The Hack Podcast - Inside the AI Bubble: Tech, Teens & Future Skills
Broadcast on Hull's107FM | Hosted by Leon McQuade, Sam Cawley & Paul Longley
Think Cloud's first ‘The Hack Podcast’ episode of 2026 is here, and it's a powerful one. In this session, Leon, Sam, and Paul dive deep into the fast‑shifting world of artificial intelligence, exploring how it's reshaping daily life, business operations, family dynamics, and the infrastructure that keeps society running.
Whether you're a business owner, a parent, or simply curious about where AI is heading, this episode offers straight‑talk insights without the hype. Here's your full breakdown.
Is the AI Boom a Bubble - or Just the Beginning?
The team tackle one of the most asked questions of the year: Is AI in a bubble like the dot‑com era?
Their verdict? Not yet.
They argue that while investment is skyrocketing:
Organisations still struggle to integrate AI technologies due to legacy processes and complex operations.
AI's real bottleneck isn't capability - it's business readiness.
True AI "agents" with decision‑making autonomy are still in their early stages and underutilised.
The real risk lies in how organisations adapt their mindsets and processes to leverage AI. Many businesses, especially large organisations, struggle to integrate AI effectively due to outdated workflows, convoluted management systems, and a lack of clear information flow. This leads to overpromising and underdelivering, reminiscent of the dot-com bubble, but the team believes we're still at the very beginning of AI adoption, perhaps not even 5% of its full potential realised yet.
The trio also raise an often‑ignored issue: energy consumption.
Some modern AI data centres now use the same power as 100,000 homes, contributing heavily to carbon emissions. The takeaway? AI isn't "magic" - it runs on infrastructure that must evolve sustainably.
Real‑Life AI: From Travel Planning to Emails That Write Themselves
This episode shines when the Hack team share practical, relatable AI real-world use cases that anyone can adopt today.
Travel Planning Made Easy - AI tools like ChatGPT now pull together research, compare itineraries, and even help budget trips in minutes, no more juggling 27 open tabs.
Write Better, Faster - Need a report, article, or idea fleshed out? AI collaborates with you, sharpening your voice instead of replacing it.
Calendars That Organise Themselves - AI scheduling tools now avoid double bookings, negotiate meeting times, and manage diaries autonomously.
The Email Game‑Changer - Leon describes a personal AI setup that:
Reads and summarises all unread emails
Prioritises them by importance
Creates action lists
Drafts replies
And all of this… is accessible via voice commands while commuting
This is AI as a true personal assistant, freeing time for creative work, leadership, and strategic thinking.
As AI infrastructure becomes woven into daily workflows and business processes, there’s an increasing need for transparency in how algorithms make decisions, and clear guidelines to ensure ethical use. The future of AI won’t just be defined by technological leaps, but by how thoughtfully we bridge the gap between innovation and real-world impact cultivating informed users, encouraging adaptability, and fostering collaboration between humans and machines for meaningful, sustainable progress.
AI Education & The Risk of "Fake AI Products"
Many new AI tools entering the market are simply shallow wrappers around models like ChatGPT or Gemini. Leon warns:
"Without user education, businesses will buy shiny tools that don't solve real problems."
He emphasises a crucial "education gap" as a potential source of instability in the growing AI industry. Both leaders and users need to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI to avoid investing in tools that don’t effectively address real problems. Without this understanding, businesses and individuals risk missing out on genuine productivity improvements and may perpetuate existing inefficiencies or even create new ones.
Leon highlights the importance of digital literacy, especially as schools begin implementing new AI safety standards to protect children's mental health and ensure responsible classroom use.
This discussion highlights the importance of investing in education and training for people, rather than focusing solely on technology and infrastructure. This approach is essential for ensuring sustainable progress and preventing the possibility of an AI "bubble" bursting prematurely.
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Digital Avatars, Multilingual Content & Global Training
One of the most striking examples of practical AI in action came when the team discussed founder of Think Mental Health, Paul Longley’s AI‑driven digital avatar, a fully trained “digital twin” capable of delivering his learning content authentically in multiple languages.
By feeding the system with Paul’s own scripts, tone, and delivery style, the team created versions of his avatar that speak not just English but also languages such as Mandarin with remarkable accuracy.
In fact, when the Mandarin version was tested with native speakers, it was confirmed to be “absolutely perfect,” enabling Paul to deliver culturally relevant training to global teams without ever stepping into the studio. This multilingual capability doesn’t replace the human element; instead, it gives Paul more creative control, saves time, and ensures his material reaches new audiences in the language that resonates most.
The Tough Topic: Teen Phone Use & Technology Addiction
The conversation shifts into one of the biggest social challenges of 2026:
UK teens now spend between 4 and 7 hours per day on screens.
Schools are increasingly banning phones, not out of punishment, but because:
Attention spans are dropping
Mental health issues are rising
Social media algorithms know more about children than parents do
In some countries, such as Australia, governments are already blocking social media platforms for children altogether.
The hosts stress that banning smartphones entirely isn't the answer. Instead:
Parents need more education on tech and AI Applications
Children need guidance, boundaries, and outdoor activities
Communities must teach digital resilience, not avoidance
They also highlight the psychological risks of children forming emotional bonds and digital relationships with AI, an emerging challenge parents must be ready to navigate.
Final Thoughts: Education Is the Ultimate Superpowerst
The episode closes with a clear and powerful point:
"AI won't shape the future - people will."
The hosts commit to working more closely with schools, families, and community groups to build AI literacy, ensuring that technology becomes a tool for empowerment, not a distraction.
With AI accelerating at unprecedented speed, the need for informed, responsible thinking has never been greater. This episode sets the tone for 2026: curious, future‑focused, and determined to help people stay sharp in a digital world.
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