AI & Automation
How AI systems actually work (and fail), who benefits from the hype, and what the research actually shows. Cutting through the marketing to find the substance.
What I mean by this tag
This topic covers artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation—but not in the "robots are coming for your job" sense. I'm interested in the gap between what AI tools claim to do and what they actually do, who benefits from AI hype cycles, and what the peer-reviewed research says vs. what the press releases say.
I'm also interested in automation more broadly: when it works, when it doesn't, and what gets lost when we automate decisions that used to be made by humans.
Start here
If you're new to this topic, begin with this episode.
EP. 001: And so it begins - AI Slop or Modern Telenovela?
The rise of AI-generated YouTube content, how faceless channels are automating storytelling, and what this means for creators and audiences.
Related reading
Sources I trust on this topic.
- AI Snake Oil (Narayanan & Kapoor) — Rigorous breakdown of what AI can and can't do, from Princeton researchers.
- EEOC AI Guidance — Official guidance on AI in employment decisions.
- ACM FAccT Conference — Academic work on fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI.
- AI Incident Database — Documented cases of AI systems causing real-world harm.