Artificial Intelligence as a Partner, Not a Threat: A Conversation with Maxim Behar

Maxim Behar was the first guest on a new podcast hosted by Martin Ivanov, a young Bulgarian presenter focusing on business, communications, and artificial intelligence. Their conversation explored how business has changed between 1995 and 2026, why AI has already become an indispensable partner in daily life, what the future may hold for politics, and what advice Behar would give to a 16-year-old starting an online business today.

“What has changed in business from 1995 to 2026? What is the biggest shift?”

What we were doing 30–31 years ago has nothing in common with what we do today. In one word: everything has changed.

A few constants remain — honesty, integrity, and the need to be creative and innovative. But today these values exist on an entirely different level.

In 1995, it was important to be honest with society, with employees, and with your family. Today, it is hundreds of times more important to be honest with yourself, with your business, and with the people you communicate with on social media.

There are now around four billion “media owners” in the world — everyone with a social media profile. Each of them is simultaneously a publisher, editor, and reporter. This changes the type of person we work with. Perhaps we are no longer homo sapiens, but something closer to homo socialicus — people who live in constant sharing and communication.

“Does artificial intelligence help people more today, or does it confuse them?”

Both — it helps and it confuses.

When generative AI first appeared, many people reacted with near shock: How can a machine tell me things no one has ever told me before? At first, we compared it to a smarter version of Google.

But development has not moved at a geometric pace — it has accelerated exponentially. In just two or three years, we have seen phenomenal change. Today, it is hard to go even one hour without consulting AI — for writing, travel planning, ideas, or analysis.

The key difference is that AI is no longer just a search engine. It is a partner — an extension of our brain. Not something that simply provides information, but something we interact with to reach decisions together.

“If you were 25 today, what would you be most cautious about in the world of AI?”

I wouldn’t be cautious about anything — and I’m not cautious today either. My only concern would be failing to master it properly, failing to learn how to “talk” to it.

Today’s 25-year-olds live in a completely different world — a world of constant communication and overwhelming amounts of information. My colleagues aged 20–25 are far more educated and ambitious than people my age were years ago.

The real danger is not artificial intelligence, but resistance to it. Saying, “No, this is dangerous, I don’t want to know anything about AI.” The opposite is needed — partnership. When we learn to work alongside AI, it will help us identify fake content, protect ourselves, and become even more original and authentic.

“We see more fake news and deepfakes every day. How will we deal with this?”

Yes, we encounter fakes across all social media platforms every single day. But it is better to see them, recognize them, and report them than to pretend they do not exist.

I am confident that one day we will be “programmed” to recognize fake content instantly. Today it may take us 5 to 15 seconds, depending on how sophisticated the manipulation is.

The key is not fear or rejection, but curiosity and a desire to understand how technology works. Then AI will help us detect fake content — not the other way around.

“How do you use artificial intelligence in your daily work?”

I use it to the extent that current technologies allow. Very often, I ask AI how it would solve a complex case — for a client or for my company, M3 Communications Group, Inc.

But I never accept 100% of what AI provides. Usually, I take about 30% of its suggestions and combine them with 70% of my own experience — over 30 years in PR and another 10–15 years before that in journalism.

Its biggest advantage is time efficiency. Where I once spent hours searching across multiple platforms and YouTube, AI now organizes raw information on a single screen — and I build on top of that.

At the moment, I refine and polish what it offers. But the day when the ratio becomes 70% AI and 30% my final touch will be very interesting. That is when we will truly appreciate the power of this partnership.

“Do you learn more from your mistakes or from your successes?”

People often say, “Learn from your mistakes so you don’t repeat them.” I don’t believe that. What is there to learn from mistakes? You have already made them. If you repeat them two or three times, perhaps this business — or even communications — is simply not for you.

I learn from my successes. Every success is like climbing a peak — whether it is 100, 300, or 1,000 meters high. Once you reach the top, there is no point in looking down — you have already been there. You need to look up, toward the next summit.

The real lessons are: why I succeeded, what I did right, and how the next project can be even more successful.

“What role will AI play in politics and future elections?”

I believe that one day artificial intelligence will vote on our behalf — and this should not scare us.

Our role will be to clearly state what we want: cleaner streets, better incomes, more honest politicians, a more orderly state. AI will compare our expectations with the programs of parties and candidates and say: “This person should vote for this option.”

There will be no vote buying, no manipulated protocols. If a minister fails to deliver on promises, after a certain period their access card to the ministry will simply stop working. The system will say: “You are no longer a minister.”

This is not science fiction — it is a logical direction of development. Technology will allow us to control politicians far more strictly than we do today.

“What advice would you give to a 16-year-old starting an online business?”

First — find a niche. Bulgaria has an incredible number of niches that are still untapped. I travel constantly and see business models abroad that have not yet arrived here.

Today, you need almost no money to start. A phone, a laptop, and a good internet connection are enough. Everything else depends on ideas and work.

My short answer is: have a spark in your eyes. Be motivated to succeed. Want to create something that brings value to people — and yes, to earn money as well. That is a wonderful quality.

Luck matters, but luck without effort means nothing. If your head is empty, luck will simply pass by. But if you work, learn, stay curious, and strive to be different — both luck and success will come to you.

Watch the full interview here.