
AI Doesn't Make You Dumber. Your Lack of Self-Awareness Does (with Vanessa Chang)
AI Queens: Smart AF AI Tools, Automation, & Business Tips with Erika StanleyShow Notes
What if the problem with AI isn't the technology itself, but how little we know about our own thinking? In this episode, Erika sits down with Vanessa Chang, self-described champion of "unhyped AI insights for overthinkers." Together, they dig into something that doesn't get talked about nearly enough: the relationship between self-knowledge and how well (or badly) AI actually works for you.
This one will make you think differently about how you're using AI in your business.
What we cover:
Why "AI makes you dumber" is missing context
The concept of "optimizing before orienting" and how to stop chasing every shiny AI build you see on your feed
How to find your personal 37-40% threshold: enough information to take action without spiraling into endless rabbit holes
Compounding reality vs. compounding theory (the real learning happens by doing)
Whether you're an overthinker, a side-quest collector, or someone who spent three hours building a dashboard you didn't need (no judgment, Erika's been there too), this episode is your permission slip to stop, reorient, and build what actually moves the needle.
Connect with Vanessa:
Find Vanessa at vanessachang.comTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thinkwithv
Connect with Erika:
https://www.instagram.com/erikatheaiqueen/
Erika's AI Consultancy: https://www.aiqueens.com/
Erika's Branding & Web Agency: https://www.mileenddigital.com/
Join the AI Queens Society: https://aiqueens.substack.com/
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Rebecca Liao has been building AI companies since 2014, back when getting a computer to understand plain language was still a struggle. Today she is the co-founder and CEO of Saga AI Labs, which turns well-known characters from games, sports, and consumer brands into AI agents that talk with fans around the clock. Before Saga, she led growth at a SoftBank-backed unicorn and co-founded a crypto company that grew to about $5 billion in annual volume.