Ep #9- AI Model Literacy

Episode 9: Model Literacy, What Leaders Need to Know The model names keep changing, the headlines keep getting louder, and most leaders are too busy running their teams to keep up. Adam and Chevelle open with a fantasy football confession (Chevelle used AI to help draft her team, and Adam, the league commissioner, is launching an investigation) and then get into the topic that quietly shapes every AI experience your team has: model literacy. They break down the difference between an AI tool and the model powering it, why matching the model to the task matters, what happens when a provider swaps your default model without a heads-up, and how to keep up with all of it without burning out or buying into the hype. What We Cover [00:00:00] Fantasy football, an AI-assisted draft, and "AIGate." Chevelle wins her first week after using AI to help draft. Adam, as commissioner, is not amused. Her defense: it's a tool, and she made the final calls. [00:02:00] Why model literacy matters right now. Not exactly dinner table conversation, but it's the next skill leaders need so they know what people are talking about when decisions get made. [00:04:00] Tools vs. models: the car and the engine. ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot are the cars. The model is the engine underneath, and engines differ in power and effectiveness. [00:05:30] Who uses which models. OpenAI runs on OpenAI models, Claude runs on Anthropic models, and Copilot is multi-model, letting you pull in different engines. Chevelle explains why she thinks that's a smart strategic move. [00:07:00] Models as big brains. Different training means different strengths and different personalities, from math and science to writing to accuracy. [00:08:00] Picking the right model for the task. Grocery list or deep research? What model families are, why you don't need to memorize benchmark scores, and why "just ask" is a valid strategy. [00:10:00] Maseratis, Ferraris, and scooters. Why understanding where you're going helps you choose the right vehicle. [00:10:30] Can you trust a tool to recommend a model? Chevelle's take: mostly yes, but verify, and prompt it to be honest with you. [00:11:30] Why leaders need access to more than one tool. Run the same prompt in different tools and compare. Chevelle also mentions a Microsoft feature rolling out that lets you re-run a prompt with another model without switching tools. [00:12:30] The golf bag and the team of people. Adam's golf bag analogy, plus Chevelle's version: build a team with different strengths instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. [00:14:00] When the model changes and nobody tells you. The day your car sounds different and you have no idea why. What to check when output quality suddenly shifts. [00:15:30] The adoption risk nobody talks about. If a team doesn't know models exist, one bad stretch can turn into "Claude stinks," and that hurts adoption. Chevelle shares which model she still prefers for writing, and how she found out by testing. [00:17:00] Astra, Fable, and what "frontier model" means. Adam asks how to pronounce Astra, and Chevelle walks through the latest releases, the frontier model idea, and what people mean by AGI. [00:19:00] The arms race and how your employees hear it. Why it matters what your people are seeing in the headlines and how they feel about it. [00:20:00] Doom videos, whistleblowers, and a grain of salt. Marketing, financing, and IPO noise, and why Chevelle isn't worried about AI taking over the world anytime soon. [00:21:00] Regulation, pacing, and change management. The concern isn't just capability. It's how fast models, features, and interfaces change and how much cognitive load that puts on busy teams. [00:22:30] Why leaders can't just tune it out. A team that didn't realize EU regulations applied to them, and why lean-on-the-experts still means staying personally involved. [00:24:00] How to keep up without burning out. Chevelle's daily brief, why weekly or biweekly is plenty for most people, and why hands-on use beats reading about it. [00:26:00] Leaders don't live in this space, and that's okay. Adam on why leaders running teams and organizations can't be expected to track every release. [00:27:00] Appoint an AI point person. Have an enthusiastic team member share a weekly update through the lens of what matters for your team. Focus on what you can control. [00:28:00] Marketing hype and the TikTok doom spiral. Why a lot of alarming content is a marketing campaign, and why both hosts say to use caution without believing everything you hear. [00:29:00] AI isn't going away, so help your team navigate it. Fear and skepticism are normal with any new technology. Leaders can help their teams weed through the noise. Favorite Quotes "The car is ChatGPT or Claude or Copilot, but what's actually powering that vehicle is the model." Chevelle "You wouldn't drive a Maserati to go get lumber from Home Depot." Chevelle "If you notice a difference in your output, check the model." Chevelle "Each tool is a different club, each club hits the ball, but each club is designed to hit the ball in a different way for a different distance." Adam "Focus on what you can control." Chevelle Watch our Youtube Channel here: https://youtu.be/nkcAQPK0aL0