Essays
The Journal253 essays
Long-form writing on AI, philosophy, psychology, and systems thinking.
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Pragmatism as Engineering Philosophy: James and Dewey
American pragmatism holds that truth is what works and inquiry transforms problems into solutions. Engineers already tend to decide based on what works. Pragmatism deserves explicit adoption.
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The Paradox of Automation: Why More Creates More Human Work
Bainbridge's 1983 paradox of automation intensifies: the more we automate, the more people we need for monitoring, exceptions, and trust calibration. Automation does not replace human work. It transforms and expands it.
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Decision fatigue and the case for algorithmic defaults
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Technology as an extension of stoic practice: Tools for attention, not distraction
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What stoicism gets wrong about technology, and what it gets right
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Building AI Systems That Fail Gracefully for Everyone
In nearly every AI system analyzed, degraded performance disproportionately affected already underserved populations. Equitable failure is a design requirement, not an afterthought.
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On the Relationship Between Speed and Wisdom
Development cycles have compressed dramatically, but wisdom does not scale with speed. Design time is the first thing fast teams cut. Speed and wisdom operate on different timescales. Structured slowness, deliberate reflection built into velocity, bridges the gap.
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Ethics of AI-Assisted Decision Making in Government
Six government AI systems reviewed, none meeting transparency standards required of equivalent human processes. Public systems demand higher ethical standards, yet the opposite is often true.
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Language models as mirrors: What AI reflects back about how humans communicate
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Data Retention Policies Are Architecture Decisions
Retention policies are architecture decisions, not compliance paperwork. Automated retention cut storage costs and purged unjustified data.