---
aliases: ["AI & Machine Learning"]
Is A: Topic
---
# AI & Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are reshaping how software is built, how content is created, and how businesses operate. This topic covers the practical side of AI — from LLMs and their applications in content workflows to the broader implications for engineering teams, developer tools, and the future of knowledge work.

## Why this matters

As someone writing for engineering leaders, understanding AI is not optional — it is the single most important technology trend affecting the audience. Every newsletter edition touches AI in some form, whether directly or through its second-order effects on team structure, hiring, and product strategy. Staying sharp here means the writing stays relevant and ahead of the curve, rather than parroting surface-level takes. The note [[ai-wont-replace-thinking]] captures a core belief: AI augments judgment, it does not substitute it.

## Key resources

- [[note-thinking-fast-and-slow]] — foundational mental models for reasoning about how AI interacts with human cognition
- Simon Willison's blog — consistently the best source for practical LLM insights and experiments
- Andrej Karpathy's talks and posts — deep technical intuition made accessible
- The Gradient podcast — long-form AI research conversations
- [[ai-wont-replace-thinking]] — a personal evergreen note on where AI fits in creative and analytical work

## Notes

- The most interesting AI applications for a content business are in research assistance and draft generation, not in replacing the writer
- Engineering teams are adopting AI coding tools faster than leadership realizes, creating a gap between how work is actually done and how it is managed
- LLMs are surprisingly good at structured summarization but consistently bad at nuanced editorial judgment — which is exactly where human writers earn their keep
- The hype cycle around AI means there is a massive opportunity for thoughtful, skeptical-but-informed writing on the topic
- Most B2B companies are still figuring out how to talk about AI to their customers, which creates sponsorship opportunities for newsletters that do it well
