Using AI As a Thinking Partner, Not a Vending Machine

The Pragmatic AI Podcast is sponsored by Tighten.  T-I-G-H-T-E-N. We will take your AI ideas, prototypes or even vibe-coded apps, and we'll take them to production. Scalable and secure. Check us out at tighten.com.

In this episode, Matt Stauffer talks with Greg Storey — author of Creative Intelligence: Don’t Ask AI, Think With It — about why most people are using AI like a productivity vending machine instead of a true thinking partner. Greg shares how AI can become a creative and strategic collaborator, exploring design thinking, divergent vs. convergent thinking, and the three questions he asks every time he starts a conversation with AI.

They also dive into the bigger picture: why AI maximalism misses the point, how to stay creative as the tools become more capable, and what it means to preserve human creativity and curiosity in a rapidly changing world.

• Matt Stauffer on X - https://x.com/mattstauffer
• Tighten Website - https://tighten.com/
• Greg’s Website - https://brilliantcrank.com
• Greg’s Book - https://brilliantcrank.com/creative-intelligence/
• Creative Intelligence Everyday Field Guides - https://brilliantcrank.com/creative-intelligence-field-guides/

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Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten - https://tighten.com/