Nathan Labenz
Also known as The Cognitive Revolution
Nathan Labenz is the host of The Cognitive Revolution and describes his work as AI scouting. He interviews researchers, founders and people who use AI to examine what new systems can do and how they may change work. He founded Waymark, a company that helps businesses make video ads, and previously served as its chief executive. Waymark’s use of GPT-3 connected his product work with language models. Labenz also tested early GPT-4 systems and discussed that experience publicly in 2023. His podcast and other interviews cover model capabilities, practical workflows, learning and safety. He brings a builder’s experience to a sustained public effort to understand AI through conversation and direct use.
- Now at
- Waymark
Timeline
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2017
Founding Waymark
Labenz founded Waymark, which launched in 2017 to help businesses produce video ads. Its early approach used templates to make production easier. The company gave him a practical setting for thinking about how software could reduce the time and effort required to create media.
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The GPT-3 period
Adding language models to video work
Waymark used GPT-3 to help produce advertising scripts. Waymark adapted the model to a specific business task. For Labenz, this connected AI capability with a real product workflow, where a useful script had to fit a customer’s needs.
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March 2023
Discussing the red-team experience
In a March 2023 Cognitive Revolution episode, Labenz and Erik Torenberg discussed GPT-4 and his earlier testing. The conversation brought a first-person testing account into public discussion. It also showed the podcast’s interest in capabilities, social effects and questions about how developers manage risk.
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December 2023
Exploring AI as a learning tool
In an interview with Every, Labenz discussed using ChatGPT as a partner for learning. He described ways of asking questions and building understanding through repeated interaction. This made everyday use a public subject alongside interviews about research and the future of AI systems.
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2026
Continuing The Cognitive Revolution
Labenz continues to host The Cognitive Revolution. The show describes his role as an AI scout and identifies him as Waymark’s founder and former chief executive. His continuing interviews link technical developments with the experience of building and using tools in practical settings.
Sources and credits
Photo: The Cognitive Revolution; photographer not stated. License: Not stated by source. Source: cognitiverevolution.ai. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.