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Gradient Descent

RavenTek Studios

Gradient Descent is a podcast for people asking better questions about emerging technology.

Hosted by RavenTek's Chris Riordan, Brett Lucas, and Brett Haupt, the show explores artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, leadership, and software development through thoughtful conversations that challenge assumptions rather than reinforce them.

We aren't interested in repeating the latest buzzwords or predicting that every new technology will save the world or destroy it. Instead, we explore the space between the hype and the fear, sharing practical perspectives for leaders navigating an increasingly complex world.

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  • 7 episodes
  • Avg 58 min
  • English

Episodes 7

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  • #7
    Thursday · 41 min

    07. Red Teaming AI: Finding the Gaps Before Attackers Do

    AI adoption is accelerating, but are organizations securing it as quickly as they are deploying it? Rob Chee, Federal Solutions Architect at Zscaler, joins the Gradient Descent crew to explore how AI red teaming, guardrails and zero trust can help organizations identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. The conversation covers prompt injection, jailbreaking, model testing, agentic security and the challenge of protecting AI applications without slowing innovation. The group also examines the risks of AI-generated software, the changing role of human judgment and why no single security layer is enough.

  • #6
    August 28 · 1 hr 3 min

    06. Tokenomics: The Real Cost of AI

    AI feels cheap. A monthly subscription, a few prompts, maybe a coding assistant. But that price doesn't necessarily reflect what AI actually costs to run. In this episode of Gradient Descent, Chris Riordan, Brett Lucas, and Brett Haupt unpack the economics behind AI, from tokens and reasoning models to local LLMs, data centers, energy demand, and the growing cost of agentic workflows. They explore why today's AI pricing may not be sustainable, whether smaller and specialized models offer a better path forward, and what happens when organizations have to start accounting for the true cost of the AI they've built into their workflows. Because the question isn't just what AI can do. It's what happens when the bill comes due.

  • #5
    August 14 · 49 min

    05. Under the Hood: Lessons From Black Hat 2026

    Fresh from Black Hat USA 2026 in Las Vegas, Brett Lucas and Brett Haupt join Chris Riordan to unpack what they saw across the cybersecurity industry. AI was everywhere, but that was part of the problem. When every product claims to use AI, the more interesting questions are what is happening under the hood, what decisions are being handed to LLMs, and whether those systems are actually explainable, auditable and worth the cost. The team digs into AI-powered security products, the difference between using LLMs as communicators and decision-makers, token-based pricing, vibe-coded interfaces, Black Hat paranoia and the technologies that actually caught their attention. The biggest takeaway? The industry may finally be moving past “just use more AI” and back toward thoughtful architecture, guardrails and fundamentals.

  • #5
    August 7 · 1 hr 5 min

    04. Promptcraft: How We Actually Use AI

    Everyone talks about AI. Almost nobody talks about how they actually use it. In this episode of Gradient Descent, Chris Riordan, Brett Lucas, and guest Guy Waybright compare their personal AI workflows, from governance files and context management to coding agents, testing, and multi-model orchestration. The surprising takeaway is that there isn't one right way to work with AI. The best workflow is the one that matches how you think. Whether you're building software, managing projects, or just trying to get more out of ChatGPT, this conversation offers practical ideas you can apply today.

  • #4
    July 10 · 51 min

    03. Fortress vs. Fire: Can AI Defend Against AI?

    What happens when artificial intelligence becomes both the attacker and the defender? As AI accelerates cyber threats, organizations face a difficult question: should they fight AI with even more AI, or double down on proven security principles like Zero Trust? In this episode of Gradient Descent, Chris Riordon, Brett Lucas, Brett Haupt, and Ryan Sheehan debate where AI belongs in modern cybersecurity. They explore agentic AI, prompt injection, AI-powered vulnerability discovery, offensive automation, and why human oversight may become even more important as machines get faster. Rather than predicting doom, the conversation focuses on how organizations can adopt AI responsibly while protecting the systems that matter most. Topics include: AI attacking AI Prompt injection and emerging threats Zero Trust for AI agents Human vs. machine decision making The future of AI-enabled cyber defense

  • #3
    July 10 · 1 hr 1 min

    02. Apocaloptimism: Are We Coding Our Way Into a Cybersecurity Crisis?

    Everyone is celebrating how AI is accelerating software development. Far fewer people are asking what happens when security can't keep up. In this episode of Gradient Descent, the team introduces the idea of Apocaloptimism. It is the belief that AI has incredible potential while recognizing that its rapid adoption may create serious challenges before things stabilize. The conversation explores two trends moving toward each other. AI is making it faster than ever to build software, while AI-powered offensive capabilities are lowering the barrier to sophisticated cyberattacks. What happens when those two curves finally intersect? Join the discussion as the team explores: AI-assisted software development and "vibe coding" Why software quality and security may be falling behind AI adoption How offensive AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape Zero Trust, governance, and responsible AI implementation Whether we've already reached the tipping point, or if the biggest disruption is still ahead Not everyone agrees. That's what makes the conversation worth having.

  • #2
    July 10 · 1 hr 16 min

    01. Pilot

    Before we knew exactly what Gradient Descent would become, we sat down, turned on the microphones, and started talking. This conversation became the foundation for everything that followed.

Showing 1–7 of 7 episodes