EP 23: Beyond Automation: AI and the Future of Creative Work with Ben Cooper, R/GA

EP 23: Beyond Automation: AI and the Future of Creative Work with Ben Cooper, R/GA

What if the way most people are using AI is actually the lowest value thing it can do? In Episode 23 of ⁠Zero Shot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] sit down with their second-ever guest, Ben Cooper, Global Executive Director of AI Products at R/GA and one of Australia's most original applied AI builders. From the world's first AI shark detection system to brand context protocols that make companies machine-readable, Ben shares a genuinely contrarian view: that the real value of AI is not generating faster and cheaper, but treating intelligence as a raw material you build with. This is an honest conversation about what survives contact with a real client, how creative work is priced and protected, and the human reckoning underneath the whole AI debate. Key Highlights * Why treating intelligence as a material beats treating it as a tool * 68 percent of brands now receive zero click traffic * Large language models trust reviews and reputation over marketing speak * Setting up AI to push back on you produces better outcomes * Time, tools, and tokens are the new pricing variables * Tangible demos make ideas unstoppable in the client room * The backlash against AI is a needed correction, not just noise * Personal agency, not the tool, is what takes you somewhere Tools and Frameworks Mentioned * NotebookLM: [https://notebooklm.google.com⁠] Google's context-building tool for organising and connecting knowledge across projects * Perplexity: [https://www.perplexity.ai⁠] AI-powered search and news discovery platform, personalised by topic and interest * ElevenLabs: [https://elevenlabs.io⁠] Voice AI platform used to train, license and scale branded voiceover at the production level * Grok: [https://grok.com⁠]xAI's model with native access to X (Twitter) data, useful for real-time knowledge mining * Schema and Markdown Files: [https://schema.org] Foundational web standards that make a brand machine-readable and discoverable inside answer engines. Connect with the Hosts: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] CEO of Cadent. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] Managing Director of Advancer at the AI Agency. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zero Shot:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] Follow us on LinkedIn for clarity in a complex landscape. 🤠 Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prompt Cowboy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.promptcowboy.ai/], the agentic prompting tool that helps teams build structured, precise prompts before they hit whichever model they are using. Head to promptcowboy.ai and stop leaving results on the table. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yennia La Rotta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarich-la-rotta/].⚡

EP 22: Frameworks for Using AI Right - The Questions to Ask Before You Start

What are the questions worth asking before you trust AI with anything important in your business? In Episode 22 of Zero Shot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] lay out the practical frameworks they wish someone had handed them when they started: the questions to ask before you choose a tool, before you trust an output, and before you scale AI across an organisation. Broken into three clear acts, before you start, before you trust, and before you scale, this episode is a working checklist for making AI decisions that protect your business, your data, and your customer relationships. Honest, specific, and grounded in real consulting experience across regulated and high-stakes sectors. Key Highlights * Start with the problem, not the tool or the model * Only two to five percent of businesses are doing real AI * Tool choice matters less than people, process, and data alignment * Turning off model training is the first trust step * Data hosted in Australia can still be subject to US law * Governance done right is a value driver, not a cost * Accountability across the team costs almost nothing to implement * Pick any decision making framework, the act of choosing matters most Tools and Frameworks Mentioned Open Whisper [https://github.com/openai/whisper⁠]: Free, open source dictation tool that runs the model locally on your device, keeping sensitive audio off the cloud. Excalidraw: [h⁠⁠ttps://excalidraw.com⁠⁠]Collaborative virtual whiteboard for diagrams and mind mapping, with an MCP connector that lets Claude design directly into the canvas. ISO 42001: [https://www.iso.org/standard/81230.html⁠]The international standard for AI management systems, referenced as a practical starting framework for businesses building AI governance. National AI Centre Frameworks: [https://www.industry.gov.au/science-technology-and-innovation/technology/national-artificial-intelligence-centre⁠]Australian government resources and policies offering free, credible starting points for small businesses building AI governance and usage policies. NextDC: [https://www.nextdc.com⁠] Australian data centre operator referenced in the discussion on data sovereignty and onshore hosting for sensitive workloads. Connect with the Hosts: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] CEO of Cadent. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] Managing Director of Advancer at the AI Agency. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zero Shot:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] Follow us on LinkedIn for clarity in a complex landscape. 🤠 Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prompt Cowboy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.promptcowboy.ai/], the agentic prompting tool that helps teams build structured, precise prompts before they hit whichever model they are using. Head to promptcowboy.ai and stop leaving results on the table. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yennia La Rotta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarich-la-rotta/].⚡

EP 21: AI in Your Day - The Unglamorous Workflows That Actually Save Hours

How many times did you actually use AI yesterday, and did any of it save you real time? In Episode 21 of ⁠Zero Shot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] pull back the curtain on their own daily AI workflows: the boring, unglamorous, hour-saving habits that rarely make it into the headlines. From doing email entirely by voice to automated morning client briefings to turning accounting software into an on-demand CFO, this episode is a practical look at what AI in a real working day actually looks like in 2026. Recorded with a live update from the Super AI conference in Singapore, it closes on the one high-value AI application almost nobody in a corporate role is using yet. Key Highlights * 75% of knowledge workers use AI, but only 36% save real time * Doing email by voice can turn two hours into twenty minutes * Automated morning briefings handle client prep before 6 am * Connecting Claude Code to accounting software produces CFO grade financial reports * Microsoft Copilot's Frontier agent setting unlocks Anthropic models inside the stack * Connectors and skills are the biggest unlock for busy Claude users * The shift from T-shaped to square-shaped generalists is already here * Knowing what good looks like is the skill AI cannot replace Tools and Frameworks Mentioned * Granola: [https://www.granola.ai⁠] AI meeting notes tool that records audio locally and feeds notes into other AI workflows for summaries and content. * Wispr Flow [https://wisprflow.ai⁠]: Voice dictation tool that runs your speech through an LLM to clean up grammar and misheard words before sending to your AI of choice. * Microsoft Copilot Cowork [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot⁠]: The agentic layer inside Microsoft Copilot, activated via the Frontier program, that orchestrates across Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive. * Claude Connectors and Skills: Claude's customisation features for hooking up business systems like 365, Gmail, CRMs, and QuickBooks, and building a reusable skills library. * Model Context Protocol (MCP) [https://modelcontextprotocol.io⁠]: The open standard that lets tools like Claude Code connect deeply to systems such as Xero via CLI, accessing far more than standard connectors allow. Connect with the Hosts: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] CEO of Cadent. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] Managing Director of Advancer at the AI Agency. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zero Shot:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] Follow us on LinkedIn for clarity in a complex landscape. 🤠 Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prompt Cowboy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.promptcowboy.ai/], the agentic prompting tool that helps teams build structured, precise prompts before they hit whichever model they are using. Head to promptcowboy.ai and stop leaving results on the table. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yennia La Rotta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarich-la-rotta/].⚡

EP 20: How AI Memory Actually Works - Context, Data Sovereignty, and What Your AI Is Remembering

What is your AI actually storing about you, and where does that information live? In Episode 20 of Zero Shot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] go under the hood of one of the most misunderstood features in AI today: memory. From why AI systems seem to forget things mid-conversation to the difference between context windows, persistent memory, and projects, this episode breaks down how memory actually works across the major platforms and what the implications are for businesses handling sensitive data. This is a practical, no-jargon guide to understanding and managing the memory layer of your AI tools. Key Highlights * Context windows determine how much an AI reliably remembers per session * Google was first to release a million token context window, changing agentic tasks * Persistent memory is a text file updated by the model, not human-like recall * Data stored in US-based AI tools can be accessed by US law enforcement without a warrant * James keeps memory turned off in Claude for deliberate security reasons * One project per context area eliminates most mixing and confusion problems * Memory portability between platforms is becoming a competitive differentiator * Context engineering is emerging as a new field built on decades of data governance Tools and Frameworks Mentioned Claude Projects [https://claude.ai⁠] - A persistent context feature inside Claude that lets users build dedicated memory, files, and instructions per topic or client. Available inside the Claude app and web interface. Beelink Mini PCs [https://www.bee-link.com⁠] - Chinese mini PC manufacturer producing local AI hardware for running open source models offline, referenced as part of the emerging consumer agentic hardware culture. Micro AGI [https://microagi.de⁠] - German startup offering a free home cleaning service funded by harvesting in-home behavioral data via head-mounted cameras for frontier model training. Referenced as an example of extreme data collection tradeoffs. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) [https://gdpr.eu⁠] - EU regulation giving individuals the legal right to request deletion of their personal data from any company operating in Europe, including major AI frontier labs. Connect with the Hosts: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] CEO of Cadent. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] Managing Director of Advancer at the AI Agency. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zero Shot:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] Follow us on LinkedIn for clarity in a complex landscape. 🤠 Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prompt Cowboy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.promptcowboy.ai/], the agentic prompting tool that helps teams build structured, precise prompts before they hit whichever model they are using. Head to promptcowboy.ai and stop leaving results on the table. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yennia La Rotta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarich-la-rotta/].⚡

EP 19: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok? The Honest Answer for Business

Which AI model is actually worth your time and money in 2026, and how do you decide? In Episode 19 of Zero Shot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury ⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] do the episode the audience has been asking for: a real, no-benchmarks, no-lab-scores breakdown of the four major frontier AI models. This is not a comparison of leaderboard scores or press releases. It is a practical, values-informed assessment of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok from two people who have all four open on their desktops every day and use them across client work, internal builds, and AI training. The goal is simple: help you make a smarter model decision for your business. Key Highlights * ChatGPT built the market but governance controversies have changed perceptions * Anthropic's run rate now exceeds OpenAI's at thirty billion US annually * Google invented the transformer architecture and remains a far from dark horse * Grok has the fewest guardrails and the most governance risk for Australian businesses * The model is rarely the differentiator; the prompt and the ecosystem are * AI tourism, jumping between models without committing, is a real productivity drain * Your conversation data is stored for thirty days and accessible without a warrant in the US * Choosing a model is a vendor decision, not just a tool decision Tools and Frameworks Mentioned * Granola [https://www.granola.ai⁠] - AI meeting notes tool that records audio locally on your device rather than sending a visible bot into the meeting. Raised a $125 million Series C. * AWS Bedrock Nova Models [https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock⁠] - Amazon's vertically integrated foundation models, referenced for strong agentic workflow performance and on-shore Australian inference options for regulated industries. * LLM Council [https://llmcouncil.com⁠] - A lightweight tool that lets you query multiple AI models simultaneously via plugged-in APIs and compare responses side by side. * Gemma 4 (Google DeepMind) [https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemma⁠] - Google's open source model series, noted as the best US open source model currently available and usable on consumer hardware. * Kimi K2 (Moonshot AI) [https://www.moonshot.ai⁠] - A low-cost thinking model flagged as a practical alternative for high-volume, repetitive workflow tasks where frontier model power is unnecessary. Connect with the Hosts: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Gauci:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/] CEO of Cadent. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Llew Jury:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/] Managing Director of Advancer at the AI Agency. * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zero Shot:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://zeroshot.com.au/] Follow us on LinkedIn for clarity in a complex landscape. 🤠 Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prompt Cowboy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.promptcowboy.ai/], the agentic prompting tool that helps teams build structured, precise prompts before they hit whichever model they are using. Head to promptcowboy.ai and stop leaving results on the table. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yennia La Rotta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarich-la-rotta/].⚡