
Your playbook for making AI real, practical, and valuable.
Jie Tao, DSc, an associate professor of business analytics and the director of the AI and Technology Institute at Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business, provides listeners with a practical guide to mastering AI for real results.
Each episode delivers actionable tools, proven frameworks, and real-world case studies to help leaders and innovators leverage AI for business growth and career success. Explore topics from the Practical AI Playbook to insights from Fairfield Dolan's AI and Tech Institute and discover powerful AI applications shaping the future.
Your playbook for making AI real, practical, and valuable.
Jie Tao, DSc, an associate professor of business analytics and the director of the AI and Technology Institute at Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business, provides listeners with a practical guide to mastering AI for real results.
Each episode delivers actionable tools, proven frameworks, and real-world case studies to help leaders and innovators leverage AI for business growth and career success. Explore topics from the Practical AI Playbook to insights from Fairfield Dolan's AI and Tech Institute and discover powerful AI applications shaping the future.
Episodes
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Reimagining Learning in the Age of AI - Ep. 6
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Monday Jan 26, 2026
In this episode of AI4U, hosts Jie Tao, DSc and Professor Philip Maymin sit down with special guest Maya Maymin, a student, writer, presenter, and early adopter of generative AI. Together, they explore how young learners are using tools like ChatGPT to study, create, and gain confidence in and beyond the classroom. Maya shares honest reflections on what AI gets right, where it falls short, and why foundational knowledge and curiosity still matter.
The discussion moves into a candid look at cheating, assessment, mindful questioning, and the future of learning. Teachers’ roles, human connection, and authentic stories take center stage as the group considers what education could become when AI supports, rather than replaces, the human experience.
Monday Jan 12, 2026
AI Literacy, Leadership, and the Future of Work at Fairfield Dolan - Ep. 5
Monday Jan 12, 2026
Monday Jan 12, 2026
In this episode of AI4U, Fairfield University faculty leaders explore how the Charles F. Dolan School of Business is preparing students to thrive in an AI-driven world. Dean Zhan Li shares the vision behind a school-wide AI literacy initiative that moves beyond a single course to a fully integrated approach to curriculum, workshops, and certifications, ensuring all Dolan students become AI-ready, not just AI-curious.
You’ll hear how Fairfield’s liberal arts Magis Core and strong emphasis on ethics shape graduates who combine technical fluency with humanity, judgment, and a commitment to the greater good, reflecting Fairfield’s mission as a modern, Jesuit Catholic university. The conversation also highlights experiential learning, the Fairfield AI and Tech Institute, and Dr. Anca Micu’s book AI Made Simple, which helps students, families, and professionals communicate more effectively with AI tools. Whether you’re a student, employer, or lifelong learner, this episode offers a practical look at AI literacy, ethical leadership, and work in the age of intelligent systems.
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
Health Buddy - The Blueprint for Trust - Ep. 4
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
In this episode hosts Philip Maymin and Jie Tao, DSc explore the next evolution of Health Buddy, an AI tool built to help users navigate complex medical information safely and reliably. Jie explains how version 2 introduces a self-healing architecture. One that can recover from failure, rebuild workflows, and adapt through “editor-in-chief” and “planner” agents working together. He discusses what it takes to balance autonomy, ethics, and control, and how a thoughtful “trust layer” protects users from harmful or misleading content. Listeners gain insight into the practical difference between simple workflows and fully agentic systems and why reliability and resilience matter most.
Learn more about Fairfield Dolan's AI and Technology Institute.
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Health Buddy - The Prototype and the Pain - Ep. 3
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
In this episode Jie Tao, DSc shares the story behind building Health Buddy, an AI-powered assistant designed to help people make sense of complex medical information. What began as a personal late-night search for answers evolved into a sophisticated multi-agent system built entirely by one developer with the help of AI. Jie breaks down the design process, from automating research and review to introducing “human-in-the-loop” feedback and testing. He reflects on the challenges of hallucination, reliability, and the moral weight of creating tools that could impact real lives. This conversation offers a candid look at how curiosity, iteration, and ethics drive responsible AI innovation.
Learn more about Fairfield Dolan's AI and Technology Institute.
Monday Oct 27, 2025
The Automation Blueprint - Ep. 2
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Go from being an AI user to an AI architect. This episode provides the blueprint for automation, teaching you how to use "Context Engineering" to make your AI a specialist and when to choose a simple workflow versus a powerful agentic system.
Learn more about Fairfield Dolan's AI and Technology Institute.
Monday Oct 27, 2025
The End of Prompt and Pray - Ep. 1
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Hosts Philip Maymin and Dr. Jie Tao, from Fairfield Dolan and the University’s new AI & Tech Institute, show how to move beyond “prompt and pray” toward reliable, structured results with AI. Hear why most one-shot chats fall short, how to “flip the switch” so AI asks clarifying questions, and why treating AI like a brilliant, but clueless, intern leads to better outcomes. You’ll learn the four-part “AI job brief” approach (including role and audience), when to iterate, and how to make structured prompts statistically inevitable—rather than hopeful guesses.
Learn more about Fairfield Dolan's AI and Technology Institute.
