# Inside Classify: Contextual Intelligence, AI Agents, and the Hidden Layer Powering the Web | EP 138 Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-agents-podcast/inside-classify-contextual-intelligence-ai-agents-and-the-hidden-layer-powering-the-web-ep-138 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-agents-podcast/inside-classify-contextual-intelligence-ai-agents-and-the-hidden-layer-powering-the-web-ep-138.md Podcast: [AI Agents Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-agents-podcast) Published: 2026-05-01T22:05:35+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ai-agents-podcast/episodes/Inside-Classify-Contextual-Intelligence--AI-Agents--and-the-Hidden-Layer-Powering-the-Web--EP-138-e3iosfq Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/fe2628e4/podcast/play/119353274/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-2%2F423324286-44100-2-e3a24247a0646.mp3 Processing state: processed JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ai-agents-podcast/episodes/inside-classify-contextual-intelligence-ai-agents-and-the-hidden-layer-powering-the-web-ep-138 Duration seconds: 3241 ## Resource Subscribe to AI Agents Podcast Channel: https://link.jotform.com/subscribe-to-podcast In this episode of the AI Agents Podcast, host Demetri Panici sits down with Brendan Norman, co-founder and CEO of Classify, to explore how contextual intelligence is becoming a foundational layer for AI agents. Brendan breaks down how Classify helps machines understand content at a deeper, more human-like level—and why that matters for everything from advertising to autonomous agents. They also dive into how AI is reshaping small teams, why agents still struggle with consistency, and what’s really happening behind the scenes as infrastructure evolves. If you want to understand the next layer of AI beyond models—the systems that make them actually useful—this episode is worth watching. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Why understanding AI is constantly evolving 02:28 – Brendan’s background and building Classify 05:05 – Agents vs bots and how AI systems interact 08:12 – The missing layer: contextual intelligence 13:16 – Do AI models actually understand language? 19:19 – AI workflows, Claude, and productivity tools 24:11 – Building faster with AI as a small team 30:18 – Opportunities for startups in the AI era 36:38 – Explaining AI in a rapidly changing market 49:08 – Are we approaching the AI singularity? ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Sign up to learn more ➡️ https://www.tri-classify.com/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow us on: Twitter ➡️ https://x.com/aiagentspodcast Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/aiagentspodcast TikTok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@aiagentspodcast ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ai-agents-podcast/episodes/inside-classify-contextual-intelligence-ai-agents-and-the-hidden-layer-powering-the-web-ep-138/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-agents-podcast/inside-classify-contextual-intelligence-ai-agents-and-the-hidden-layer-powering-the-web-ep-138.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.