Episode Details

In this episode of The Xeroforhire Podcast, I take a hard look at my relationship with AI after nearly seven years of experimenting with the technology. What began as curiosity has evolved into a fundamental part of how I develop ideas, organize projects, and build worlds like The Last Day Universe.

Along the way, I wrestle with some uncomfortable questions. Why has AI generated so much hostility in creative spaces? How much of that criticism is justified? And at what point does resisting a technology become less about principles and more about refusing to acknowledge reality?

I discuss the workflow I use to transform raw ideas into stories, scripts, games, and worldbuilding documents, as well as the role AI plays in helping me structure and iterate on those concepts. I also reflect on my experiences working with artists, creators, and collaborators, and why I’ve become increasingly focused on building relationships with people who want to create rather than argue.

More importantly, this episode isn’t really about AI. It’s about adapting to the world as it exists instead of the world we wish existed. It’s about deciding whose opinions deserve influence over our work, where creators should spend their energy, and why consistency, publishing, and reaching an audience matter just as much as craft.

After years of trying to reconcile competing viewpoints, I’m drawing some lines—not based on ideology, but on results.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why I’m revisiting the AI conversation

01:01 – The rise of AI backlash and what changed my perspective

03:18 – Seven years of experimenting with AI

04:07 – Why The Last Day Universe wouldn’t exist without AI

05:15 – My process for turning ideas into authoritative documents

06:43 – Testing different AI systems, guardrails, and creative limitations

08:03 – Communication breakdowns between creators and AI critics

08:51 – The artist subscription idea that nobody wanted

10:27 – Why accessibility and customer experience matter

12:01 – Artists, marketing, and the fear of creating work nobody sees

13:32 – Accepting that AI is here to stay

14:14 – How AI became part of my writing workflow

15:45 – The idea of a linguistic watermark in AI-generated writing

17:29 – Transparency, disclosure, and using AI openly

18:44 – Adjusting to reality instead of fighting it

19:18 – Why I may lean further into AI-assisted production

20:34 – Community, creativity, and avoiding toxic environments

21:20 – AI, coding, games, and building independent projects

22:03 – Why I’m no longer seeking permission from people who aren’t helping build

22:59 – Consistency, visibility, and finding an audience

23:37 – Revisiting my music and the challenge of being discovered

24:18 – Why other people’s opinions no longer determine my workflow

24:45 – Final thoughts: making bets and moving forward