Episode #7
Episode 7: David Klingbeil (NYU Professor) — What Happens When the Robots Start Talking to Each Other?
What happens when the machines stop talking to us — and start talking to each other? Nolan sits down with David Klingbeil, former Google executive, NYU professor of AI for Marketing and Strategy, and founder of Submarine.ai, where AI agents analyze billions of video views to understand brands, trends, and culture. David explains what actually makes an AI agent, where agents are already working today, and what comes next as they begin recommending, negotiating, and eventually buying from other agents — without a human in the loop. They covered: What makes an AI agent What AI still needs humans for: taste and judgment How Submarine’s Brand Radar works Where agents are actually being used today What happens when agents talk and transact with each other Why standards like MCP matter How brands market when the customer becomes an AI Why human-made could become the new luxury And David’s advice to Nolan at 13: develop taste, master AI, and build judgment. Because maybe the question isn’t whether a robot takes your job. It’s whether you’re still in the room when the decision gets made.
