Episode Overview
In this episode of Marketing in the Age of AI, host Emanuel Rose sits down with Tim O’Hearn—senior software engineer, entrepreneur, and author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media. Together, they unpack the evolution of social media, the ethics of automation, and the blurred line between influence and integrity in our digital world.
What You’ll Learn
✅ How social media automation evolved from Myspace to today’s AI-driven agents
✅ The ethical dilemmas behind bots, algorithms, and influence manipulation
✅ Lessons from Tim’s journey—building automation systems and later questioning their impact
✅ Insights on the rise of blue checkmarks, fake followers, and vanity metrics
✅ Why integrity matters more than ever in the age of AI
Featured Guest
Tim O’Hearn is a senior software engineer with a background in quantitative finance and platform automation. He’s also an entrepreneur and the author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media, a book blending memoir with a candid examination of how automation shaped (and distorted) online interactions.
Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tohearn/
Episode Highlights
💡 Tim’s inspiration for writing Framed and his reflections on social media’s darker side
💡 The mechanics of bots, early automation frameworks, and their modern AI counterparts
💡 The truth about vanity metrics, influencer culture, and the evolution of blue checkmarks
💡 Marketing tactics Tim used to promote his book—without going “black hat”
💡 His next chapter: audiobook production, returning to software engineering, and future projects
Connect and Explore More
👉 Blog post: https://emanuelrose.com/exploring-the-ethical-boundaries-of-ai-in-marketing-and-social-media/
👉 Emanuel’s site: https://emanuelrose.com/
👉 Emanuel’s book Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI: https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/
Connect with Emanuel Rose: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-leadgeneration/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emanuelroseauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmanuelRoseAuthor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marketingintheageofai-ec6fx
Further Reading & Resources
📘 Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media by Tim O’Hearn
📘 Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI by Emanuel Rose – https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/
If you enjoyed this conversation, drop a comment with your thoughts on social media ethics, and share this episode with someone who’s navigating AI and digital influence.
#SocialMediaEthics #AIAutomation #Marketing #AI #DigitalMarketing #InfluencerCulture #Automation #EmanuelRose #TimOhearn