Summary: The culture and publishing go through cycles: vitality, excess, decline, collapse, and eventual revival. Renewal is already stirring. There are hopeful signs: a shift away from ad-supported free content, the rise of new media and podcasts, ongoing experimentation similar to early newsletter days, and the potential of AI as a helpful tool. The September…
Back in my day, high schools offered driver’s ed as a class. At my school, we had this hi-tech (for the 70s) training regime where everybody sat in a car simulator and reacted to a movie, which was a driver’s view perspective of a trip through a city, merging onto a highway, etc. We were…
Our third child was born with a broken collar bone. I was sure it was because the doctor was a little too aggressive in trying to get her out, and I was angry about it. Then I had a chat with a nurse friend. She said, “You don’t know what that doctor has been through…
The expectation that we would get to “general artificial intelligence” soon has hit a rough patch as AI models aren’t progressing as fast as the tech titans wanted. But — I keep seeing articles and comments that the “promised Utopia” hasn’t arrived. Who promised Utopia? From what I remember, AI was going to give us…
“Engagement” is so universally praised in the media space that it’s easy to miss an important distinction between types of engagement. Specifically, is the publisher pursuing engagement exclusively for its own bottom line, or for the consumer’s enrichment? As I’ll explain further below, it’s not always one or the other, but studying the distinctions can…
[This is the main article from the August issue of The Krehbiel Letter.] I keep hearing that AI will steal jobs, but also that AI-generated content is substandard, and humans are still better at …. something. That’s the theme of this month’s issue. Where do humans fit in as AI takes over? Hope for humans…
[This is the July issue of The Krehbiel Letter.] Yes, AI lies and deceives We’ve all heard the stories about AI systems doing dastardly things. In a recent example, an AI system resisted instructions to shut down. In other cases, LLMs have deceived their users to attain some other goal. These kinds of stories scare…
Summary: A review of how I used AI to help me with a novel, and how that relates to the idea of disclosing the role of AI in creative works. Bo Sacks and I chatted recently about whether creative works should disclose whether they used AI. Disclosure is usually the right choice, but I know…
Maynard Ferguson was one of my trumpet-playing heroes in high school. He was a fabulous trumpet player who (I’m told) wasn’t able to teach others how to do what he did. That’s not unusual. Some people can do a thing but don’t understand exactly how or why they’re so good at it. Teaching, coaching, and…
Summary: The butterfly effect is often misunderstood both scientifically and culturally. Originally a concept from chaos theory, it describes how small changes can lead to unpredictable outcomes in complex systems. On social media, it’s been reinterpreted as a way to give meaning to random life events. This article explores both meanings, the risks of dabbling…
Summary: Whether AI is a tool, a mind, or a mimic, how we treat it will define us and reflect who we are as humans. If you’d rather watch (or listen), go here. I’ve noticed two perspectives on AI that you can hear in the background when people talk about the subject. Briefly, the two…
Summary: AI has changed customer expectations. People now assume you can deliver magical experiences, even when you can’t. Failing to meet those (unrealistic) expectations damages trust. Audit, adapt, communicate, and close the gap. There are a lot of wonderful things about AI. There are also a lot of scary things. One of the scary things…
The following is the June 2025 issue of The Krehbiel Letter The publishing industry thrives on accuracy, credibility, and audience trust. Tools like large language models introduce both opportunities and risks. Unless you train people to use these tools correctly, AI can lead to more trouble than it’s worth. We often hear about training the…
Summary: New technology (like AI) won’t help your business unless your team understands some basic concepts. Tools require more than procedures. They often require technology training, including new mental models, to avoid dumb mistakes. It’s fun to believe in silver-bullet solutions, but they often fail because they ignore the complexity of the situation. E.g., “Why…
Summary: AI can mimic famous styles, but to create truly impactful content, it needs better human feedback. This may come through future technologies like smartwatches measuring real-time reactions. Scott Frothingham posted a collection of 15 sayings from Yogi Berra on LinkedIn. They’re funny, a little confusing, and insightful. That made me wonder, “Can AI do…