As I probably mentioned already, I get a lot of email newsletters — largely by choice. The decision, unfortunately, is accompanied by regret, but I made that bed so I guess I gotta sleep in it — or whatever the expression is.
Here in 2026, (so-called) AI is still a dominant narrative and/or hype agonist. I get a newsletter all about how “AI” is changing the world. Written by a guy who’s probably 22ish (or the ChatGPT he uses to produce email newsletters), there is absolutely no skepticism whatsoever in his tone. Indeed, he’s Silicon Valley’s ideal consumer. Me, I like skepticism. I value skepticism. I find skepticism extremely useful, particularly in environments where producers are prone to deceiving potential customers. For reasons that escape my understanding, a lot of parents of people who become adults (including many who already did) seem to have sheltered their children so much that skepticism is unfamiliar to themWhen I read this email newsletter, it’s written as if the chart’s line only goes up and to the right. I scroll past headline after headline about all of the amazing futuristic news of the week. When I read this, I don’t see that “AI” is commonly used as a (dubious) justification for extensive layoffs, layoffs which are often detached from the realities of what “AI” even does. The hype has all-too-often gotten far beyond even theoretical capabilities.
Periodically, there will be a popular two-piece band. I think of The White Stripes. They got popular with a sound distilled down to the core rhythm and the core melody. By simply not having a bassist, they presented a simpler form of music that is generally not common. However, by eliminating the harmony, commonly played by the bass, they are demanding more from the melody. Moreover, they are eliminating some of the texture commonly expected. Sure, a lot of the prevailing sound can be found in the dominant melody as expressed by the guitar sound, but some of what you typically notice is the interplay between the guitar and bass (to be clear, I’m not saying guitar and bass specifically represent some musical ideal or that guitar and bass together fill a gap that requires two, those two). The popular two-piece band can have a few pop hits, but they make songs that generally lack the staying power found in tracks with additional harmonic and rhythmic tension.
I mention the drawback of this simpler music, because I see a parallel to the AI hype. Actually, it reminds me of addiction, too: in a temporary and very subjective perception, everything is great. However, to an outside observer, that same experience is dull and boring. Currently, I see a lot of this type of hype around (so-called) AI. That is to say, the purveyors of AI are eager to assert that it does everything and that you can simply buy intelligence as a service (which is supremely dystopian). Part of what makes stuff good in life is that it contrasts with that which we call bad. People seem to want to intrinsically avoid discomfort. However, to quote the movie “Vanilla Sky” (again), “Without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain’t as sweet.” The entire notion that downside can or should be avoided is flawed.
I will (barely) resist lecturing here about how I think “friction” often gets a bad name because marketers use the term far too broadly.
Ultimately, what is presented as “AI” is based on what was known for years as “ML” (Machine Learning). Models have “weights,” which allows terms to be related mathematically. In my opinion, calling it “intelligence” is extremely deceptive and simply takes advantage of people who aren’t familiar with the technology. I disrespect that approach. To me, this entire charade is based on misleading and misdirecting. That is not one of the benefits of computers.