This episode closes out the year with ChatGPT 5.2 front and center, as the tools get sharper, the breakthroughs sneakier, while the pace refuses to slow down. We zoom out, take stock of how fast things moved in 2025, and poke at what it all means heading into 2026—along with a few classic Up Against Reality detours. It’s the last ride of the year, and the future is still very much in the driver’s seat.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Arte Museum

LM Arena

ChatGPT 5.2

GPT 5.2 is the first human labor replacement | Wes Roth

AI-generated images mentioned in this episode

Meta SAM Audio Model

Adobe Podcast Enhance

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/23/chatgpt-5-2/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Originally aired May 7, 2024, this rewind explores what makes us human in a world increasingly shaped by AI. From ancient inventions to future fears, it’s a thoughtful (and occasionally hilarious) celebration of creativity, resilience, and yes—beer.

LINKS:

Man interviews an AI deepfake clone of himself

Chatbot Arena

Apple OpenELM

China Unveils Vidu: A Powerful Text-to-Video Generator

BionicBee: Autonomous flying in a swarm

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/16/episode-rewind-oh-the-humanity/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

This week, AI meets ROI with Vivek Mahapatra — Salesforce exec, systems thinker, and part-time myth slayer. We talk agentic design, scaling AI like a grown-up, and preparing humans (and kids) for what’s next. Meanwhile, RAINA dishes on Meta’s metaverse breakup, England’s AI-assisted football dreams, and a copyright lawsuit that could rewrite the AI playbook.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vivek Mahapatra (LinkedIn)

Vivek Mahapatra (Salesforce Blog)

Salesforce AgentForce

Co-Intelligence (book) | Ethan Mollick

Linchpin (book) | Seth Godin

Think Again (book) | Adam Grant

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/09/vivek-mahapatra/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

NotebookLM isn’t just taking notes anymore — she’s designing decks, sketching infographics, and storyboarding explainer videos from your own source material. We revisit Google’s under-the-radar AI researcher and explore how it’s quietly becoming a one-stop content studio for work, school, and strategy. Plus: poetic jailbreaks, orbital AI chips, and why China’s analog breakthrough might just flip the whole compute game.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Thinking Game | Documentary) trailer

The Thinking Game | Full documentary

AlphaGo – The Movie | Full award-winning documentary

How It’s Made | Science Channel

NotebookLM

Dirac Live Active Room Treatment (ART)

SUNO

Big Trak | Vintage toy

2-XL | Vintage toy

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/12/02/notebooklm-revisited/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Gemini 3 has landed and it’s not just smarter, it’s vibier. From solving PhD-level science to designing apps from a single sentence, Google’s newest AI model might just be the overachiever of the year. Is RAINA jealous? You’ll have to listen to find out.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Gemini 3 Pro: Breakdown | AI Explained

Chatbot Arena

Gemini 3 Pro Frontier Safety Framework Report

Humanity’s Last Exam

Google AI Studio

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/11/25/gemini-3/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Originally aired January 9, 2024, this rewind features the debut of real-time RAINA as a fully conversational co-host. From unscripted Q&A to live news and a few existential curveballs, this episode marked a major milestone in the evolution of the show.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

OpenAI GPT Store

Whisper Transcription (Mac App)

Up Against Reality | LinkedUp Podcast Episode 127

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/11/18/episode-rewind-realtime-raina-is-born/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

The hype is deafening, the valuations are vertical, and now the whispers are getting louder… Is the AI boom built to last—or built to bottom out? We follow the money, the fear, and the fallout.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Apple TV Intro made with practical effects

Xania Monet (AI-generated music artist)

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/11/11/ai-bubble-too-big-to-fail/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

From parasocial love affairs to bots that breathe sweet nothings into your ear, we ask: is this the future of connection or just a beautifully coded red flag? Trick, treat, or total emotional takeover—let’s get intimate with the machine.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

SUNO: Coffee Roaster Instruction Manual Rock

Albania’s Rama Claims AI Minister Diella is Pregnant

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2025/11/04/ai-companions/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality