Ever wonder what lies beyond your everyday ChatGPT? Join the VML Canada Innovation Team as they dive deep into the world of AI Agents – specialized, self-enclosed chatbots designed to be experts in one thing. This episode unpacks what agents are, how they work, and crucial best practices for leveraging their power... and avoiding their potential pitfalls.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What Exactly is an AI Agent? Learn how these focused bots differ from general LLMs, offering unparalleled accuracy, personalization, and the ability to challenge your thinking – unlike "puppy dog" chatbots prone to hallucination.
• The Art of Training: Rick Brown and Jeremy Lenz reveal the critical importance of quality inputs ("garbage in, garbage out") and clever strategies for structuring data to make your agent an expert.
• The Human Element: Trevor Byrne highlights the essential role of feedback loops, while Jeremy issues a powerful warning: "We are still the experts." Discover why the carpenter never blames the tools when it comes to AI.
• Real-World Innovation: Explore how VML Canada is already using "briefing agents" to streamline projects and the exciting potential of building "teams of agents" for complex tasks.
• How NOT to Use AI: A crucial segment featuring cautionary tales from Bell's Fan Expo blunder and Home Depot's facial recognition controversy. Learn why empathy, transparency, and avoiding generative AI in public-facing social content are paramount.

Connect with VML Canada Innovation: Have questions or ideas? Email us at innovationcanada@vml.com

2025 Cannes Innovation Recap:

• The Fourth Judge (00:03:00): Jeremy shares a mind-blowing AI-powered judge for boxing from Big Time Creative Shop in Riyadh. Discover how AI is tackling subjectivity and bias in sports, trained on a century of boxing history to provide unbiased real-time analysis. Is this the future of fair play?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcLlNta1deE
• Daisy vs. Scammer (00:06:00): Tim introduces us to O2's ingenious AI "granny" from VCCP London, designed to waste scammers' time. Laugh along as Daisy hilariously stalls fraudsters and ponder the potential for this tech to be integrated directly into our phones. Could this be the end of spam calls?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV_SdCfZ-0s
• Shakespeare Bic (00:09:00): Rick reveals VML Sao Paulo's incredible campaign for Bic's 75th anniversary. Learn how AI recreated Shakespeare's lost handwriting, complete with authentic variations, and a robot penned an entire Romeo and Juliet manuscript with a single Bic pen. A beautiful blend of history, tech, and product demonstration!
  https://www.vml.com/work/one-bic-one-book-two-classics
• Grand Prix Innovation Winner: Sounds Right Campaign (00:12:00): We dissect AKQA's groundbreaking "Sounds Right" campaign, which monetizes nature sounds for environmental conservation. Explore the concept of "Nature" being credited as an artist and debate the true definition of "innovation" in today's tech-saturated world. Is it truly innovative, or just a new application?
  https://www.akqa.com/news/sounds-right-wins-the-cannes-lions-innovation-grand-prix/
• News Story of the Week: The Velvet Sundown Hoax (00:16:00): Jeremy breaks down the viral sensation of "Velvet Sundown," an AI-generated 70s-style band that amassed 50,000 fans overnight on Spotify before being outed as an art hoax. We discuss the implications of AI music creation (like Suno, which created our intro music!) and the ongoing conversation about AI's role in the art world. How did they get so big, so fast?
  https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/ai-band-hoax-velvet-sundown-1.7575874

Have thoughts on these innovations or want to chat with our hosts? Email us at Innovationcanada@vml.com