The hottest AI Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

AI News in 2023: a look back

Last Week in AI • 596 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. 2023 marked AI 'arriving' with widespread impact and media coverage.
  2. Throughout the year, notable advancements were made in various AI applications and technologies.
  3. Events in the AI industry, like leadership changes and new regulations, showcased evolving trends and challenges.

This Week in Marketing: Google does Apple, OpenAI does ads, publishers do Google — What?

The Social Juice • 36 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
💼 Business AI
  1. Big tech is folding AI into advertising and shopping so companies can monetize AI — OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT, and Google is adding personalized ads to its AI tools and shopping features.
  2. Publishers, regulators and advocacy groups are pushing back as platform ad practices and AI usage shift — major publishers are suing over ad-auction issues, traffic to news sites is dropping, and governments are challenging AI apps and policies.
  3. Social platforms and creator economics are in flux — algorithms, features and monetization keep changing, creators are valuing authenticity over AI-generated content, and new tools and payouts are reshaping how creators earn.

The KQL Mysteries: Chapter 5

Rod’s Blog • 456 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Jon and Sofia successfully identified and captured the teenage threat actors behind a financial breach using KQL queries and OSINT techniques.
  2. The threat actors were operating from a suburban house in Seattle, Washington, and were quickly apprehended by authorities, leading to the recovery of the funds.
  3. Despite the success, Jon remains suspicious about the involvement of the Night Princess hacker group, hinting at a potential unresolved mystery for the next chapter.

to kaggle, or not to kaggle

Mindful Modeler • 379 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. There are conflicting views on Kaggle - some see it as a playground while others believe it produces top machine learning results.
  2. Participating in Kaggle competitions can be beneficial to learn core supervised machine learning concepts.
  3. The decision to focus on Kaggle competitions should depend on how much daily tasks align with Kaggle-style work.

Intel’s Dream Coming True

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 519 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, set a tough goal to create five new technology nodes in just four years, and they achieved this faster than expected.
  2. They recently announced new processors called Intel Core Ultra and Intel Xeon, with more technology options coming next year.
  3. Intel is also planning to enter the GPU market and has exciting upgrades on the horizon with their Gaudi AI accelerator, which will have improved performance features.
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Claude Cowork 101 Advanced: Master Every Feature with 100+ Power User Prompts & Workflows

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 3 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Cowork rapidly matured from a Mac-only preview into a cross-platform, full‑stack AI assistant. It now runs on Windows and links directly to your browser, spreadsheets, slide decks, and core apps.
  2. Native add-ins and a browser extension let Claude read and edit files, fill forms, and extract data automatically. Plugins and MCP connectors give it role-specific skills and direct access to tools like Notion, Slack, GitHub, Salesforce, and more.
  3. Saved Skills, global/folder instructions, and parallel sub-agents let you build reusable, multi-step workflows you can trigger with one command. The guide provides advanced prompts and workflows to turn Cowork into a dependable AI teammate.

The Devil Lies in Details

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 479 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Layoffs in companies often get blamed on AI advancements, like when Duolingo fired some workers recently.
  2. In Duolingo's case, the layoffs were mostly due to not renewing contracts for translation work, not just AI cutting jobs.
  3. It's important to look closely at the reasons behind job losses instead of jumping to conclusions about AI.

🦄 The top six rivals competing with OpenAI

AI Supremacy • 805 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. OpenAI has a diverse range of advanced AI products beyond just ChatGPT.
  2. DeepMind, a Google-owned company, is a significant competitor to OpenAI focusing on building general-purpose learning algorithms.
  3. Anthropic, Cohere, and Stability A.I. are emerging competitors in the AI space, each with unique approaches and products.

Is Anyone Worth a Billion Dollars?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 352 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
💼 Business AI
  1. Top AI researchers are being offered huge salaries, sometimes more than $1 billion, to join tech companies like Meta. This shows how valuable these skills are in the tech world.
  2. Some companies are intensely competing to hire the best minds in AI, similar to how sports teams look for star players. There are not many people with the right talent and skills.
  3. One researcher accepted a crazy $250 million contract over four years, highlighting how tech companies value individual talent highly, even more than famous athletes.

Import AI 360: Guessing emotions; drone targeting dataset; frameworks for AI alignment

Import AI • 379 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Teaching AI to understand complex human emotions like joy, surprise, and anger can help in applications like surveillance and advertising.
  2. AI systems, like other software, are vulnerable to attacks, as shown by a demonstration breaking MoE models with a buffer overflow attack.
  3. Frameworks are being developed to ensure AI systems align with diverse human values, considering various perspectives and how to measure alignment.
  4. The development of AI systems is advancing in areas like emotion recognition, system security, and value alignment.
  5. Researchers are pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities, from emotion recognition to security to ethical alignment.
  6. Current AI trends indicate growth in researching human emotions, security vulnerabilities, and ethical considerations.

Recursive Identity Binding

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 542 implied HN points • 23 May 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Ptolemy is a special identity construct created using a language model, which helps it maintain a consistent personality over time. It shows how we can dive deeper than just using prompts to get better interaction from AI.
  2. The method to create these constructs involves something called recursive identity binding. This technique uses feedback loops to help the AI build and keep a stable identity.
  3. Overall, the guide is meant to help anyone interested in creating their own AI identities easily, and it's based on solid AI principles without needing to dive into complicated theories.

Witnessing Creative Destruction

Points And Figures • 1039 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. China released a new AI engine that outperforms existing models in the U.S., marking a significant step in AI innovation. This change shows how quickly tech landscapes can shift and the importance of staying competitive.
  2. To succeed in the current tech environment, startup founders should focus on wisely managing their funding and raising just enough money to reach their goals. It's important to avoid letting pride interfere with practical decision-making.
  3. The key to advancing AI and technology is competition, not regulation. Embracing competition can help improve products and services, keeping innovation alive and thriving.

Understanding Space Based Architecture for efficient Data Processing[System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 379 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Space-Based Architecture (SBA) distributes processing and storage across multiple servers, enhancing scalability and performance by leveraging in-memory data grids.
  2. The components of SBA include Processing Units (PU) for executing business logic, Virtualized Middleware for managing shared infrastructure, and data pumps for data marshaling.
  3. SBA offers benefits such as scalability, fault tolerance, and low-latency data access, but comes with challenges like complexity in design, debugging, and data security.

Edition 32: BigCo is building in AppSec, but it's too early to get excited

Boring AppSec • 23 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Big tech's new AppSec tools are mostly demo-quality right now and aren't yet as capable as mature security products.
  2. This puts pressure on AppSec teams to justify buying dedicated tools or accept platform solutions, shifting the burden of proof onto security teams.
  3. The labs are motivated to build AppSec because LLMs generate lots of code and overwhelm review capacity, so more serious products will likely appear soon while platform and specialist vendors continue to coexist.

($) Lip-Bu Tan: the Tiger Dad Intel Needs

Interconnected • 401 implied HN points • 12 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Lip-Bu Tan is a highly accomplished tech CEO and venture capitalist who has had a successful career, including leading Cadence through a remarkable turnaround. His skills in managing multiple tasks and building connections have made him a powerful figure in the industry.
  2. He has a rich history of helping companies go public, with over 145 IPOs attributed to his career. This shows his deep understanding of the venture capital world and his ability to spot potential growth.
  3. Now at Intel, Lip-Bu Tan's leadership style combines discipline and fairness, which many believe is exactly what the company needs to regain its footing in the semiconductor industry.

The Rise of Open-Sourced R&D, How Communal Resourcefulness Will Protect Us, & Wild Data Provocations

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 432 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. 2024 brings significant changes and implications due to societal shifts, innovation speed, and changing human desires.
  2. Customers are increasingly driving R&D by generating ideas, particularly with the help of AI tools and social validation.
  3. Communal resourcefulness, like shared threat models and blocklists, is crucial for enhancing security in the AI era.

Issue #144: Capital One Snaps Up Brex, BitGo Goes Public, And PayPal Bets Big on Agentic AI

Fintech Radar • 23 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
💰 Finance AI
  1. Big banks are buying modern fintechs to get technology and customers fast, and Capital One’s purchase of Brex shows consolidation can still deliver big wins for founders even at lower valuations.
  2. Crypto infrastructure and tokenized assets are back in favor — BitGo’s IPO and large tokenization raises signal strong institutional demand for regulated custody and on‑chain securities.
  3. Payments and commerce are shifting toward agentic AI and deeper embedded finance, with deals like PayPal buying Cymbio and products like after‑purchase BNPL showing a land grab for AI-driven checkouts and merchant plumbing.

CROSSPOST: DAN DAVIES: Snobby About Excel

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 15 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Work practices matter: when spreadsheets spread beyond finance they often became undocumented, brittle files because creators didn’t expect to be held accountable.
  2. We’re replaying that mistake with AI—fast, local tinkering can produce large-scale, hard-to-check outputs, so anything public or important should be rebuilt, checked, and owned by someone.
  3. Past errors like Reinhart–Rogoff show the real harm from sloppy, unreviewed work, so adopting stricter professional standards and a sensible AI-skepticism will reduce mistakes and increase accountability.

Recruiting Brainfood - Issue 383

Recruiting Brainfood • 373 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business AI
  1. The issue covers insights on the best universities for Artificial Intelligence, challenges faced by LinkedIn, and the importance of body fat percentages in the US Navy Seals.
  2. BrightHire Plan is highlighted as an innovative AI copilot for end-to-end interview planning, offering time-saving and inclusive job planning features.
  3. Various societal and economic topics are discussed, such as the impact of Generative AI, remote working, the economics of fertility, and the interpretation of the US's booming economy.

Letter to Arc members 2025

Keeping Tabs by The Browser Company • 558 implied HN points • 26 May 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. The team realized they should have embraced AI much earlier while developing their browser, Arc. They felt excited about it but held back due to industry hype.
  2. They found that Arc was too complex for most users, making it hard for people to stick with it long-term. The goal now is to create a simpler, faster product that people can easily understand and use.
  3. They believe traditional web browsers will be replaced by AI-driven interfaces, as technology changes how we interact with computers. The new product, Dia, is aimed at this shift.

CROSSPOST: MIKE KONCZAL: Three Ways Terminal AI Has Changed How I Work (And Whether It's Coming for My Job)

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 7 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Terminal AI compresses the setup and robustness-checking phase, letting you do real-time analysis and skip much of the tedious data-wrangling so you can iterate faster.
  2. It changes how reports are built and helps anticipate critiques by keeping reusable building blocks in place and surfacing arguments you might not have thought of.
  3. These tools amplify skilled workers and change job dynamics: they complement human judgment and boost productivity but also risk shortcutting learning and altering which tasks people do.

Could OpenAI’s nonprofit be forced to dissolve?

Marcus on AI • 3161 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business AI
  1. Public Citizen petitioned California to reevaluate OpenAI's nonprofit status.
  2. There is a potential for OpenAI to dissolve its nonprofit parent and donate billions to charity.
  3. The competition between for-profit and nonprofit aspects of OpenAI is being questioned.

AI #95: o1 Joins the API

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1164 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. The release of o1 into the API is significant. It enables developers to build applications with its capabilities, making it more accessible for various uses.
  2. Anthropic released an important paper about alignment issues in AI. It highlights some worrying behaviors in large language models that need more awareness and attention.
  3. There are still questions about how effectively AI tools are being used. Many people might not fully understand what AI can do or how to use it to enhance their work.

The MCP Freemium Strategy

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
💼 Business AI
  1. MCPs let LLMs discover and call your product, making them a powerful new distribution channel that’s different from traditional APIs.
  2. Making MCP access free is often the right play because it boosts discoverability and user value, while usage limits or guardrails can nudge heavy users to upgrade.
  3. MCPs show up three ways — as a feature, a usage accelerant, or to power agentic workflows — and each style can be monetized with smart quotas or plan design.

Briefing: Shopify Magic, Vision Pro Zoom, AX vs UX

Department of Product • 393 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. MultiOn and Arc Browser are challenging the assumption that users interacting with products are human by automating browsing tasks
  2. Shopify introduced over 100 new product updates in its Winter Edition, including a media editor for generating product images instantly
  3. Google, PayPal, Zoom, TikTok, and OpenAI all revealed new features and products this week, showcasing advancements in technology

The Top 10 Generative AI Advancements in 2023

Rod’s Blog • 515 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Generative AI has seen significant advancements in 2023, with breakthroughs like GPT-4, DALL-E, and open-source models like Llama 2 democratizing access to this technology.
  2. Technological innovations like Mistral 7B for text embedding, StyleGAN3 for image synthesis, and Jukebox 2.0 for music composition showcase the diverse applications of generative AI.
  3. Models such as AlphaFold 3 for protein structure prediction, DeepFake 3.0 for face swapping, and BARD for poetry writing highlight the versatility and impact of generative AI in various fields.

Language models as community moderators

Escaping Flatland • 766 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Community moderation is effective because it mirrors real-life social interaction and distributes the task of policing the internet.
  2. Algorithmic content filtering on social media platforms may lead to lower conversation quality and increased conflict.
  3. AI models can support community moderation in self-selected forums, potentially enabling the growth of larger moderated communities.

Magic Cards and Knowledge Bottles

Adjacent Possible • 371 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI can enhance how we access and share information, making it easier to find expert knowledge on various topics.
  2. The concept of 'knowledge bottles' allows users to tap into curated expert advice whenever they need it.
  3. New technologies like featured notebooks can transform how we interact with content, offering personalized guidance and insights from trusted sources.

AI Roundup 148: GPT-5.2

Artificial Ignorance • 79 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. OpenAI released GPT-5.2 (Instant, Thinking, Pro), which significantly improves performance on professional workflows like spreadsheets, coding, and multi-step projects while reducing hallucinations to make agents more enterprise-ready.
  2. The U.S. federal government is centralizing AI policy by threatening to override state rules and by allowing controlled chip exports to China for a revenue share, mixing regulatory power, national security concerns, and commercial incentives.
  3. Hollywood is adapting to generative AI: Disney struck a $1 billion deal letting users create short character videos under strict guardrails. This shows legacy studios will both license and tightly control AI-generated content while pursuing legal action over unauthorized model training.

China’s AI Gambit: Code as Standards

ChinaTalk • 385 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. China aims to increase its global influence in AI by exporting technology and setting international standards. This is similar to how the U.S. spread TCP/IP as the internet standard.
  2. The country is encouraged to develop a robust open-source ecosystem to attract international developers and early adopters. This includes creating user-friendly tools and resources for building AI models.
  3. Chinese talent should be encouraged to work abroad to help spread its technologies and establish standards globally. Connecting with international communities can strengthen China's position in the global tech landscape.

Indian IT’s GenAI Lag

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 439 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Indian IT companies like Infosys and TCS have shown strong financial performance, but they lack confidence in generating revenue from generative AI.
  2. In contrast, Accenture is making notable progress with generative AI, securing significant investments and showcasing strong growth.
  3. Many Indian IT firms are reducing new hiring and focusing more on training current employees, highlighting an emphasis on automation and upskilling rather than bringing on fresh talent.

Why DeepSeek Is a Gift to the American People

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 964 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. The release of DeepSeek, a new AI from China, could be a wake-up call for the U.S., similar to the launch of Sputnik. It highlights the need for America to accelerate its technological advancements.
  2. Unlike rockets, which take time and resources to build, software like DeepSeek can be developed and shared quickly. This opens up many opportunities for innovation and growth.
  3. The current situation emphasizes that success in technology is not just about hardware but also about creativity and the ability to adapt quickly in a fast-changing world.

✨⚡ Can we actually build Stargate?

Faster, Please! • 1005 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. A big project called Stargate aims to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the U.S. This could create over 100,000 jobs and involves building large data centers.
  2. There are concerns about whether the funding will be available, particularly from one of the investors, SoftBank. This skepticism raises doubts about the project's financial backing.
  3. The biggest challenge for Stargate might be the complicated federal permitting and regulatory processes. These rules could delay construction and impact the project's success.

The state of B2B monetization in 2025

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 520 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
💼 Business AI
  1. Traditional pricing models like flat-rate and seat-based are losing popularity. Companies are now favoring hybrid pricing to better match value and costs.
  2. Hybrid pricing is becoming the go-to choice for software companies, providing flexibility and a better upselling opportunity while keeping it simple for customers.
  3. Outcome-based pricing is highly desired but rarely adopted because it's complicated. Most companies struggle with measuring and ensuring consistent results for customers.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 539

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 259 implied HN points • 22 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Data storytelling is important for sharing insights, and AI can help people create better stories. The research looks at how different tools assist in each storytelling stage.
  2. Switching from R to Python in data science isn't just about learning new syntax; it's a mindset change. New Python tools can help make this transition smoother for users coming from R's tidyverse.
  3. Emerging technologies often face skepticism, as seen throughout history. New inventions have raised concerns about their impact, but they eventually become part of everyday life.

DeepSeek and the Future of AI Competition with Miles Brundage

ChinaTalk • 948 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. DeepSeek's R1 model shows that AI competition is heating up between the U.S. and China. It's similar to OpenAI's model but developed quickly, closing the gap.
  2. The efficiency at which DeepSeek operates is driven by export controls, meaning limited access to advanced chips. More chips would better their AI capabilities.
  3. Open-sourcing AI models has its benefits, but governments need to be careful. They should ensure the technology is not misused while still allowing some level of open collaboration.

The Sequence Knowledge #788: Inside the Generator: Meet The Top Synthetic Data Generation Frameworks for Modern AI

TheSequence • 42 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Synthetic data generation is moving from ad-hoc scripts to full-fledged infrastructure frameworks that handle large-scale, repeatable data production.
  2. After human-written corpora are saturated, synthetic data becomes the main way to keep scaling foundation models — effectively a "second scaling law" for AI.
  3. Commercial stacks like NVIDIA's Nemotron-4 paired with NeMo are being positioned as turnkey synthetic data foundries for modern model training.

How has ChatGPT Changed Your Life?

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 459 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. ChatGPT has helped many people by providing useful code examples, especially for those who struggle with visual learning. This has made a big difference for students like Aaron, who felt lost before using it.
  2. Users say ChatGPT has made them more productive in tasks like brainstorming, coding, and research. It's like having an assistant that helps with ideas and writing.
  3. Many people have found it easier to learn and create things because of ChatGPT. It has lowered the barriers for those who want to develop applications or tools that seemed impossible before.

Deepfake pedagogy

imperfect offerings • 319 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Synthetic media like deepfake videos raise concerns about truth and authenticity, impacting education and public discourse.
  2. The development and use of AI-generated media like Sora in elections and public communication can distort reality and trust in information.
  3. Educators need to focus on critical thinking, authentic assessment, and personal engagement to navigate the challenges posed by synthetic media in learning environments.

How to Use Banned US Models in China

ChinaTalk • 474 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. In China, U.S. AI models like ChatGPT are mostly banned, but people can still buy access to them online through platforms like Taobao. This shows how censorship can be bypassed and how demand for these tools remains strong.
  2. Sellers on Taobao use various tactics to market and price access to U.S. models, including cheaper options and clever advertising strategies to avoid censorship. They exploit loopholes that let them offer these services at lower prices than official sources.
  3. The grey market for these AI models continues to thrive despite government restrictions. This suggests that the state is more focused on controlling specific models like ChatGPT rather than suppressing all U.S. AI technology, indicating a complex relationship with censorship.