Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Tina Williams-Koroma, founder and CEO of CyDeploy and TCecure, to explore a simple but unsettling question: do hackers hack computers — or do they hack people?

In this episode, they dig into how social engineering, AI-generated content, and human psychology have become the primary attack surface for modern cyber threats. From deepfakes and impersonation scams to spyware targeting journalists and activists, Tina explains why cybersecurity today is less about breaking code and more about breaking trust — and how businesses and families can prepare for the scenarios no system is ever fully trained to handle.

Podcast Notes & Links

• Adam Mosseri on Infinite Synthetic Content and the End of Visual Trust – The Verge
• Inside Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline – TechCrunch
• LG, Smart TVs, and the Growing AI Privacy Problem – Ars Technica
• What to Know Before Buying a Cheap Smart TV – BGR
• Waymo Shuts Down Autonomous Fleet Again After Power and Weather Disruptions – Futurism

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Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Andrew Parlock, founder and CEO of Space Phoenix Systems, to explore how the space economy is moving from science fiction to everyday reality. From reusable launch systems to returnable payloads and zero-gravity manufacturing, they unpack how falling launch costs are turning low Earth orbit into an operating environment — not a destination.

They dig into what this new economy means for business, sustainability, and the planet itself — from pharmaceuticals made in orbit to satellite networks connecting oceans and deserts alike. Andrew also shares why Maryland is uniquely positioned in this race and how companies like Space Phoenix are redefining access to orbit through logistics, not rockets.

Podcast Notes & Links

• SpaceX Sets Insider Share Deal at About $800 Billion Valuation – Bloomberg
• Nvidia-Backed Starcloud Trains First AI Model in Space – CNBC
• Jeff Bezos Says Data Centers Could Move to Space – CNBC
• Blue Origin’s New Glenn Reaches Orbit – Ars Technica
• Zero-G Manufacturing: A New Frontier for Space-Based Production – Science Simplified
• The Future of Space Stations After the ISS – NPR
• For All Mankind (Apple TV+) – Wikipedia
• LLM Infinite Loop of Business Pleasantries – Daring Fireball
• Two AI Chatbots Stuck in an Infinite Politeness Loop – Instagram Reel

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Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Dawn Shirey, Director of Virtual Learning and Instructional Technology for Baltimore City Public Schools, to explore how one of the nation’s largest urban school systems is preparing teachers and students for the age of AI. They discuss the district’s new AI Guidance, how teachers are learning prompt-writing and responsible tool use, and why Baltimore chose a flexible, evolving framework instead of strict policy.

They also talk about how students and parents are responding to tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, and what’s ahead with the district’s upcoming Day of AI — a hands-on event designed to make artificial intelligence accessible, understandable, and empowering for both educators and learners.

Podcast Notes & Links

• AI Guidance Overview – Baltimore City Schools
• Google Gemini and Gems for Education – Google
• Microsoft Copilot for Education – Microsoft
• AI Detector Flags Declaration of Independence as AI-Generated – Reddit
• Student Falsely Flagged “39–100% AI-Generated” Essay – Reddit
• AI Tools for Students – OpenAI
• ChatGPT Plus Now Free for College Students – Forbes
• ChatGPT for Teachers – OpenAI
• AI Chatbot Surveillance Tools Watching Kids in Class – Bloomberg
• Waymo Announces Expansion to Baltimore – WBAL
• Waymo Robotaxi Drives Through Active Police Standoff – Instagram

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Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Jenny Abamu, education and infrastructure reporter for WAMU, to unpack Maryland’s rapidly growing data center boom — and the community backlash that’s followed. They explore how Governor Wes Moore’s push to make Maryland a data center hub has collided with local concerns about energy, land use, and environmental impact. From billion-dollar AI investments to zoning debates in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Jason and Jenny dig into why these massive, mostly unseen buildings have suddenly become so politically visible.

Together, they trace how the global race for AI compute — with trillions of dollars pouring into infrastructure from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle — is reshaping everything from local power grids to public trust. It’s a look at how a technology most of us never see is transforming both the landscape and the conversation about Maryland’s economic future.

Podcast Notes & Links

• Find Data Centers Near You – Data Center Map
• AI Data Center Building Spree Hits $40 Billion in a Single Month – U.S. Global Investors
• Data centers spark fears of a Digital Cancer Alley in Louisiana – The Lens NOLA
• xAI Data Centre Emits Plumes of Pollution, New Video Shows – Gas Outlook
• Proposed Northern Maryland Route Unveiled for Controversial Piedmont Power Line – Maryland Matters
• Maryland Reboots Data Center Business with New Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act – Data Center Frontier
• Nvidia Posts Record Q3 Results Driven by Data Center Growth – CNBC
• OpenAI Taps Foxconn to Manufacture AI Hardware in the U.S. – CNBC
• OpenAI Has $1.4 Trillion in Data Center Commitments – TechCrunch
• Virginia Data Centers Could Raise Maryland Electricity Bills – CNN
• Maryland Could Be Hit With $800 Million Energy Bill Due to Virginia Data Centers – WMAR
• JMail – Epstein Email Interface

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Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry moderates a special live panel for theWorld Trade Center Institute's AGILE Global Innovation Series, digging into what quantum actually is, why it matters, and how Maryland became a powerhouse in the global quantum race.

The session opens with remarks from Jeremy Rosendale, VP of Membership & Business Development at the World Trade Center Institute, and Kim Mentzell, Director of the Office of Strategic Industries at the Maryland Department of Commerce, where she leads statewide strategy across cybersecurity, aerospace, AI, and quantum.

Jason is joined by three leaders shaping the region’s quantum ecosystem: John Sawyer of the University of Maryland, who helped build the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance; Jessica Ponds, CFO of Strangeworks and a voice in quantum commercialization; and Rick Muller, VP of Quantum Computing at IonQ and former national lab leader.

They break down the fundamentals — qubits, superposition, entanglement — and get into real-world business use cases, talent and ecosystem development, global competition, and the looming concept of “Q Day,” when today’s encryption may no longer be secure. The result is a rare, clear-eyed look at a field that’s equal parts exciting, confusing, and massively important for the future of industry.

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Credits

Special thanks to the team at the World Trade Center Institute. Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes and Shanya Mapson, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Andy Janaitis, founder of PPC Pitbulls, to unpack what happens when Google search traffic falls to zero — and how businesses can survive the shift. As search engines turn into answer engines and clicks give way to conversations, Jason and Andy explore how SEO, PPC, and digital advertising are evolving in real time.

They dive into the rise of “Answer Engine Optimization,” the impact of AI-driven search from tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, and the new world of conversational commerce — including Shopify’s plan to let users shop directly inside ChatGPT. The conversation moves from the fundamentals of search to the future of discovery itself, asking the big question: if you’re not in the answer, are you even visible anymore?

• Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors – 404 Media
• Grokipedia: Elon Musk’s AI-Powered Encyclopedia – Wikipedia
• Perplexity AI’s Comet Browser Draws Amazon’s Ire – CNBC
• Shopify and OpenAI Bring Commerce to ChatGPT – Shopify Newsroom
• David vs. Digital Goliaths – HouseFresh
• Google’s AI Overview Is Crushing Publisher Traffic – NPR
• Apple’s Eddy Cue Testifies on Safari Search Decline – Fortune
• Mission Mourns Beloved Bodega Cat KitKat Killed by Self-Driving Car – Mission Local

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Thanks to the team at WYPR, producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, engineer Shanya Mapson and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.