AI use with creators is moving beyond simple tools for transcripts, show notes, image generation, and editing. In this episode 664 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee, 2017 Podcast Hall of Famer, talks with Mike Russell, founder of CreatorMagic.ai and longtime audio producer behind Music Radio Creative, about how new media creators, podcasters, and video producers can begin building their own “AI creator employee.” Mike explains how AI agents are becoming active collaborators capable of controlling studio lighting, camera settings, thumbnails, content workflows, research, WordPress optimization, and production tasks. The conversation explores the shift from podcasting as an audio-first medium to a broader video-first creator economy, where YouTube, Apple Podcasts HLS video, AI workflows, and agentic automation are reshaping how content is made, distributed, measured, and monetized. Rob and Mike also dig into the tension between human-created and AI-assisted media, why “taste” still matters, how creators can avoid generic AI slop, and why the next competitive advantage may come from combining human judgment with powerful AI systems. What happens when AI stops being just a tool and starts acting like a real creative team member? Rob Greenlee and Mike Russell explore how AI agents, video-first media, and creator workflows are changing podcasting, YouTube, and the future of new media. Topic Chapters: 00:00, Welcome to New Media Show #664 with Mike Russell 01:00, Why AI is becoming more than a creator tool 02:00, Building your own “AI creator employee.” 03:00, Using AI agents to control studio lighting, cameras, and production settings 05:00, The growing complexity of being a modern creator 07:00, Why video quality is becoming a bigger creator advantage 08:00, YouTube as the new TV and the move toward 4K content 09:00, Podcasting, YouTube, and the digital replacement for broadcast 11:00, Mike Russell’s shift from audio production to video and AI 12:00, Early YouTube lessons and why creators need to be on camera 14:00, Why video matters now for creators 15:00, Audio versus video consumption and the risk of treating audio listeners as secondary 18:00, Apple Podcasts HLS video, deeper metrics, and YouTube analytics envy 20:00, How streaming video could help podcasting catch up on measurement 22:00, Creator Magic, community growth, and helping creators adopt AI 23:00, Mike’s AI-focused YouTube channel and 200,000 subscriber milestone 25:00, From Adobe Audition expert to AI creator educator 26:00, Why human taste still matters in an AI content world 28:00, Using AI as a creative director, not a replacement 30:00, AI agent experiments, crypto wallets, OpenClaw, and automation 32:00, AI tools versus AI agents 33:00, How agents connect tools across transcripts, thumbnails, analytics, and publishing 35:00, Moving from Zapier-style workflows to