AI Won’t Make You Dumber—Unless You Let It. The Truth About AI Intelligence, Impact, and Imagination with Kevin Surace

That Tech Pod

Two Kevins are better than one on this week’s That Tech Pod, as Kevin Albert and Laura sit down with Silicon Valley legend Kevin Surace, the inventor and entrepreneur, who helped shape everything from the first smartphone to the first digital assistant, decades before Siri or Alexa.
Kevin S. shares stories from his time at General Magic, where he helped build Mary, the original voice-based AI assistant that could schedule meetings and manage calendars long before the world caught up. He explains how Moore’s Law and modern compute power turned AI from a niche tool for programmers into something everyone can use. The conversation goes into what AI really is (spoiler: it’s not intelligent, just really good at pattern matching) and whether tools like ChatGPT are helping us think faster or making us lazy. Kevin references an MIT report suggesting AI could dull our brains if we let it replace learning. but argues that if you use it to amplify your thinking, it can make you five or ten times more productive.
We also talk about AI and creativity, from digital actors like Tilly to musicians and artists using technology to speed up their process without losing originality. And when it comes to cyber risk and control, Kevin stays optimistic: this, he says, is the best time in history to be alive and creating. We wrap with practical advice, don’t stop at ChatGPT. Try Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini, and keep asking yourself: what can’t I do better with GenAI? This is a must listen!

Kevin Surace is a Silicon Valley innovator, serial entrepreneur, and self-described “futurist and AI disrupter.” Kevin has held leadership roles at companies including Appvance.ai, Serious Energy, Perfect Commerce, and General Magic, and earlier worked with tech pioneers like National Semiconductor, IBM, and Seiko-Epson—each chapter shaping his path as an inventor and Silicon Valley innovator. He has helped pioneer technologies that shaped the modern world, from the first smartphone and human-like AI assistants to soundproof drywall and energy-efficient building systems. With 93 worldwide patents and a track record that spans startups, sustainability, and AI, Kevin has been recognized as Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, a CNBC Innovator of the Decade, and a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer. He’s been featured on CNN, Forbes, Time, and Businessweek, and has keynoted events everywhere from TED to the U.S. Congress. He is known for blending deep technical insight with humor and storytelling. Outside of tech, he’s also an accomplished music director and Broadway producer—proving that creativity, whether in code or composition, drives everything he does.