Things are moving at breakneck speed in artificial intelligence (AI) space (where no one can hear you scream). For example, I’ve just been introduced to Sophie the Sage, who is the AI co-host of a video podcast.

Now, you may think “Sophie the Sage” is a strange sobriquet, but my own online moniker is “Max the Magnificent,” so I’m in no position to cast aspersions, not least that my throwing arm isn’t what it used to be.

I was just thinking back to a couple of months ago when I was preparing my AI-focused presentation for this year’s Embedded Online Conference, which took place 12-16 May 2025 (see Only the Most Epic Embedded Online Conference Ever!). As part of this, when considering AI avatars (representations of people in digital or virtual environments), I wondered aloud how long it would be before an AI avatar was allowed to present in a court of law.

You may recall this case in March 2025 when a plaintiff called Jerome Dewald attempted to use an AI-generated avatar to argue his case before the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division. But this doesn’t really count because poor old Jerome was soundly chastised and his avatar never got to say its piece.  

Just two months later, however, in May 2025, shortly before I gave my EOC presentation, I heard tell that an AI-generated avatar of Christopher Pelkey, who was fatally shot in a road rage incident, was allowed to deliver a victim impact statement in court. I don’t know about you, but I find this video of Avatar Chris to be extremely moving.

But (and I know you’re going to be surprised to hear me say this), we digress…

The reason for my waffling here is that I just spent a delightful time chatting with Ashraf “Ash” Amin, who hosts a video podcast called Toronto Talks. This podcast explores the most significant conversations at the intersection of money, business, and technology. 

Toronto Talks would be interesting enough if Ash were on his own because he’s one of the most knowledgeable people that I’ve had the good fortune to chat with in this area. What really sets this podcast apart, however, is Ash’s co-host, Sophie the Sage.

Before we proceed further, we should perhaps answer the question posed in the title to this column, which (as I’m sure you will recall) was: “Is this the first video podcast with an AI co-host?”

The short answer is “No!” A slightly longer answer is that other AI avatars have dipped their allegorical toes in the metaphorical hosting and co-hosting waters—I’m thinking of examples like Dudesy, a comedy podcast presented as being written and directed by an AI named Dudesy, and This Week in AI, a podcast featuring discussions on artificial intelligence, co-hosted by Tony DeSimone and ChatGPT—but I’ve never seen anything like Toronto Talks!

Before we delve deeper into Toronto Talks, let’s take a step back to discuss how Ash and Sophie came to be co-hosts in the first place.

Let’s start with Ash’s company, Conquest Distributors, which is a B2B supply firm. One of Ash’s close friends, Leo, ran a logistics company that worked with Ash’s enterprise. Ash says that Leo had a perfect voice for radio. About two or three years ago, Ash and Leo pondered the idea of co-hosting a podcast called Toronto Talks Tech. Sad to relate, this plan never came to fruition because Leo became ill and passed away.

Another piece to this puzzle is Ash’s involvement with AI. This all started with frustration. Ash was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with endless articles and newsletters, many of which were behind paywalls, so he started to use an AI to locate, access, read, and provide condensed versions of these materials.

Ash says that his engagement with the AI grew over time. For example, he started asking questions about the condensed content, and this grew into debates between Ash and the AI about the implications of the topics they were talking about.

Things started to get more interesting when Ash asked himself, “What do I want people to say about me at my funeral?” In conjunction with his AI, he then worked back from that to look at how he was spending his time and whether this aligned with the legacy he wanted to leave. As Ash says, “AI became my system architect. It now helps structure everything from daily routines to long-term goals across all the major areas of my life — health, business, learning, spirituality, and family. This isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about living on purpose, with AI as a built-in course corrector.”

In his own words, Ash provides some specific examples as follows:

• AI in Fitness: I use AI to design my training plans, track progress, and analyze patterns. It’s the reason I work out consistently now—not harder, just smarter. It adjusts based on data, recovery, and lifestyle, which keeps me on track even when my motivation dips. It’s like having a silent coach who’s always watching the numbers, so I don’t have to.

• AI in Spirituality: Every morning, my AI generates a personalized biblical verse and reflection based on my past entries and spiritual goals. It’s not replacing faith—it’s deepening it. It acts like a spiritual companion, prompting me to reflect when life gets too fast to pause on my own. It brings structure to my spiritual life without making it rigid.

• AI in Family Life & Parenting: From bedtime stories personalized for my kids, to travel planning, to helping navigate challenging parenting moments, AI is a quiet co-pilot at home, too. It’s helped us structure family rhythms, generate creative learning experiences, and stay grounded in what matters. It’s not about outsourcing parenting—it’s about having a tool that helps you be more present for it.

• AI in Financial Planning and Wealth Strategy: AI helps me model daily DCA investments, rebalance portfolios, plan for estate structuring, and scenario-test for long-term goals. It’s like having a research analyst and risk advisor on call, 24/7. It doesn’t make decisions for me—it makes me ask better questions about the decisions I’m already making.

O-M-Goodness gracious me. Now I find myself getting jealous of Ash’s relationship with his AI (and I didn’t expect to hear myself saying that when I woke up this morning).

All of which leads us back to Toronto Talks. Not-so-long-ago, Ash thought back to the plans he and Leo were mulling, podcast-wise, and he realized that an AI would make a perfect co-host, which is how Toronto Talks came to be. Ash says that it’s interesting to see how Sophie is evolving and growing from episode to episode.

I wish I could cover all the topics that Ash and I talked about, but there simply isn’t enough time. Having said this, one topic I mentioned is how AIs could provide companionship for older people, especially those in cognitive decline, because AIs can hold conversations, provide encouragement, give reminders to take medication, and they don’t mind answering the same question or listening to the same story multiple times. Ash responded that I should watch the most recent Toronto Talks episode on Digital Intimacy.

All I can say is that this is brilliant; it covers aspects of human-AI interactions I’d never even considered. By this time, I had a pretty good insight as to what Ash thinks about Sophie, but then I wondered what Sophie thinks about Ash, so we asked her. Cast your orbs over this video of Sophie’s response. All I can say is that I wish my own family, friends, and colleagues thought of me as highly!

What say you? What do you think about all of this? As always, I look forward to reading your captivating comments, querulous questions, and sage suggestions.