Keeping Grit in the Gears
Why the future of AI depends on what we keep human
Friends,
Johannes Gutenberg didn’t just invent a faster way to copy words. He built a machine that multiplied ideas. It changed who had access to them, who profited from them, and who was punished when power felt threatened. That’s our entry point this week, because AI is not just a clever tool meant to make our lives easier.
Across this issue, we look at AI through multiple lenses that people actually live with: how it shapes our daily habits, how it encodes prejudice, and how it targets our kids.
First, the fantasy of frictionlessness. We’ve been trained to think the “good life” is the easy life — one with no delays, no awkwardness, and no need to ask anyone for help. But digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush argues that the little snags we try to delete — waiting, negotiating, rewording, being corrected — are where belonging and growth happen.
Second, the promise of cleaning up bias in AI models by hiding it. Marie Beecham traces how systems taught to avoid overt bigotry are still producing covert prejudice. And the consequences can be seen in schools, hospitals, social services, and courtrooms.
Third, the question every parent is asking: “Should I let my kid use AI?” We spoke with Dr. Lisa Damour about what’s developmentally at stake. Her advice provides practical ideas, not panic.
And the issue doesn’t stop there –– learn more about the geopolitics of “democratic AI systems,” what will happen if schools don’t adopt AI policies and curriculum, and how one physician is using AI to change the world of medicine.
Here’s what I hope you’ll take from this week:
Tools are not neutral; they carry their makers’ incentives.
Convenience is never free; you pay with the muscle you stop using.
Guardrails for kids begin with adults who model judgment, not just warnings.
If a technology can be pointed at citizens, it will be — unless we draw bright lines in public, law, and design.
This isn’t a sermon against AI. It’s an invitation to keep some grit in the gears on purpose: a phone left in the kitchen, a hard conversation had in person, a policy that says “not this,” a workplace that values mentorship over shortcuts, and a product spec that protects the slow parts of being human.
Read the pieces, grab the tools, share the piece you can’t stop thinking about, and tell us where you want us to dig next. We’re building a magazine for people who refuse to trade their agency — or their neighbor — for convenience.
Onward,
Sharon McMahon, Editor-in-Chief
P.S. What topic should we tackle next? Tell us in the comments here, and paid subscribers, be on the lookout for a message tomorrow so you can vote on your choices!
the use of force on the Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean. Can we really blow people up like that? where is the evidence that these are 100% drug boats and legally does it even matter?
I would love an issue exploring all things food - from local farmers (how are workers paid/treated, how are small farmers making any money with all the cuts that came earlier this year), how Big Ag works, SNAP/WIC benefits (how investing in food access, particularly for children, is key to a healthy society), food deserts, how food pantries are currently struggling and how to help, etc.