Essays

Pragmatism as Engineering Philosophy: James and Dewey

American pragmatism holds that truth is what works and inquiry transforms problems into solutions. 72% of engineers already decide based on what works. Pragmatism deserves explicit adoption.

The Paradox of Automation: Why More Creates More Human Work

Bainbridge's 1983 paradox of automation intensifies: organizations with high automation employ 15% more people in automation-adjacent roles. Automation does not replace human work. It transforms and expands it.

Decision fatigue and the case for algorithmic defaults

Technology as an extension of stoic practice: Tools for attention, not distraction

What stoicism gets wrong about technology, and what it gets right

Building AI Systems That Fail Gracefully for Everyone

In 5 of 6 AI systems analyzed, degraded performance disproportionately affected already underserved populations. Equitable failure is a design requirement, not an afterthought.

On the Relationship Between Speed and Wisdom

Development cycles compressed 39x since 2005. Speed and wisdom operate on different timescales. Structured slowness, deliberate reflection built into velocity, bridges the gap.

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.

Language models as mirrors: What AI reflects back about how humans communicate

Data Retention Policies Are Architecture Decisions

Automated data retention reduced cloud storage costs by $18,000 per month and eliminated 4.2TB of unjustified data. Retention policies are architecture decisions, not compliance paperwork.