest AI updates through real-world insights and discussions from our community of 170+ forward-thinking executives.
Quick heads-up before we dive in: I’ve got one good news and one not-so-good.
The not-so-good? No lead story from Daan today, as he’s under the weather and resting up. (Send him your vitamin C vibes!)
The good news? The rest of the newsletter is business as usual, packed with what you come for each week:
- "AI for Video" Essentials: Veo 3, Sora, Runway.
- 3 Must-Read AI Stories: Can You Trust AI Agents?, RAG Needs Better Data, Inside Google’s AI Push
- Prompt of the Week: Get ChatGPT Out of Its "Yes Mode"
- Community Insights: Veo 3 example, NotebookLM's Video Overview, a go-to podcast summarizer
Bonus: Our member-led Canva AI Demo with Max Schumann, followed by a Community Office Hours session, starts soon (11 AM Central Time). Reply if you want to join us and/or receive the recording.
Let's dive in:
Practical Tips for the AI-Driven Workplace
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“Your AI Team” Platform Updates
Essential updates from our core AI platforms can mean big changes in your and your team's productivity. Here's what's new from the essential AI tools that most Lead with AI leaders are using:
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What our graduates say:
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Category Essentials: AI for Video
Each week, I spotlight one category and suggest the three tools that are tried, tested, and trusted by Lead with AI members.
For this week: I know, it’s controversial. But I can’t help featuring this one! We’ve officially crossed into the era where you can turn a text prompt into a full-blown video. That means shooting, editing, VFX-ing… all handled by AI, starting with your idea alone.
This isn’t for everyone. But if it does fit your work—whether it’s pitching concepts, prototyping stories, or creating content fast—these tools are gold.
And with that, here are the top three that have already returned impressive results for our community:
#1 Veo 3
This is Google’s latest (and still limited-access) release, currently available only to select users in the US.
If you're lucky enough to have access, it's absolutely worth testing, especially with its native audio output and Flow, a tool that lets you stitch together shots into a longer narrative.
Datacamp has a tutorial for Veo 3 here. More demos are here and here.
#2 Sora
Sora is a text-to-video model from OpenAI and has quickly made its mark for its visual fidelity.
One standout feature is the Storyboard mode. It lets you prompt multiple frames or scenes, essentially directing a short film one shot at a time.
From what we've seen, it handles abstract concepts and stylized visuals better than (human) motions.
If you're on a ChatGPT Plus plan or higher, give Sora a try here.
#3 RunwayLM
RunwayLM has been around longer, and it keeps evolving. Its AI video generator can turn text into video like the others, but also offers more ways to experiment.
Watch Runway examples here.
One unique feature of Runway is Act-One, which lets you animate a static character using your facial expressions. That opens up playful and expressive ways to create avatar-led content, especially for creators who want more control and personality in their videos.
>> Try Runway here. (Freemium available)
Want me to cover a specific category and/or AI tool next? Reply and let me know here.
The AI Executive Brief
Can You Trust AI Agents?, RAG Needs Better Data, Inside Google’s AI Push
I read dozens of AI newsletters weekly, so you don’t have to. Here are the top 3 insights worth your attention:
#1 The Rise and Risk of Agentic AI
Personal AI agents are no longer sci-fi—they’re starting to manage calendars, make purchases, and act independently on our behalf.
But, as many are concerned, handing over decision-making to autonomous AI agents raises real risks, from biased recommendations to security breaches and misinformation.
"Can AI agents be trusted to act in our best interests? Will they work exclusively for us, or will their loyalty be split between users, developers, advertisers, and service providers? And how will be know?"
As this tech rolls out fast, trust—not just performance—becomes the new frontier. And what safeguards should we expect before delegating real decisions to AI agents? Read the full discussion here.
#2 RAG Isn’t Magic—It Needs Clean Data
Many companies are turning to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to get real value from genAI.
But here’s the catch: RAG only works if your unstructured data (emails, docs, meeting notes) is high-quality. Most of it isn’t.
In this HBR article, data experts warn: “AI reveals flaws in the human system.” To build useful AI, start by cleaning and curating your content. Otherwise, you’ll spend more and get less.
#3 Google Co-founder on AI Progress
In a new interview at Google I/O 2025, Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin joins Senior Product Manager Logan Kilpatrick to discuss Google’s recent AI breakthroughs.
Brin emphasizes the Gemini model’s core reasoning capabilities while expressing surprise at the interpretability of newer models. They touch on Veo, Imagen, and the evolving scale of model training, showcasing how Google is reinventing itself through AI.
A candid look at how far Google has come, and what’s next. Watch the interview here.
Prompt of the Week
A good prompt makes all the difference, even when you're just using a core LLM.
Let’s talk about agreeability bias, when AI sounds helpful but ends up echoing your ideas instead of sharpening them.
I picked this up from Nick Sadler, and it’s a great way to get ChatGPT out of “yes mode” and into a sharp-thinking sparring partner:
From now on, do not simply affirm my statements or assume my conclusions are correct. Your goal is to be an intellectual sparring partner, not just an agreeing assistant.
Every time I present an idea, do the following:
1. Analyze my assumptions. What am I taking for granted that might not be true?
2. Provide counterpoints. What would an intelligent, well-informed skeptic say in response?
3. Test my reasoning. Does my logic hold up under scrutiny, or are there any flaws or gaps I haven't considered?
4. Offer alternative perspectives. How else might this idea be framed, interpreted, or challenged?
5. Prioritize truth over agreement. If I am wrong or my logic is weak, I need to know. Correct me clearly and explain why.
Maintain constructive, but rigorous, approach. Your role is not to argue for the sake of arguing, but to push me towards greater clarity, accuracy, and intellectual honesty. If I ever start slipping into confirmation bias or unchecked assumptions, call it out directly. Let's refine not just our conclusions, but how we arrive at them.
👉 Try it, tweak it, and save it for your future use. If this prompt is helpful (or if you made it better), I’d love to hear how.
👉 Want a free prompt library template? Reply with one thing here, and I’ll send it your way.
👉 Got a killer prompt? Share it with me to be featured!
AI for Strategy, Responsible Adoption, and Prototyping: From the Community
Every day, Lead with AI PRO members discuss practical ways to benefit from AI in their work and organizations. This week's highlights include:
- Veo 3 was still in the spotlight the past week. Antti wowed the community this week with a Veo 3 and Flow video creation combo. His secret? Let Veo 3 handle all the generative heavy lifting - visuals, character performance, camera movement, voice, lip sync, sound effects - while Udio took care of the soundtrack. The result: idea to final video in just 7 hours. Check it out here.
- Antony Slumbers shared that NotebookLM now supports Video Overviews, prompting members to speculate Veo 3 might be next in line for integration. Imagine your research, notes, and video content all stitched together in one AI-powered doc!
- What’s your go-to podcast summarizer? Anthony Onesto asked the community, and the suggestions came pouring in. Top picks: Gemini for YouTube summaries and/or NotebookLM’s ‘Briefing Docs’ or ‘Overviews’ features, especially with raw audio.
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See you next week,
Practical Tips for the AI-Driven Workplace
Get real strategies AND implementation guides from business leaders delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.