The Neuron: AI Explained

Live from Microsoft Build, Corey Noles sits down with Scott Hanselman for a hands-on Neuron LIVE episode about AI-augmented software development, how it differs from just "vibe coding", and the surprisingly practical things people can now build with tools like GitHub Copilot and more.

Scott is one of the best technical explainers in software: a longtime Microsoft and GitHub developer, teacher, speaker, author, blogger, and podcaster who has helped millions of developers understand new technology without making it feel impossible to learn.

This episode turned into a live demo tour of what AI coding can already do, led by Scott's own use-cases. Corey and Scott walked through a series of examples showing how AI can help people build useful apps, prototypes, workflows, and small tools from everyday ideas, including Scott's own vibe-coded tools Baby Smash (https://www.babysmash.com/), which lets babies press random buttons for fun shapes and sounds, and Tiny Tool Town (https://www.tinytooltown.com/), which showcases random, cool tools Scott found around the web.

But in the coolest demo of all, Scott shows how to take an open source tool and create software a personal blood sugar tracking app for his own diabetes management. If that doesn't get your idea blood flowing for what you can do with AI, we don't know what will!

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In this episode of The Neuron, Corey Noles sits down with Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, at Microsoft Build 2026 to unpack Microsoft’s next AI chapter: seven new MAI models, a push toward in-house model development, and the idea of Humanist Superintelligence.

Mustafa explains how Microsoft is thinking about AI that can reason, code, generate images, transcribe speech, and power real products—without turning the future into a vague AGI race. The conversation gets into what “humanist” means in practice, why Microsoft is building models from the ground up, how AI agents may reshape work, and what it takes to keep increasingly capable systems useful, controlled, and aligned with human goals.

You’ll learn why Microsoft is investing in its own model family, how MAI-Thinking-1 and MAI-Code-1-Flash fit into the stack, why Suleyman frames superintelligence around human control, and what builders and operators should watch as agents move into real workflows.

Sponsored by BeyondTrust
Check it out at: https://www.beyondtrust.com/products/identity-security-insights/assessment?campid=701Vw00000drII6IAM

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Everyone is talking about Mercury-alpha, the mystery model that many believe could be GPT-5.6.

In this live discussion, we're separating fact from speculation and unpacking what would actually matter if OpenAI releases a new flagship model this week.

We'll cover:
🔹 What Mercury-alpha is (and why people think it's GPT-5.6)
🔹 The biggest rumors and evidence so far
🔹 What a new OpenAI model would need to deliver to move the industry forward
🔹 How Mercury-alpha fits into the broader AI agent race
🔹 Codex, Hermes Desktop, and the rise of coding and desktop agents
🔹 What all of this means for AI users, builders, and businesses

Join us live, bring your questions, and help us figure out whether Mercury-alpha is the next major leap in AI or just another chapter in the internet's favorite pastime: model-name archaeology.

👇 Drop your predictions in the chat:What do you think Mercury-alpha actually is?

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How do you prove there’s a real human on the other side of the screen when AI can generate faces, IDs, accounts, agents, and entire swarms of bots?

Tiago Sada, Chief Product Officer at Tools for Humanity, joins The Neuron to explain why proof of human may become one of the internet’s most important trust layers. Tools for Humanity is building the technology behind World and World ID, a system designed to verify that someone is a real, unique person without requiring them to reveal their identity across the web.

Tiago breaks down why CAPTCHAs, phone numbers, KYC, and AI-detection systems are starting to fail; how World ID uses in-person verification, cryptography, and zero-knowledge proofs; and why the future internet may need to distinguish between humans, bots, and agents acting on behalf of humans.

We also discuss concert ticket scalping, Tinder verification, Zoom deepfake protection, enterprise fraud, gaming bots, and why AI agents may need a kind of digital “power of attorney.”

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This episode is sponsored by Guru.
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AI agents and automation sound complex, but they’re really about one simple idea: helping you spend less time on repetitive work and more time on the things that need your judgment.

In this beginner-friendly Neuron Live, we’ll break down what AI agents are, how automation actually works, and how to start using both without getting overwhelmed.

You’ll learn:
🤖 How AI agents are different from regular chatbots
⚙️ What actually happens inside an automation workflow
🧰 Where tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Make, ClickUp, and other AI assistants fit in
💼 Practical ways to use AI at work and in everyday life
🔁 How to spot tasks that are worth automating
⚠️ Common mistakes beginners make with AI workflows
✅ How to decide what should stay human and what AI can help with

No coding experience required. No jargon.

Just a clear, practical conversation about how to make AI more useful, more responsible, and less intimidating.

Join us live, bring your questions, and leave with a better understanding of how to make AI do more than just answer prompts.

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