Cybersecurity expert Alan Crowetz joins hosts and veteran journalists Michael Williams and Brian Crowley to make sense of an AI landscape moving, in his words, exponentially rather than linearly. The episode opens with a sobering case study — a Florida political news site with convincing bylines and bios that turned out to be entirely AI-generated and stealing copy from real outlets — before turning to deepfake political ads, AI-drafted court filings, and Pope Leo XIV's recent encyclical comparing AI to the Tower of Babel.

Crowetz, who first spoke with Williams on this topic four years ago, weighs the case for AI optimism against real risks: job displacement, a cognitive offloading study showing AI reliance may dull critical thinking, and the widening generational gap between regulators and the technology they're meant to govern. He closes with a forecast for where AI takes us in five to eight years and practical advice for parents and students navigating it now.

Top of Mind Florida--Produced by Ko-Mar

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Palm Beach County | Sun, Surf and Secrets — Michael Williams and Brian Crowley step away from politics this week to talk sun, surf, and secrets with Amy Woods, author of "Secret Palm Beach: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure." From the real origin of the Lily Pulitzer print to a Cold War-era bunker buried on Peanut Island, Woods digs up the Palm Beach County stories nobody knows — including the Al Capone hideout that became part of Burt Reynolds' ranch, JFK's secret milkshake runs, and the Salvador Dali portrait that's now on exhibit at the Dali Museum.

🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday at 5 AM on all major audio podcast platforms. 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119 📡 RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since this episode was recorded, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has suspended his campaign for governor following a prostate cancer diagnosis.

DeSantis, Donalds and Democrats | Florida's Road to November — Florida's 2026 political season is wide open, and veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida political analyst Brian Crowley break down everything moving right now.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz draws fire for running in a majority-Black district reshaped by DeSantis redistricting. Byron Donalds leads the governor's race with $80 million and Trump's endorsement while David Jolly searches for a foothold with no-party voters. Paul Renner attacks Donalds and may be damaging himself more than his target. Jay Collins can't get his own governor to endorse him. And outgoing House Speaker Danny Perez earns rare praise for standing up to Ron DeSantis.

August 18 primary. July 1 budget deadline. The road to November starts now.

🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday at 5 AM on all major audio podcast platforms.🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119📡 RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/