Hey, friend!

Do you remember when every tweet you read (or every post on Bluesky--sorry, I'm not calling then "skeets") wasn't about AI? I do. It feels like we may be there again one day... but definitely not right now.

There's been a common thread through a lot of conversations I've had with friends these past few weeks, whether on my new Pragmatic AI podcast, or just one-on-one: we're talking about what it looks like to balance the fun and excitement from building many more of our ideas than ever before, against the fear and anxiety and stress and concern about the negative implications (and often core business tenets) of the world of Big AI.

My goal with the new podcast is to find a space for humanity in the conversation. My first three guests are technologists, yes, but they've all been practically impacted in their careers by AI. They all also have hope and excitement.

My next four? A writer, a tech strategist for small businesses, a small business founder, a narrative storyteller, a theologian. I'm working to get some scientists, ethicists, and researchers in here too--to make this the space where we can have real conversations about AI without having to constantly remember to stay critical, or stay hopeful, because that's my job as a host, and it's your job just to hang out and learn from these wonderful folks.

I don't know if it'll work. I could look back in a year and say, "maybe I just contributed to the AI noise". But I hope it will work. I'm really proud of the first three episodes, and the guest list just keeps growing. So if you're interested in a measured, reasonable take about AI, only once a week, not about keeping up on the latest greatest but instead having bigger and broader conversations, outside the narrow scope of tech Twitter... check it out.

Also! If you have guest ideas, let me know! Not just "this is someone who talks a lot about AI", but more "this is someone who I think brings a unique perspective to the conversation". I'm trying to collect them all!

What Else?