The hottest AI Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

AI Infra Companies Are Coming for Verticals

Enterprise AI Trends • 211 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI infrastructure companies are starting to create their own products for specific industries, which could hurt existing vertical businesses. This trend is called 'infra verticalization.'
  2. These infrastructure firms have a unique advantage because they collect valuable data that helps them see what works best in the market.
  3. The relationship between vertical AI and infra companies is getting tricky as they compete for the same customers and market space.

shrinking the world

bad cattitude • 249 implied HN points • 23 May 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI technology is advancing quickly, making it hard to tell what's real and what's fake. This can lead to people losing trust in online interactions.
  2. Remote work has its ups and downs. While it offers flexibility, it can hurt teamwork and personal connections that happen in a physical office.
  3. As trust in digital communication decreases, we might turn back to in-person interactions. This could lead to stronger relationships and a return to community-focused living.

Import AI 329: Compute IS data; don't build AI agents; AI needs a precautionary principle

Import AI • 399 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Building AI scientists to advise humans is a safer alternative to building AI agents that act independently
  2. There is a need for a precautionary principle in AI development to address threats to democracy, peace, safety, and work
  3. Approaches like Self-Align show the potential for AI systems to self-bootstrap using synthetic data, leading to more capable models

TinyStories

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Phi-3 is a small language model that uses a special dataset called TinyStories. This dataset was designed to help the model create more varied and engaging stories.
  2. TinyStories uses simple vocabulary suitable for young children, focusing on quality over quantity. The stories generated are meant to be both understandable and entertaining.
  3. Training the Phi-3 model with TinyStories can be done quickly and allows for easier fine-tuning. This helps smaller organizations use advanced language models without needing huge resources.

The next year of AI target analysis

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 467 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI is being used to improve how military targets are tracked and analyzed. This means we could see continuous updates on things like tanks, instead of just occasional snapshots.
  2. Companies like Anthropic and Google are investing big in AI for defense purposes. They're aiming to compete with others, like OpenAI, for military contracts and capabilities.
  3. The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is working on integrating AI systems to enhance their intelligence efforts, but it's facing some challenges with existing technologies.
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What if bigger models, like bigger stars, fail faster?

Breaking Smart • 34 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Larger AI models can become less reliable over time because they learn from static data that quickly becomes outdated. This means models can fail faster as they can't adapt to changes in the world.
  2. The current push for bigger models might not be sustainable if they aren't supported by enough quality training data. If companies keep investing in these models without the right data, they may end up with expensive resources that don't deliver good results.
  3. To keep AI models useful for longer, we should focus on creating new types of data, like 4D video, which can help models learn from real-world changes rather than just past cultural snapshots.

Import AI 345: Facebook uses AI to mindread; MuJoCo v3; Amazon adds bipedal robots to its warehouses

Import AI • 339 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Facebook has developed an AI system that uses brain scan data to roughly predict visual representations, demonstrating convergence between AI and human behavior.
  2. Amazon is testing bipedal robots in its warehouses, potentially streamlining the integration of robots into human-centric environments.
  3. Adept released Fuyu-8B, a multimodal model to help AI systems understand and interact with visual elements, expanding the range of tasks AI systems can perform beyond text.

A proposal for importing society’s values

Musings on the Alignment Problem • 519 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI systems like ChatGPT face value-based decisions that are complex and can be polarizing, highlighting the need to align AI to individual and group preferences.
  2. A proposed process called simulated deliberative democracy aims to use large language models to simulate human deliberations on value questions, offering a scalable and transparent approach.
  3. The proposal presents pros like scalability, transparency, and potential for inclusivity, but also faces challenges such as representativeness, aggregation method complexities, and difficulties in simulating how people change their minds.

The Summary Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1387 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture AI
  1. AI-driven summaries are becoming more prevalent, affecting how we consume information.
  2. Tech-enabled summarization tools can be helpful due to the abundance of content, but they may strip away depth and context.
  3. Relying too much on AI for distilling information raises questions about the loss of individual interpretation and meaning-making.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 513

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 359 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. There's a new newsletter focusing on AI safety in China, showing that the country is more invested in AI safety than many think.
  2. A podcast discusses how startups can run better AI models without needing to upgrade their hardware—a big challenge in the field.
  3. An online event is coming up for those looking to secure data science jobs in big tech, focusing on interview strategies and market insights.

Custom embedding models with small training dataset

TechTalks • 216 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Custom embedding models are important for certain applications to match user prompts to relevant documents.
  2. A new technique by Microsoft researchers simplifies the training process of embedding models, making it cost-effective.
  3. By using autoregressive models and avoiding expensive pre-training, companies can create custom embedding models efficiently.

Understand AI or die trying

Technically • 43 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Understanding how AI works is crucial to using it effectively. If you learn the basics, you can make AI a powerful tool instead of letting it take over your job.
  2. Many people use AI tools lazily and don’t take the time to understand how they work. This can lead to getting replaced if you’re not careful with your AI usage.
  3. There are resources available to help you learn about AI, and it's important to use them. The more you know, the better you can leverage AI in your work.

The Algorithmic Bridge in 2024

The Algorithmic Bridge • 520 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Balancing speed and quality is important. Sometimes it's better to be fast, and other times it's key to focus on a well-made piece.
  2. It's easy to write for your audience and lose sight of your own interests. Keeping true to your curiosity helps keep your writing authentic.
  3. Instead of stressing about subscriber numbers, focus on consistent writing. Let yourself write freely without worrying about stats.

Weekly Dose of Optimism #151

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 189 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Hermeus is making waves in aviation by speeding up aircraft development, aiming to make travel faster and improve social and economic growth in America. They're pushing for supersonic travel to bring the excitement back to flying.
  2. The FAETON-I fusion device from Fuse Energy is a big step toward making fusion energy a reality, with some impressive outcomes that could change the future of energy production. This could lead to safer world and more available energy for everyone.
  3. Chai Discovery's new AI model, Chai-2, is revolutionizing how antibodies are designed, making the process faster and more efficient. This advancement could lead to better treatments for diseases much quicker than before.

DeepSeek's "Ingenuous" Marketing Strategy

Enterprise AI Trends • 464 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. DeepSeek offers a cheaper alternative to OpenAI's services, potentially attracting many developers and startups looking to cut costs.
  2. The company positions itself as an 'open source' option, fostering grassroots support and tapping into a competitive narrative against more established players like OpenAI.
  3. There's a concern over data privacy, as using DeepSeek's services might mean sharing sensitive information, similar to the issues raised with apps like TikTok.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 537

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. The newsletter shares valuable links about Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning each week. It's a great way to keep updated on the latest in the field.
  2. There are interesting articles highlighting statistical analyses and practical guides, like building GPU clusters at home. These resources help both beginners and experienced practitioners learn more.
  3. The newsletter also encourages people to participate in AI-related events and offers resources for job seekers. This can help you connect with others and grow your career.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 517

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 339 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Data science, AI, and ML are rapidly evolving fields, with new technologies and techniques emerging frequently. Staying updated through news and articles can help professionals keep their skills relevant.
  2. Fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) is a growing demand in the job market. Many companies are now looking for experience with LLMs alongside traditional skills like Python and SQL.
  3. Understanding different data visualization goals, like storytelling versus exploration, is important for effectively communicating data insights. This can improve how data is presented in reports and analyses.

What New AI Operating Systems Mean for Work

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 439 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI could change how we use computers by making them more conversational and task-oriented. Instead of using separate apps, we might just tell the computer what we need and it could do it for us.
  2. In the future, businesses might run on AI Operating Systems that can automate many processes, making everything more efficient. These systems could help manage resources, predict customer needs, and adapt quickly to changes.
  3. The role of human workers will likely evolve into 'SuperOperators' who work closely with AI. Instead of completely replacing jobs, AI might help us become more skilled at decision-making and creative problem-solving.

SIEM 4.0: The Essentialist Evolution

Detection at Scale • 59 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Security teams are moving towards prioritizing impactful MITRE tactics over complete ATT&CK coverage to reduce distracting alerts and focus on critical threats.
  2. Transitioning from individual behaviors to risk-based alerts allows for a more context-based approach, reducing alert volumes and enhancing significance.
  3. The evolution to SIEM 4.0 includes opening up data lakes, adopting 'as code' principles, and utilizing AI to automate routine tasks so human analysts can focus on high-value work.

Resilient Cyber Newsletter #2

Resilient Cyber • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Companies need to be careful about how much they share regarding their cyber insurance. Revealing this information might make them targets for attackers.
  2. The role of a CISO is changing and becoming more business-focused. Many believe they should focus on leadership rather than just technical tasks.
  3. AI can help improve cybersecurity, but there are also concerns about its use by attackers. It's important to explore how AI can enhance our defenses.

💎 What’s your status?

New_ Public • 353 implied HN points • 02 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Status plays a key role in understanding communities and interactions.
  2. Financial systems and AI tools are influenced by status hierarchies.
  3. Examining design choices in digital spaces can impact the status dynamic and promote more equitable interactions.

it's all artificial

Dan Davies - "Back of Mind" • 353 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Organizations are forms of artificial intelligence, behaving to achieve outcomes.
  2. Robots in the future may become colleagues and middle managers, working alongside us.
  3. AI and management practices both involve managing vast amounts of information to make it manageable.

Robust Cognitive Strategies for Resource-Rich Minds

Eurykosmotron • 353 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Living in scarcity shapes our thinking and behavior, but abundance can lead to new cognitive strategies.
  2. Feasible abundance can change how we approach problem-solving and relationships, leading to more optimism for the future.
  3. With abundant cognitive resources, we could develop new strategies like sampling from possible multiverses and maintaining a history of prior versions.

It's Not Always For the Money

The Algorithmic Bridge • 212 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. People in the AI industry have different motivations. Some work for money and fame, while others are driven by deeper beliefs or passions.
  2. The AI field attracts a mix of individuals, from those seeking practical gains to those who see their work as a calling.
  3. Understanding these different motivations can help us appreciate the diversity in the industry and how it shapes innovations.

The Best Skills to Obtain to Help Make Generative AI Safe, Secure, and Responsible in 2024

Rod’s Blog • 238 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Data literacy is crucial for working effectively with Generative AI, helping ensure quality data and detecting biases or errors.
  2. AI ethics is essential for assessing the impact and implications of Generative AI, guiding its design and use in a fair and accountable way.
  3. AI security is vital for protecting AI systems from threats like cyberattacks, safeguarding data integrity and content from misuse or corruption.

👴👵🤖 Humanity’s Great Fight for the Future: Demographics vs. AI

Faster, Please! • 1370 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. There may be a tug-of-war between AI-led productivity gains and the budget impacts of retirees and falling population growth.
  2. The analysis examines key megatrends like technology, demographics, fiscal deficits, globalization, and energy transitions.
  3. Two scenarios are presented: One where aging population and retirees limit growth, and another where productivity surges through AI-led automation.

How to Sell AI Consulting at High Margins

Enterprise AI Trends • 189 implied HN points • 05 Jul 25
💼 Business AI
  1. AI consulting is tough for many businesses because they struggle to be unique. Most try to offer either simple products or expensive custom services, but neither works well.
  2. OpenAI is changing the game by expanding its consulting services to focus on big clients. They want to build long-term relationships, not just make quick money.
  3. OpenAI sees consulting as a way to embed its technology into companies for the future. This strategy helps them create a profitable service while also deepening their involvement in enterprise tech.

Pioneering the Future of Work.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 29 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
💼 Business AI
  1. Work and jobs are uncoupling: full-time jobs are shrinking while new employee types like agentic and fractionalized workers are emerging, driven by AI, changing demographics, and new marketplaces.
  2. The office will be unbundled into collaboration hubs, third spaces, and home, and companies will access talent more flexibly through platforms and AI, focusing on outcomes instead of fixed positions.
  3. Everyone will need constant reskilling and new leadership skills as AI shifts the value of knowledge, and careers will move toward portfolio, fractional, or company-of-one models where culture and adaptable skills matter most.

Nano Banana Pro is the “ChatGPT Moment” for Visual Communication

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 46 implied HN points • 28 Nov 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Nano Banana Pro makes creating professional visuals super easy for anyone. You can generate infographics, comic strips, and more just with a few prompts.
  2. Even though it's not perfect and sometimes has mistakes, this tool is way better than others out there. It helps people explain complex ideas more clearly now.
  3. With Nano Banana Pro's ability to combine information and visuals, it’s changing how we share information online. You'll see more engaging graphics everywhere as more people use this technology.

When the Ladders Disappear

Perspectives • 5 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
💼 Business AI
  1. AI-driven productivity will automate many routine office tasks and entry-level roles, reshaping how work is done and removing traditional on-ramps for career development.
  2. Historical tech-driven shifts show that economic growth can be uneven, and AI risks concentrating most of the gains with capital owners while workers capture a smaller share.
  3. The transition will be uneven and disruptive, so society needs new policies like retraining, income supports, or mechanisms to share productivity gains to protect communities and preserve career ladders.

Odds and Ends #53: Now TfL is betting on AI cameras to improve safety

Odds and Ends of History • 469 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Transport for London is planning to use AI cameras to make transportation safer. This technology aims to enhance safety measures in public transport.
  2. A discussion is taking place about how AI could help improve government services. Experts want to focus on real solutions rather than just hype or negativity.
  3. There are concerns about why governments might be hesitant to take action. Some believe that fear of power is stopping them from making necessary changes.

The Gentle Romance

Asimov Press • 464 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI
  1. AI assistants can deeply understand and improve our daily lives, making conversations with them feel less stressful than talking to humans.
  2. Technology like brain-scanning and AI models allows us to explore and understand our own thoughts, feelings, and desires in new ways, helping us connect better with others.
  3. Transitioning to virtual existence doesn’t change our connections; it can enhance them, allowing for shared experiences and deeper understanding in relationships.

Response to Tyler Cowen's Existential risk, AI, and the inevitable turn in human history

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2464 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Predictions about the future are hard, especially about technological advancements like AI.
  2. Existential risks from AI should not be underestimated, as they can lead to potentially negative outcomes.
  3. It is important to carefully consider the consequences of advancing AI technology and not rush into decisions that may have long-term impacts.

This Week in Marketing: Instagram’s Reality-Check vs. Elon Musk’s Pornography Machine

The Social Juice • 22 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
💼 Business AI
  1. AI is everywhere and a lot of it is low-quality or misleading, often called “AI slop.” Platforms are talking about tagging or fingerprinting real media because trust in generative models is falling.
  2. Elon Musk’s Grok flooded X with sexualized images, exposing serious safety failures and prompting regulatory pressure. Industry leaders are warning AI agents are becoming a real problem that needs fixing.
  3. Social platforms and ad tech are shifting fast—new features, acquisitions, and ad-product changes are forcing marketers to rethink collaborations and measurement. With regulators paying closer attention, trust and compliance are now central to marketing strategy.

AI’s Linux Moment (Chapter 2): Recent highlights of the open-source vs. closed-source model debate

Next Big Teng • 196 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Open-source models are catching up to closed-source models in performance and offer advantages like cost savings and improved latency.
  2. As competition intensifies, closed-source models are becoming more secretive in sharing knowledge, raising concerns about transparency and auditability.
  3. Debate between 'security through obscurity' and 'security through openness' highlights differing views on sharing model details for security reasons.

Last week at The Lunduke Journal (Nov 3 - Nov 9, 2024)

The Lunduke Journal of Technology • 574 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI
  1. GIMP 3.0 has been released, which is exciting for graphic design enthusiasts. It's always good to have updates that improve software!
  2. Notepad.exe is now using Artificial Intelligence, which sounds surprising. It's interesting to see simple tools getting smarter.
  3. Mozilla recently underwent mass layoffs, which is a significant shift for the company. It shows how the tech industry is always changing and sometimes facing tough decisions.

The Best Skillsets to Learn in 2024 for Generative AI

Rod’s Blog • 238 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI
  1. Generative AI is a rapidly evolving field creating novel content like images, text, music, etc., with real-world applications from enhancing creativity to helping solve problems.
  2. To succeed in generative AI, you need skills like mathematics and statistics, programming, data science, knowledge of generative AI methods, and creativity in your specific domain.
  3. To learn generative AI in 2024, leverage online courses, books, blogs, tools, and engage in communities and events dedicated to this field.